As I write this, the Island of Jamaica is seeing a devastating hurricane with power that no other hurricane has had in history. Mellisa strengthened into a category 5 right before slamming into the southwest corner of the island. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was a category 3 when it hit New Orleans, just to put this into perspective.

My name is Orion Behling of Behling Orchards in Mexico, NY and I am asking for your help.

Every year we invite migrant workers to help us with our harvest during the months of September and October. This year we had 40 men from Jamaica who signed up to leave their family and earn a living for them. They were supposed to go back home on Saturday, October 25th but the airports in Jamaica closed and they couldn't leave. I couldn't even begin to imagine the heavy feeling they have in their hearts being so far away from their loved ones while they endure the danger and ferocity that Hurricane Melissa is bringing.

I have known some of these men my whole life as some of them started coming up when the US started taking legal migrant workers in 1988. They are not only my employees, but they are my friends, they are my family. I feel helpless and scared for these men and their families.

This is going to take a lot of people coming together over the next year to rebuild and repair the structural loss that Jamaica will endure.

I am asking for any small donation that you can afford to help these 40 men rebuild the life that is being ripped to pieces. 100% of this money raised will go directly to these 40 men so that when they can finally get back home to their families, they have a little extra to help with whatever they need.

Thank you and God bless.