Repairing Roofs, Building Houses, and Restoring Lives.

My name is Stefanie. I am a Jamaican-American living in the Boston area.

I am raising funds to help relatives in Jamaica who are trying to rebuild their lives after Hurricane Melissa.

My family lives in Whitehouse, a small fishing village on the southwest coast of Jamaica, in Westmoreland Parish. The eye of the hurricane went through the town and spared no one. Whole roofs blew off. Wooden houses were completely destroyed. Crops were ruined, trees uprooted, and livestock lost.

I want to help several family members repair their roofs and other damages. However, biggest goal is this:

I want to help my uncle Fenton and aunt Tunie build a new concrete house.

As far back as I can remember, my aunt and uncle have lived in a board house. They raised nine children in that board house. Fostered grandchildren in that house. When I was young and visited my family in Jamaica, they babysat me and my brother and sister in that house. Now, that house has been reduced to splinters, gone, and they are left with nothing but their lives.

The house planned is very modest. One bedroom, indoor kitchen, indoor bathroom, and a veranda so they can relax outdoors and enjoy time with their grandchildren and family. Nothing fancy at all. Just solidly built, rebar and cement reinforced concrete walls, a zinc roof, and indoor plumbing.

The house is simple, but the cost to build it is far beyond what they can afford to build themselves. Estimates I’ve seen online to replace a roof that was blown away is about $6,334 for labor and materials. A new concrete house is about $16,000.

I want to tap into my network to help my aunt and uncle in a way that they cannot do alone. I was overwhelmed at the beginning thinking about the impact of Hurricane Melissa, but I have focused my efforts on this project because I know that by helping my relatives, I will be creating a ripple in their community. Jamaicans are banding together, pooling resources, and extending themselves. My aunt and uncle are the same. They share the little they have, and I know they will do that once they have a home.