Background/Appeal:

Jamaica is the island that raised me. My grounding and sense of self stemmed from my upbringing in the hills of Hanover. My dad, aunts, uncles, cousins, brother and others who are like family, still call Woodland and Blackgate in Hanover home.

The images of our community in the aftermath of the storm have been heartbreaking. Loved ones have shared details of the agonizing hours that Hurricane Melissa bore down her wrath leaving behind utter destruction.

While Jamaica is known for its vibes and beaches, it is also known for its verdant landscape. One of the cruel realities of Hurricane Melissa is the uprooting and downing of trees in affected parishes. The trees were more than dotted beauty. In rural parishes like Hanover, they were the source of food.

Ackee, breadfruit, papaya, mango, coconut – trees like these are how many survive and eat. Jamaicans live for their ackee & saltfish with fried or roasted breadfruit. Kids, my younger self included, delight in climbing mango trees for a sweet snack. Beyond the trees, the yams and potatoes many had planted are also gone. To be blunt, access to good, organic foods once supplied by trees in backyards are gone. It will take some time before trees start bearing fruit again in Hanover.

Hunger is a real threat.

Many of you have asked what you can do to help. Most Jamaicans heavily impacted by the storm need money and food – and they need it fast. They have lost everything. Children are not in school. In our village, the local school (Watford Hill All Age School) is now a makeshift shelter for those who have lost their homes.

Further, with tourism on pause, given the apocalyptic ruins in tourist hubs like Montego Bay, many have lost their source of income. They need money to buy gas to cook. They need money to replace roofs, windows, and doors. They need money to buy clothes, mattresses, and the basics. Some need money for medication and to get to the hospital. Some need money to help rebuild small businesses like corner stores and river rafting ventures.

Price gouging is also a significant concern – if people are even able to find open stores.

Jamaicans are prideful people, but this storm has stripped many bare. It’s not easy for my people in the remote Hills of Hanover to get to Montego Bay or Kingston from which many of the larger aid efforts are centralized. They need money to pay for bus/taxi rides to get to those areas – money they lack.

What your help will support:

The funds you donate here will support the packing, shipping and clearing costs for barrels like the one pictured above. Contents in the barrel will include food (essentials like rice; sugar; flour; oil; etc.) toiletries, clothing, sheets, pillows, etc. It costs around $800 to purchase the items for said barrels then to ship and assume the clearance costs so recipients don’t incur any costs on their end.

A place to hang is essential to preserving the positive vibes in Jamaica. Pecka’s rafting and bar business not only employed folks in the village but served as a place in Great River for locals and tourists to patron, relax, and have a Redstripe. Pecka (who is a distant relative) lost his business in hurricane Melissa. Help is needed to help him restore the business. Business insurance is not a common thing for local spots. (See the before and after photos provided).

I will be transparent with each spend. These are my people. Thank you for your generosity, particularly at a time when almost all are feeling financial pressures.

One love!