Help Sunrise Bakery’s Employees Rebuild After Hurricane Melissa

I’m Calvin Lyn, son of Jack Lyn and third-generation owner and operator of Sunrise Bakery.

For 70 years, my family’s bakery has been the heartbeat of Black River, Jamaica.

Then, in one night, October 28, Hurricane Melissa destroyed everything.

Our equipment is gone. Our building is in ruins. Nothing is left.

But what breaks my heart most is our 20 employees — some who’ve worked here for decades — who suddenly have no income and no way to feed their families.

The Immediate Crisis:

When the storm hit St. Elizabeth Parish, it didn’t just destroy our bakery. It devastated our staff’s homes, displaced their families, and wiped out their savings. These aren’t just employees — they’re the backbone of a 70-year tradition. With spouses and children, over 60 people depend on this income.

They need help now — not in months when we rebuild, but today.

How Your Donation Helps:

Every dollar goes directly to our staff for:

• Emergency food and water supplies

• Home repairs (roofs, windows, structural damage)

• Medical care and medications

• Children’s school fees and supplies

• Essential household items lost in the storm

Our Goal: $30,000 CAD for immediate emergency relief

Why This Matters:

Sunrise Bakery has survived recessions, storms, and three generations of hard work.

The smell of fresh hard dough bread and our world famous coco bread has been part of Black River mornings since before my father was born.

Our staff — some for 30+ years — have been there through it all. They showed up every day before sunrise to serve their community. Now their community can show up for them.

What Happens Next:

• Direct support: Funds will be distributed to staff within 48 hours of reaching milestones

• Long-term plan: We’re working with relief organizations to potentially rebuild the bakery itself, but our people can’t wait.

The images you see are before and after Hurricane Melissa. From daily bread service to total destruction. From livelihoods to desperation.

But this story doesn’t end here. With your help, we will take care of the people who’ve taken care of Black River for seven decades.

Every contribution — $25, $50, $100 — makes a real difference to a real family.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your compassion, generosity and solidarity through this difficult time means more than you can imagine.

The spirit of Sunrise Bakery will rise again, and it starts by supporting the people who made it possible.

— Jack and Calvin Lyn

Owners, Sunrise Bakery

Black River, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica

Although the GoFundMe page lists my sister, Erica Lyn as the beneficiary, for technical setup purposes, all funds deposited will be distributed directly to the staff locally in Jamaica. Erica is only acting as the receiving account so we can securely collect and manage the funds received from Canada and abroad.