Dear Friends and Family,

I pray this message finds you well. I'm reaching out with a heavy heart, but I remain hopeful and confident in God's faithfulness.

As you may know, Jamaica—the place I call home—has been devastated by Hurricane Melissa.

My mother lost the roof on her home. It suffered significant damage inside, affecting our personal possessions and keepsakes. Our extended family members have either lost their roofs or their homes entirely, as have many people we've known all our lives. Our community church building (where I was married) has also been destroyed, along with the churches in neighboring communities. Communication is extremely limited right now, with no electricity or functioning cell towers in the area.

Thankfully, over the last 24 hours, I was able to reach most of my family and confirm their safety. I'm holding onto faith and trusting in God's covering over them!

However, no state aid or any other kind of aid has made it to many communities in Westmoreland. Many of these communities are invisible to the state. They are remote and some cannot be reached by vehicle. In this season of uncertainty, the Lord has placed a clear mission on my heart: to move in faith, to serve, and to bring tangible support to His people in Jamaica. I'm so grateful for God who timely intervenes in the things we care about most.

Our Response

I'm organizing an effort to send essential supplies and the love of Christ to affected communities in Jamaica, particularly the parishes of Westmoreland (my home) and St. Elizabeth. We're following guidance from the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management to ensure everything is done with accountability and efficiency.

If you're reading this letter, I'm asking for your support in an ongoing project to support families devastated by Hurricane Melissa. The loss in Westmoreland is immense, and it will take many months to get everyone back on their feet.

The Plan

Over the next three weeks, I’ll travel to Jamaica twice to deliver much-needed supplies. The first trip will be from Tuesday, November 4th, until Friday, November 7th, and will serve as an assessment trip. During this visit, I'll assess the real needs of people in my hometown communities, while also bringing immediate necessities.

How You Can Help

I've spoken with survivors to find out what they need most right now. The responses were consistent. Your generous donation will go to work immediately to help provide:

Food – Everyone asked for food. Grocery stores are damaged or empty because delivery trucks can't reach Westmoreland. Also, the grocers will need to replace their roofs and secure their

buildings before they will be comfortable re-stocking. Non-perishable items are critical: rice, beans, canned goods, peanut butter, baby formula, etc.

Water filters - The water system is down. People are using rainwater to cook etc. Runoff water can often be polluted with lead and copper. There is a danger of E. coli, cholera, hepatitis, and dysentery.

Starlink satellite devices – There are almost no operating cellphone towers in the affected parts of Jamaica. People can’t reach their family overseas to ask for help or even to let others know that they’re safe. Starlink makes satellite routers, which are like mobile hotspots. They provide Internet and cellphone service without any need for local towers. They connect directly to satellites. A few people in Jamaica have these devices and they’re being overloaded.

It’s common to see over 250 people at a time using one person’s device to call overseas. I’m going to give away a few devices. They cost $350 each in the U.S. In Jamaica, they’re selling for

exorbitant prices ($700+) because there are not enough to go around.

Clothing (new or gently used) – With the loss of everything, many people only have the clothes they're wearing.

Flashlights, batteries, and generators – Only 25% of Jamaica has power, and the power company expects this to continue for weeks, possibly months. Most people are in darkness at

night. One family requested a lamp so that their children, ages three and four, wouldn't be afraid

in the dark. Generators cost $649. The airline allows you to travel with up to ten at a time.

Tarps (heavy duty), rope, and nails – We use tarps to cover over the homes that have lost their roofs. The tarps protect our personal items from the weather. The stores have no tarps left. They were all sold in the first few hours after the hurricane.

Toiletries and hygiene supplies – Due to the delivery issues, items like soap, toothpaste, feminine products, diapers, wipes, and baby formula are in very short supply.

First-aid items - Many people are injured and restoration is dangerous work, which could lead to further injury.

I’m taking a small team of hardworking men and women of God on Tuesday and we will carry as much as we can in our luggage on a commercial airliner. We will be traveling by vehicle and by foot and reaching the remote communities that won’t have ready access to government assistance. For the record, none of the aid they’ve talked about on television has reached my home community in Westmoreland.

I've attached an extensive list of needs published by the Jamaican government. We're collecting only government-approved, shippable relief items, but monetary donations are gladly welcomed.

Cash is in short supply on the island since ATMs are down and most disaster-related items are being sold for cash only.

How to Donate

If you feel led by the Holy Spirit to be a blessing to families in urgent need, I'm accepting monetary donations to help fund emergency and ongoing relief.

What's Next

Upon returning from this initial trip, I'll provide feedback on everything I saw and share plans for moving forward, as this is a long-term effort.

I'm happy to answer any questions and provide clarification if needed. Thank you in advance for your support.

With gratitude and faith,

Esther A.H. McKitty-Griffin, Esq.