Help Restore Light and Water for a Family in Cambridge, Jamaica

The Story

A few months ago, Hurricane Melissa swept through Jamaica, leaving a trail of destruction that hit the small mountain town of Cambridge in St. James Parish particularly hard.

Our dear friend Alaine Taylor and his family were among those whose homes were severely damaged. While the storm has passed, the struggle is far from over.

The power grid in their community was devastated, and local estimates suggest they will be without consistent electricity for another 4 to 5 months.

The Current Crisis: No Power, No Water

During the storm, the family also lost their water tanks, which were their primary source of running water. Currently, they have no water system at all, and only recently located and recovered one of their water tanks that was cut in half by the force of the storm. They are forced to rely solely on whatever rainwater they can manually collect. Without electricity or running water, daily survival has become a very challenging task.

Restoring Lifelines: Solar & Starlink

Along with the generosity of a few close friends, Irene and I recently visited and stayed with Alaine and his family over the recent holidays to provide immediate relief and to restore their connection to the outside world.

We successfully:

• Delivered a portable solar power generator & solar panel system for basic lighting and device charging, as well as supplementing their existing gas-powered generator. They don’t own a vehicle, so getting enough gas to run for a significant amount of time is logistically challenging and very expensive.

• Delivered a Starlink device to provide them with access to the internet and mobile communication capabilities.

• Portable solar-powered lights to provide for basic lighting needs.

Because Starlink is currently at maximum capacity for the island of Jamaica, this was a rare and vital step to ensure they can communicate with family and manage their recovery. However, these are "lifeline" fixes. The house still requires major structural repairs and a permanent water solution.

The Goal: The Power of $20

We are looking to raise between $5,000 and $8,000 to fund building materials, new water tanks, and labor. Anything above and beyond that will go directly to Alaine and his family.

We’re not asking for large windfalls. Our goal is to build a "crowd" of support. If we can find enough people to donate just $20, we can reach this goal together.

Your contribution will go directly toward:

• New water tanks and plumbing to restore running water.

• Structural lumber, brick and concrete to repair storm damage.

• Securing the home against future tropical storms.

How You Can Help: A Voice for the Unseen

Recovery efforts often focus on the major cities and tourist hubs, leaving smaller, less-represented small towns like Cambridge without a voice.

You can help by:

1. Donating $20: Every contribution helps us restore a basic necessity.

2. Spreading Awareness: Please share this link with as many people as possible. By sharing, you are giving a voice to a community that is often overlooked and helping us reach those who want to support the "hidden" parts of Jamaica as they struggle to rebuild.

Alaine and his family are showing incredible resilience while retaining their positive outlook, warmth, generosity and hospitality. We don’t think they shouldn't have to carry this burden alone. Let’s help them get the water running and the house secured.

We would like to thank Linda James and Jaime & Elena Ducreux for your help with providing the power banks and solar panel that we were able to deliver to Alaine and his family.

Special thanks to Marquies Culbert for his help in getting this process started.

Thank you all for your time, consideration, attention positive energy and your generosity!