Hurricane Melissa Aftermath – How Your Donations are Helping

On October 28^th last year, Jamaica was hit by a hurricane so forceful that meteorologists were talking about introducing a Category 6 to register its strength. In the course of November, and indeed right through to December and beyond, we were moved by an incredible generosity on the part of so many in the UK and elsewhere who wanted to do something to help.

 

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Bonus Video Update

In addition to the written report below, Fr Bede has provided a special video report that allows you to hear voices from on the ground in Jamaica.

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A Generous Response

Every year in November we hold an appeal in Britain for St Martin’s Missions, the fund that supports the work of the Dominican friars in Jamaica and Grenada. Coincidentally, the scheduled appeal for 2025 came immediately after Hurricane Melissa.

Our appeal raised about £100,000, double what we usually raise, with donors moved by the situation created by Melissa, as well as our other fundraising needs. We agreed that £60,000 of this should be earmarked specifically for hurricane relief efforts. Other needs that you, our donors, are supporting this year include the renovation of the new residence for the community of friars in Jamaica (see below), as well as the day-to-day costs of the 8 friars living and serving in these two islands.

Relief Work

Mercifully, Kingston where our community of friars is based was not in the eye of the hurricane and the damage in our immediate vicinity was quite limited. On the West and North Coasts of the island, however, it was a very different story. The process of recovery and repair remains ongoing. The high demand for materials and for labour has meant that many people are still waiting, living in makeshift arrangements or a state of semi-repair.

The friars have been making twice-monthly visits to Catholic parishes in the civil Parish of St Ann’s on the North Coast, often carrying food and, in coordination with the local Society of St Vincent de Paul, so far nearly £2,000 worth of clothes.

We have made grants both to individuals in need of help and for the repair of church buildings. We refurnished the house of a single mother living in Cane Valley, Hanover, after she lost most of her possessions to water damage. The Catholic parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in St Ann’s Bay has been given £1,600 to repair the roof and address water damage suffered by their presbytery and parish offices. Fr Gerry Reid, the local Dean, says that he is ‘very grateful’ for what St Martin’s Mission funds have done ‘to ease our burden’.

Students in Crisis

These are some of the obvious, material needs left by the Hurricane. There are other, less obvious stories to be told. Through our chaplaincy work at the University of the West Indies (UWI), we have been very aware of the plight of students in this frightening and uncertain time. First, there were the students who found themselves stranded by the Hurricane, unable to return to their families. Then we saw students returning with feelings of unease and guilt at leaving behind their loved ones in the chaos. Now, some students are contemplating the possibility that they will have to discontinue their studies as their families can no longer support them financially.

One week after the Hurricane departed, we organised a meal distribution for more than 250 stranded students in conjunction with the UWI Mona Students’ Guild. As far as possible, we bought supplies locally and employed members of our August Town parish to cook the meal; a further 50 meals were also given out in August Town itself. Since then, we have been working closely to support individual students on a case-by-case basis.

Case Study: Supporting a Student

Tuwana, a first-year International Relations and Languages student from Hanover (one of the worst affected civil parishes), depends for financial support mainly on her father, as well as a scholarship. After the Hurricane, her father, a construction worker, for a long time could not find work as sites were so severely damaged and materials were hard to come by. Tuwana returned to campus not knowing whether she would find funds in time to complete the semester. Through your support, her position has been secured for the remainder of the academic year.

‘This is truly the best news I could have woken up to,’ she said after hearing of the help she would be receiving through St Martin’s Missions. ‘Thank you so much to you and everyone involved for your kindness and generosity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’

Aiding the Longer-Term Recovery

Everyone agrees that the island’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa will take a long time. The Red Cross budgeted for initial recovery efforts to be disbursed over a period of 2 years. In the last four months, we have spent about £10,000, and we are intent on making sure that we support people and parishes over the long term as well as in meeting discrete and immediate needs.

We wish to thank all our benefactors who are making this possible – those who have given so generously out of their pocket, and those in Jamaica who have directed us to where help is most needed and allowed us to use the funds entrusted to us wisely and responsibly. It is our benefactors who have enable us to be a link in the chain, a bond of connection between persons collaborating an ocean apart.

Good news for the Friars’ Community

Finally, on a positive note, the friars have now moved as planned into a larger, more suitable residence in Jamaica, and celebrated the blessing of the house with friends of the community. We can now accommodate those undertaking a pre-noviciate year with us, which helps support vocations to the friars and the future of our mission to the people of Jamaica.

This new residence allows us the possibility of future extension, such that this house can obtain full status as a Dominican Priory.

We welcome further donations to support the work of the Dominican Friars in Jamaica and Grenada