Help Rebuild Prospect - My Family’s Community in Jamaica

My name is Gabrielle and I have strong ties to the small community of Prospect in the parish of Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica, where my father grew up and where our roots run deep.

Last week, Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, tore through the community and left unimaginable destruction behind. Every single home in the area has been damaged, roofs ripped off, walls collapsed, and roads completely blocked. People have lost everything: their food, their clothes, their beds etc.

The roads in and out of town are blocked or badly damaged, making it extremely difficult for help and supplies to reach Prospect. My dad had just begun rebuilding his family home, and thankfully, because of its strong cement foundation, several neighbors were able to take shelter there when their homes lost structure. While a few doors and windows were torn off, the house stood firm through the storm , and we’re grateful it could offer safety when it was needed most. Even now, it continues to serve as a refuge for those whose homes have been reduced to rubble. But it can’t help everyone.

We are raising funds to provide:

• Immediate relief: food, clean water, clothing, blankets for those who lost everything.

• Home-repair materials: roofing sheets, lumber, cement, and tools so families can start rebuilding.

• Transportation and access support: clearing debris and blocked roads, fuel for vehicles, and support so help can reach Prospect.

• Community support: especially for the elderly and children in Prospect who have nowhere else to go and need extra assistance.

Your donation will go directly to the people of Prospect, a small, tight-knit town in the mountains above Black River, Jamaica. The people of Prospect are resilient and determined to rebuild, but they need support.

Black River, the nearby town where Prospect residents go to get supplies and resources, has been reduced to almost nothing after the storm’s impact near the coast.

Prospect is a small community that could easily be overlooked when initial aid is distributed. If you’re looking for a way to put help directly into the hands of the people who need it most, this is one small but powerful way to do so.

Please share this page and help us spread the word.

With your kindness and support, Prospect can rise again, stronger, together.

We are deeply grateful for any contribution, big or small.

One love, always

The Holness Family