I’ve never been one to ask for help easily. But some situations make pride feel like a luxury we can’t afford.

On October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa passed directly over St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, leaving behind a trail of destruction that words barely capture. In Brighton, the small community where my late father, Linval Samuels, was born and now rests, the damage was nearly total. Wooden homes were flattened, concrete houses gutted, and not a single roof left standing.

My family and I are grateful that our loved ones are alive — but survival is only the beginning. In my father’s memory, we’re organizing an effort to help our neighbors rebuild what’s been lost. We’re collecting non-perishable food, clean water, clothing, hygiene items, and school supplies to help families take their first steps back toward normal life.

This fund will help cover shipping, distribution, the purchase of some goods, and essential local costs so that every donation — whether large or small — goes where it’s needed most.

What Brighton needs now isn’t pity, but partnership. A small act of kindness here can ripple across an ocean.

As we say back home, “Every mikkle mek a mukkle.” Every little bit makes a difference.

— Warren Samuels & Family