Hi everyone, it’s Shanon.

If you’ve ever spent more than three seconds with me, you know how deeply proud I am of my Jamaican roots and the incredible family I come from. Our home has always been filled with good food, sweet potato pudding, rum punch, laughter, and endless cricket talk. It’s where my soul lives.

It breaks my heart to share that Hurricane Melissa has devastated my family’s community in Westmoreland, Jamaica including Charles Mount, Seaford Town, Bethel Town, Lambs River, Belvedere, Grasspond and Pike. Every home in these areas has been destroyed, including the house my grandfather built, the same house where I took my first steps, lost my first tooth, and where my grandmother had to be rescued when the storm caused her home to collapse around her.

My family has lost everything: homes, food, clean water, and access to medical care. Yet even in this devastation, they are still helping their neighbors and sharing the little they have left. Their strength humbles me.

I’m asking from the bottom of my heart for your help. Please donate what you can to help my family and their neighbors rebuild and survive the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Even a small act of kindness will go a long way toward restoring hope.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and caring.