Dear friends and kind supporters,

My name is Kacy-Ann Brown (formerly Kacy-Ann Dennis), and I hail from the small community of Content District, roughly 3 miles away from Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth.

Hurricane Melissa has brought unimaginable devastation to Jamaica. Sadly, my parents’ home—our family home—was severely damaged during the storm, and they have lost the entire roof. The inside of the house and many of their belongings and personal effects have been damaged beyond repair.

My dad is a local farmer, carpenter, mason, plumber and the occasional electrician (Jack of all trades). He built this home for his wife; my mother and their blended family. This is where I was born and where my parents have lived for decades. This is where we and family members would gather for every holiday, every celebration, and most memorable moments we have shared.

This home is where anyone could stop by to get a healthy meal and a place to rest their head. This home is where community members could stop by to get a drink of water, to get a bag of ice, to store their frozen meat on our freezer, to get fruits and vegetables from our garden, to borrow a piece of tool or simply to ask Mr. Dennis for help with their sick livestock (he specializes in cows and pigs). Seeing my family home severely damaged has been heartbreaking, but my siblings and I are forever grateful they made it out alive and safe.

Infrastructure and livelihoods have been severely disrupted on the Western side of the island and we are now faced with the enormous task of rebuilding—starting with replacing the roof, repairing the interior and replacing the furniture and their personal effects so that my parents can return to a safe, dry home.

This home has weathered every storm since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 but with storms getting stronger it is our intent to build a concrete roof which hopefully will be able to withstand the effects of possible future storms. This will be a monumental and costly task, which will require professional assessment to complete and I am creating this fundraiser as a platform for those who would like to lend their support. Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward roof repairs, building materials, and the essential home restoration.

The road to recovery will be a long one and with your support we aim to rebuild not just their home, but their hope. Thank you for your love, compassion, and support during this difficult time.