JN Foundation $US Hurricane Recovery Handover

Reporter: Krystol Williams

 

As Jamaica continues to recover from Hurricane Melissa while preparing for future storms, the country's disaster response efforts are getting a boost.

 

The JN Foundation in partnership with Lutheran World Relief has donated more than $415,000 USD in emergency relief supplies to the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development. The items are expected to support ongoing recovery efforts while strengthening the country's ability to respond when disasters strike.

 

For many Jamaicans still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, the road to rebuilding seems unending. However, emergency relief supplies valued at more than $415,000 US are expected to provide some amount of support for the most vulnerable.

 

The donation includes quilts, educational materials, baby care items, and personal care supplies, which will be distributed to infirmaries, drop-in centres, and other facilities through the ministry's poor relief department.

 

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said, “When an organization such as Jamaica National can show the sort of interest that you have displayed in one of the most important aspects of the work of local government, the poor, it speaks volume to one of our leading private sector enterprises in the country.”

 

McKenzie said the donation reflects the importance of partnerships in strengthening Jamaica's disaster response, especially as communities continue to recover.

 

“The presentation this morning might not be of great significance to some, but to us in local government, it is a major investment. To be honest, I thought we were just receiving the items, but the check is heavy… and it comes at a time when the work on the infirmary is almost 85% complete, and this will also help us to ease some of the pressure.”

 

He says the supplies will help reduce some of the financial burden on the ministry, allowing more resources to be directed towards those who need them most.

 

General Manager at the JN Foundation Claudine Allen said, “In the wake of the hurricane, the Jamaica National Foundation and other entities in the JN Group joined St John Ambulance to go out on the road. In fact, we were in Trelawny and St Ann by the Saturday following the hurricane. In some cases, teams were clearing roadways, helping people relocate, searching for staff members, and just sort of grounding themselves in the idea that we were going to pull through this disaster. And pulling through meant giving of ourselves as individuals to those who were in need.”

 

For the JN Foundation, the effort goes beyond responding to one disaster. The organization says its members witnessing the devastation firsthand reinforced its commitment to supporting vulnerable communities whenever help is needed.

 

Chairman of the JN Foundation Parris Lyew Ayee said, “We're not into handing out checks for a photo op and then walk away. We are in for the long run. And we understand as our people move around the communities during COVID and the burial and other disaster occasions understanding the suffering of our people in the field. They walk with them, they talk with them, they eat with them, so they understand what is needed. And we try to do that not just for one day or one meal but for the long run. And we knew that the help that is needed after Melissa was going to be one for the long run.”

 

Officials say the supplies will soon be distributed to facilities across the island, ensuring assistance reaches vulnerable Jamaicans as recovery efforts continue and hopefully before the next emergency arrives.