MIAMI (Le Floridien) — MJD Wellness and Community Center, founded in 2015 by Emmanuella Fleurimont in North Miami, is marking its 10th anniversary—ten years of education, advocacy, and compassionate outreach that have supported thousands of individuals and families across Miami-Dade County. What began as a dream carried by a determined young woman from Haiti has grown into a trusted 501(c)(3) institution improving access to health, wellness, and dignity for underserved and marginalized communities. Over the past decade, MJD has provided food assistance, mobile outreach, health education, empowerment programs, and community events that knit together neighbors, faith leaders, mentors, and public servants in the common cause of a healthier South Florida.
The origins of this work reach back to MJD’s formative years, when the organization convened a leadership luncheon on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Miami to learn, directly from seasoned practitioners, how to build a resilient nonprofit. Community leaders—including former North Miami Mayor Andre D. Pierre; Paola Pierre, founder of Pierre Consulting, Inc.; and Valia (Vania) Laguerre, a double major in finance and international business from Florida International University—offered frank guidance on strategy, governance, fundraising, and service. Their roundtable insights—stressing rigor in the launch phase, the discipline of accountability, and the day-to-day realities of program delivery—helped forge an MJD culture that marries compassion with operational competence. It was a formative moment that presaged the steady rise of a center that now serves as both safety net and springboard for families striving for healthier lives.
Fleurimont’s own journey helps explain the tenacity behind the mission. Born and raised in Haiti, she left for the Dominican Republic in 2003 to study medicine, then later immigrated to the United States and pursued studies at Liberty University, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology before beginning graduate work in health and wellness through Walden University. Along the way she launched MJJ Nutrition Club to bring nutrition and weight-management guidance to clients across South Florida. Seeing firsthand how many elders and newcomers lacked access to reliable information and supportive services, she imagined a broader vehicle for impact: a center that could educate, screen, refer, nourish, and empower. That idea became MJD Wellness and Community Center. With encouragement from leaders including former North Miami Mayor Andre Pierre, Mrs. Paola Pierre, and Patrick Fabre—and with an early board that included Treasurer Sever Livinceour, Secretary Rose Philippe, Officer Patrick Fabre, and Officer Marie Lourdes Metellus—MJD began building the partnerships that fuel its programs today.
Ten years later, the organization is celebrating with “3 Days. 3 Events. Endless Impact.” On Thursday, October 9, 2025, MJD will host a Health & Wellness Conference from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Ramada Hotel, a powerhouse day of panels, workshops, and networking that invites professionals, students, and community members to exchange ideas and forge collaborations. Attendees are encouraged to wear professional attire, bring their questions, and leave with practical tools to improve outcomes in their neighborhoods. On Friday, October 10, 2025, the 10th Anniversary Benefit Ball will transform the Ramada Hotel from 7 PM until 4 AM into an elegant celebration of service and community. Guests in formal attire—champagne, black, or any shade of green—will enjoy gourmet dining, live music from Haitian sensation KLASS, and the presentation of honors to leaders and unsung heroes who made the decade possible. On Saturday, October 11, 2025, the celebration shifts to North Miami Senior High School–Cagni Park from 10 AM to 2 PM for a lively Health & Wellness Festival featuring family fun, free health screenings, giveaways, and community resources designed to make healthy living tangible and accessible.
A highlight of the Benefit Ball will be the presentation of the prestigious Leadership Award to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, recognized for her visionary leadership, integrity, and dedication to empowering communities. Her administration’s support, including grant funding that sustains MJD’s food pantry and Mobile Clinic, has helped extend services to households that too often fall through the cracks. In addition, MJD will honor pillars of impact whose service exemplifies the values of leadership, innovation, collaboration, advocacy, equity, empowerment, resilience, generosity, and vision. Among the leaders to be recognized are Armen Karapetyan, Andre Pierre, Dr. Alix Desulme, Jean Monestime, Philippe Bien-Aimé, and Sebastien Scemla. The evening will also salute unsung heroes whose steady commitment keeps the doors open and the work moving forward: Alexis Noel (Ti Gana), Delince Jean Baptiste, Fabrice Pascal Polynice (DJ PAZ), Kenol Walchin (Coach Kenol), Marvin Pigeot, Ralph Rene Lamartiniere (Blan Rene), and Solomon Saintvil (DJ Grio). Together these honorees embody the spirit that has defined MJD’s first decade: quiet excellence, shared purpose, and practical love for neighbor.
Beyond the celebration, the anniversary is a reaffirmation of mission. For years, MJD has operated as a lifeline—screening clients, offering health education, connecting families to licensed partners for follow-up care, and, when resources allow, distributing healthy foods through monthly events. The need has not diminished. Seniors still require clear, culturally competent information; immigrants still navigate unfamiliar systems; parents still seek practical guidance on nutrition, exercise, and preventive care. MJD meets those needs with programs designed to be welcoming, dignified, and effective. The model is simple but powerful: listen first, meet people where they are, and mobilize the community to help one another.
Founder and CEO Emmanuella Fleurimont captures the meaning of the moment in her reflection: “Ten years of impact is only possible because of passionate leaders and everyday champions. A decade of impact is a testament to the power of community. This celebration honors every board member, staff, volunteer, partner, media, and supporter who has stood with MJD to bring hope, nourishment, and opportunity to those who need it most.” Her words are both gratitude and invitation. As MJD turns the page to its next chapter, the organization is asking the community to show that same love and commitment in return—by attending the Benefit Ball, joining the conference and festival, sponsoring a table, underwriting screenings, or volunteering time and expertise. Every ticket purchased, every sponsorship pledged, and every hour donated translates directly into meals, screenings, education sessions, and referrals that change lives.
MJD’s story began with a luncheon, a handful of mentors, and the conviction that South Florida could do more for its at-risk neighbors. Ten years later, the center stands as proof that vision—backed by discipline and community—can become infrastructure: a pantry stocked, a clinic rolling, a festival humming, a conference full of ideas that turn into action. The anniversary events are a celebration, yes, but they are also a rallying point. Miami-Dade is strongest when it gathers, not only to applaud the past but to invest in the future.
Tickets and sponsorships are available at https://mjdwellness.org/events/events-details.html
For information, contact (786) 438-9051—Rachel, Event Coordinator. Join MJD Wellness and Community Center this October to honor a decade of service, compassion, and impact—and help fuel the next ten years of hope, health, and opportunity.
