Dear friends, family, and compassionate strangers,
My name is Kimberly Ricketts, and I am the manager and organizer for this relief effort. I was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and moved to FL with my parents Mervin and Golden Dawn Ricketts.
Our hearts remain with our extended Ricketts family and community members in the remote mountain area near Darliston, Westmoreland, who were severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
Our primary and immediate goal is to give emergency financial assistance, deliver essential supplies followed by urgent rebuilding. All funds raised will be directly applied to these three critical phases of recovery.
On Tuesday, October 28, Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, leaving unimaginable devastation in its path. In the aftermath, communication lines were completely down. For 48 hours we heard nothing — then, day by day, bits of news trickled in. It wasn’t until Saturday morning that we finally knew every relative had survived. We are endlessly grateful for that miracle.
The Immediate Impact: Who Was Affected
Yet the reality is heartbreaking. The sheer force of the storm left multiple family households either completely destroyed or severely damaged.
Completely Destroyed Homes (Total Loss of Structure and Contents):
- Owen Ricketts (My Uncle)
- Jason "Ricky" Morris (My Uncle)
- Shane Ricketts (My Cousin)
- Kamar Ricketts (My Cousin)
Severely Damaged Homes & Essential Infrastructure:
- Kenisha Ricketts (My Cousin): Home severely damaged, and critical water catchment system destroyed.
- Codlyn Ricketts (My Grand Uncle): Home severely damaged.
- Jacqueline Morris (My Aunt): Home partially damaged.
- Mark Wedderburn (My Cousin): Home partially damaged.
In addition to these losses, roads leading up to Darliston and the surrounding areas are nearly impassable, making it extremely difficult for aid, rescue teams and supplies to reach the community.
Our family has lost almost everything — homes, furniture, and even basic shelter. Mattresses are soaked; roofs are gone. With no secure structures, our loved ones have been sleeping in unsafe and exposed conditions.
We haven't waited to act. Using our personal savings, we have already started to source and pack emergency barrels. Our goal is to have the first shipment headed to Jamaica by Monday,
November 3rd. These critical supplies include but aren't limited to:
- Non-perishable food
- Mattresses and waterproof covers, sheets and blankets (to replace soaked bedding)
- Tents, tarps and ropes
- Solar, rechargeable fans and lights (since power infrastructure was destroyed)
- A variety of tools, screws, nails, door hardware, etc
- Hygiene kits and other essentials for immediate relief
But the greatest challenge ahead is rebuilding safe, permanent homes. Our goal is to restore stability, dignity, and hope for the Ricketts family members who have lost everything.
Our Initial Goal: $45,000 USD (Phase 1)
While the true cost to rebuild and repair eight homes is much higher, we are setting an initial goal of $45,000 to fund the critical first phase of recovery.
We are committed to full transparency regarding the use of these vital funds. While costs can fluctuate due to shipping and material prices, we have set the following estimated breakdown for Phase 1:
Immediate Relief Efforts = 35%
- Purchasing, shipping and delivering all initial essential supplies (food, tents, bedding, solar power, tools, fans, lights, hygiene kits, etc) and emergency financial assistance.
Urgent Rebuilding and Repair = 65%
- Securing building materials, labor costs for debris clearance and home repairs and transportation for supplies to be delivered to sites.
The 35% towards immediate relief will be disbursed first to fund the initial aid barrels, shipping and delivery, second for emergency financial assistance and then the remaining funds will then be focused entirely on rebuilding efforts to secure the homes. This allocation is subject to change based on the most immediate and critical needs identified on the ground there at my relative’s homes, but our commitment to providing both immediate relief and long-term rebuilding remains absolute.
Every contribution — no matter how small — helps bring us one step closer to helping our family recover. $20 can buy a pack of zinc roofing nails, and $100 can cover the labor cost for a local worker for one day.
Transparency:
I will post regular updates here, including photos (where possible), receipts, and progress reports on the rebuild so that every donor can see exactly how funds are helping the Ricketts family.
If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser with your friends, workplace, church group, or social media network. Awareness is just as valuable as funds in times like these.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with us and for believing in the power of community, compassion, and resilience.
With deep gratitude,
The Ricketts Family
(Montego Bay, Jamaica ↔ Florida, USA)
Organizer
