Help Savanna-la-Mar Rebuild After Hurricane Melissa

I’m Nardia Brooks, and I’m raising funds for families in Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica – my hometown in the western part of Jamaica where Hurricane Melissa made direct landfall.

While this GoFundMe won’t reach everyone affected, I know from living through Hurricane Gilbert myself that helping even 3-5 families directly can make a real difference.

While the funds we are asking for will not be able to rebuild homes fully, we hope to give enough to provide emergency supplies and food for the families.

Donating to major organizations matters. Making a direct impact matters even more.

What happened:

On Tuesday, October 28th, Hurricane Melissa slammed into Western Jamaica as a Category 5 storm – the strongest the island has ever seen. I remember Hurricane Gilbert – how the winds screamed so loud that it felt threatening just to hear them. My brother, who still lives in Savanna-la-Mar, told me Melissa’s winds were even louder, even more terrifying. Because this time, he could hear families screaming too.

My brother is a stoic man. He doesn’t ask for help. But this time he is. He’s asking for neighbors whose homes were completely destroyed.

He told me: “Sis, I saw a pregnant mother grab her two-year-old daughter and run from her house. As soon as she ran, Melissa ripped off the roof and then picked up the entire house like it was a cardboard box. That’s when I knew we were in trouble.”

Why I’m doing this:

So many communities have been leveled. So many people I went to school with have lost everything. It’s unbearable to be here and not there. At least during Gilbert, we screamed together. Then we cleaned up together.

Now I’m asking; what can I do from here?

I’m hoping to harness my community in America to help my community in Jamaica.

Please help the people of Savanna-la-Mar rebuild.