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<div><strong>Title: Standing Together: Merritt College Criminal Justice Club Supports One of Our Own</strong>
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<div><strong>At Merritt College’s Criminal Justice Club, we believe justice is not only something we study — it’s something we practice through compassion, unity, and service.</strong>
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<div>Today, one of our own is facing an unimaginable hardship. A dedicated member of our club has experienced a devastating crisis affecting her loved ones in Jamaica. One-third of her family — including children and her grandchild — along with several close family friends, neighbors, communities and nearby parishes, were severely impacted by the recent Melissa disaster.
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<div>Entire homes have been destroyed. Power and clean water are limited. Families across the community and other parishes are displaced and struggling to survive. While she remains present and active as a student and club member here at Merritt, her heart is with the many loved ones back home who are fighting every day to rebuild their lives.
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<div>As a club rooted in justice and solidarity, we refuse to let her and her family carry this burden alone. We are launching this campaign to support her family, around and other families in the communities who urgently need relief, stability, and hope.
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<div><strong>How Your Donation Will Help:</strong>
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<div><strong>Emergency Relief:</strong> Food, clean water, hygiene items, clothing, and basic necessities for multiple affected households in Jamaica.
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<div><strong>Rebuilding Efforts:</strong> Funding will support the purchase of wood, cement, and building materials so families can begin repairing and restoring their homes.
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<div><strong>Barrel Purchases:</strong> Barrels cost <strong>$35–$50 each</strong> and are essential for transporting supplies directly to families in need.
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<div><strong>Shipping &amp; Transportation Costs:</strong>
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<div><strong>$2,000 covers the ocean freight shipping for approximately 6 barrels only.</strong>
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<div>This $2,000 covers <strong>the shipping from the Port of San Francisco to Jamaica, </strong>but <strong>does NOT include</strong>:
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<li>pickup of the barrels
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<li>transportation from Oakland to the San Francisco port
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<li>handling or loading fees
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<li>release fees or customs charges in Jamaica
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<div>The full transport route is:
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<div><strong>Oakland → San Francisco Port → Jamaica</strong>
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<div>As additional barrels are shipped, total costs can increase and may reach <strong>$4,000 or more.</strong>
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<div><strong>Crate Construction &amp; Critical Needs:</strong> Additional funds will help build wood crates and support the purchase of a generator and water access supplies to aid multiple households facing long-term outages.
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<div><strong>Communication &amp; Logistics:</strong> Donations will also help families stay connected by adding phone credit and covering charging costs. With widespread power outages, people must pay others just to charge their phones — a critical lifeline for safety, updates, and coordinating assistance.
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<div><strong>Why This Matters:</strong>
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<div>The Merritt College Criminal Justice Club is more than a campus organization — we are a family. We support one another in times of hardship and need. Helping her family and community rebuild reflects the values we stand for: compassion, justice, unity, and resilience.
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<div>By contributing to this cause, you are not just helping one student. You are upholding the very values our club represents — empathy, resilience, and justice that extends beyond borders.
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<div><strong>We’re Asking for Your Help:</strong>
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<div><strong>Every donation, every share, every kind word makes a difference. Together, we can turn tragedy into a testimony of love, strength, and community.</strong>
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<div>Thank you for standing with us, for standing with her, and for proving that Merritt College is not just a place of learning — it’s a place of heart.
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<div><strong>Together, we rise.</strong>
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Help Rebuild Lives After Melissa Disaster

Still $15,785 to go. Help us build momentum.