Hi everyone,

For those of you who are close to me, you’ve already heard some of the backstory and know about my time in Jamaica just days before Hurricane Melissa devastated the beautiful island.

For those who don’t know—

I took part in a volunteer program that provides free dental care to those in need throughout the Caribbean. This year, our team traveled to Montego Bay, Jamaica from October 17–26. I was accompanied by my close friends Len and Kaitlin (who are experienced with this dental outreach program), and my cousin Nav, who joined us for the first time.

When we arrived in Jamaica on the 17th, there were no signs of any storms brewing. With no concerns for safety, we began our mission of helping those in desperate need of dental care. We worked alongside the dentists and hygienists participating in the program and spent an entire week immersed in the local community. We met hundreds of people—each with their own story and smile. Everything was going smoothly, and we were incredibly proud of the progress we had made with the hundreds of people we were able to help.

Then news broke of a possible tropical storm, which quickly escalated to Hurricane Melissa, Category 3. At first, we weren’t overly concerned because the locals seemed calm, and we figured they were accustomed to storms in the Caribbean. But then things intensified as Melissa strengthened into a Category 4, and suddenly the locals’ calmness took on a different tone. And then… Melissa became a Category 5.

Evacuations began, and many volunteers and tourists left the island by any means possible. The four of us, along with several other volunteers, decided to complete our mission and still showed up on Friday for the last day of the clinic. We were operating with a skeleton crew after many team members evacuated early, but I’m happy and proud to say that—with only two doctors left and just four hours before needing to evacuate—we managed to treat an additional 40 people that day!

When the mission was completed, Saturday arrived—and it was time to think about ourselves and how to get home. Some of our team traveling to the U.S. were able to catch their flights that day and leave safely. However, news was rapidly coming in about airport closures and flight cancellations. It was starting to look like we were going to be stuck on the island, bracing for Melissa’s impact. We began informing and preparing our families back home for that strong possibility and attended the hurricane protocol meetings set up by the hotel. Hearing the general manager deliver stern warnings about safety and the dangers ahead was frightening. Thankfully, some of our volunteer leaders were local, so we felt guided and in good hands.

With all that said—the universe worked its magic, and we managed to get on the second-to-last flight off the island on Sunday! Huge thanks to WestJet Airlines for their incredible evacuation efforts and for adding extra flights during the final window before Melissa made landfall. We are so grateful.

But leaving came with deep feelings of guilt and heavy hearts… knowing we were leaving behind our local teammates and the amazing members of the community we had spent the entire week with. We could only hope and pray for their safety.

We truly had no idea what was coming until Melissa hit the island and we began receiving updates from our teammates on the ground. Even now, I cannot fully comprehend the extent of the damage as I look at the aftermath photos of places where we stood just 48 hours earlier.

I’ve already written a lot and hope I haven’t lost your attention—there is so much more we could share, but I’ll leave that for you to ask if you’re interested in hearing more.

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What We’re Doing Now

Right now, we’re focused on providing immediate relief, as there is a severe shortage of food and water.

Because we have members of our program on the ground in Jamaica, I can assure you that 100% of donations will go directly to help local residents in need.

We have bigger plans to support long-term rebuilding, such as providing tools and essential supplies to help restore homes. But at this moment, the priority is food and water to help people make it to the next stage.

Even the smallest donation helps—no amount is too little.

I’ll do my best to stay organized moving forward and provide updates to anyone interested. Eventually, my plan is to return to Jamaica myself to help with rebuilding efforts.

For now, the goal is simple: immediate help for food and water.

I used my birthday this past weekend as an opportunity to raise funds and have already collected $1,100, thanks to some truly wonderful family and friends!

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Any additional donations are GREATLY appreciated, and I will continue to share updates as we move forward.

ONE LOVE ❤️

— Tara