Help Our Jamaican Farm Crew Rebuild After Hurricane Melissa

Our farm family Paul Mazza’s Farm in Essex Junction, Vermont needs your help.

On October 28th, Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica and left behind unimaginable devastation. Many of our Jamaican farm crew members’ homes, and the homes of their loved ones, have been severely damaged or completely destroyed by the storm’s intense winds and flooding. Some families have lost everything.

Our 23 crew members are still here with us working the farm in Vermont through the H2A guest worker program, but their hearts are at home. Some have managed to reach loved ones and heard the heartbreaking news that, while they are physically safe, their homes are gone. Others haven’t been able to get through at all, spending sleepless nights wondering if their children, partners, and parents are okay.

Many of these men have been coming to work with us season after season for decades. They’ve become part of our family and part of this community. You’ve probably seen them around — Otis, Gilbert, and Wynter setting up the stand early in the morning, Milo making everyone laugh, or Harvey driving by on the tractor with a wave. These men are the reason we’re able to grow and share food with families all across Vermont.

When Vermont faced its own devastating floods last year, these same men stood beside us helping clean up and rebuild. Because of their strength and dedication, our farm was able to reopen in just one week.

Now it’s their turn to need help.

We are raising funds to split equally among all 23 members of our Jamaican crew to help them rebuild their homes and support their families back home. Once fundraising is complete, we will withdraw the money raised and split it evenly amongst the 23 guys who are work with us on the farm. Our first group will head home on November 8th, and we want to raise as much as possible before they go, so they can bring something home to help their families start over. Our goal is to give each man at least $2,000, though we know many will need much more to recover from this loss.

Imagine being separated from your family while your home and community are being torn apart. Imagine hearing that your loved ones are safe, but that they’re standing in the rain with no roof overhead and no place to sleep. That’s what our guys are living with right now.

These are the people who help keep our community fed. They show up every single day, no matter how early or how hard the work is. They’ve given so much of themselves to help this farm thrive and to feed our neighbors and now they need their community to stand behind them.

Please help us give back to the men who give so much to us. Every single dollar raised will go directly to them to help rebuild their homes, replace what’s been lost, and support their loved ones through this unimaginable time.

Let’s show them that they’re not alone. Let’s help them go home with hope.