Last week, a Category 5 hurricane tore through the western half of Jamaica—my home—leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The night before the Hurricane hit i was watching it and tracking every movement. At one point I hoped it would just continue its path along the coast moving West and away from the little island. Sadly it did not.
I woke up on the 29th of October to see it was headed straight to the island. Keeping with its projected path. Half of the country is devastated. Entire towns have lost everything: homes, schools, hospitals, and small businesses that families built over generations.
There is no water. No electricity. No shelter.
Parents are trying to comfort children while searching for clean drinking water. Nurses and doctors are doing their best in damaged clinics. Communities are gathering to clear roads and patch roofs with whatever materials they can find. The need is urgent, and it’s everywhere.
It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that this is real—not scenes from a movie, but the daily reality for people I love. And the need is real.
Ways to Help
A group that helped shape me as a youth and young adult is Moorlands Camp.
In this moment, Moorlands is serving as the base for Samaritan’s Purse. While they has sustained significant property damage and the camp faces its own need to rebuild, they are opening their doors to provide a safe landing space for an international disaster relief organization to coordinate assistance and help our communities recover. Their resilience is a lifeline—and supporting efforts like theirs strengthens both immediate response and long-term restoration.
If you are able, please consider giving. In Jamaica we say, “every mickle mek a muckle”—every little bit counts. A few dollars become meals. A box of supplies becomes a lifeline. A shared post becomes another person who can help.
Donate: Give what you can—no amount is too small. Every mickle mek a muckle.
Donate directly to Moorlands Camp (support their relief work and rebuilding): Give to Moorlands Camp. donate.moorlandscamp.com
Support emergency response via Samaritan’s Purse: Hurricane Melissa Relief. Samaritan's Purse
Share: Spread this with friends, family, and coworkers to widen the circle of care.
Send supplies: If you’re able to organize a drive, focus on water purification tablets, nonperishable food, diapers, feminine products, solar chargers, and basic first-aid.
Pray & check in: Reach out to Jamaican friends and neighbors. Your message and prayers matter.
Jamaica is more than a postcard. It’s resilience, music, laughter, and neighborliness. It’s aunties who cook extra “just in case,” and kids who turn any open space into a football pitch. It’s the sound of rain on a zinc roof and the strength to start again—together.
Right now, together is how we get through.
