Help Rebuild Lives in Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa
From the Heart of Jamaican Locs & Loc Extensions by Chea
My name is Chea, the owner of Jamaican Locs & Loc Extensions by Chea (formerly Jamaican Braids by Chea). Gastonia, North Carolina.
I’m reaching out not just as a business owner, but as someone who have lived and experienced life in Jamaica — the beauty, the struggle, and now the heartbreak that Hurricane Melissa has caused.
I have spent many years living in Jamaica, but I am currently living in the States for the past 11 years. I have a host of friends, and family in Jamaica, including a former spouse, the father of my oldest child. The amount of love they have poured in my life for more than 19 years is unmeasurable.
Living in Jamaica, I know what it’s like to go hungry — when your only option is to fill up on water, and all you can think about is food.
When the power goes out, the nights are long and dark. There’s no air-conditioning, no fan blowing, just the hum of mosquitoes in your ear as you try to sleep.
Right now, that’s the reality for many families in Jamaica. Homes have been completely destroyed, roads washed out, and entire communities left without food, clean water, or basic necessities. Many are forced to bathe in rivers and use the bathroom outdoors because water and restrooms are inaccessible.
How the funds will be used? We’re raising funds to:
Rebuild homes that were totally wiped out.
Provide food, medicine, diapers, tissue, tampons, soap, and other personal care items to those in need.
Pack and ship barrels filled with these supplies directly to affected families.
Support land clearing and construction of stronger, longer-lasting homes.
Reach remote families in the Country side; in the mountains of Germantown, Summer Hill and Bounty Hall, Trelawny, far North of Montego Bay — areas that are often the hardest to access but need our help the most.
This effort is deeply personal to me. The massive amount of work ahead will take more than one person — it will take all of us coming together as a community.
In the past, my salon has proudly given back — even sponsoring a trip to Jamaica. Once rebuilding begins and hope is restored, we plan to do it again to celebrate the strength and resilience of the Jamaican people.
Your support, no matter how big or small, will make a difference.
Whether you give $5, $50, or more, or donate non-perishable food and personal care items, every bit helps bring comfort and relief to a family in need.
Please share this campaign with others — friends, family, churches, other places or worship, and communities who care. Let’s come together to help rebuild lives, homes, and hope in Jamaica.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
— Chea
*(I lived in Saint James, Paradise Heights, Rose Heights, Bounty Hall, and Summer Hill).
Organizer
