AFJ hits US$10-m mark in Hurricane Melissa relief and rebuilding support

THE American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) has reported that through its global network of supporters it has now raised more than US$10 million in relief and rebuilding support following Hurricane Melissa which devastated sections of the island last October.

The announcement was made during AFJ’s 2026 Jamaica Charity Gala, one of the premier Jamaican charitable events held in Miami each year.

The June 6 gala raised funds while giving guests an update on the rebuilding now under way across five western parishes.

According to AFJ, its recovery work spans St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny, and St James.

Nearly US$2 million was spent on immediate emergency response, and AFJ has since funded the re-roofing of homes, repairs to schools, outdoor learning spaces, and a farming gift card programme to help restore income and food security.

In April, while still responding to the emergency, the organisation awarded 65 grants totalling nearly US$952,000 across education, healthcare and economic development.

Edward Raine (second right), president & CEO of Food for the Poor, receives his International Humanitarian award from former US Ambassador to Jamaica Nick Perry (right), while Caron Chung (left), AFJ executive director, and Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett look on.

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett thanked AFJ for more than four decades of partnership and set the recovery within the island’s wider plans to rebuild, pointing to a new entity to lead this process, The National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), and the reimagining of Black River, Lucea, Montego Bay, and Falmouth.

Bartlett said Jamaica intends to move from recovery to becoming a developed country within the decade.

“It bent us as a people, but it didn’t break us,” Bartlett told guests at the gala.

The gala also honoured three business leaders whose organisations moved quickly in the aftermath of the storm.

The International Achievement award went to Norman Horne, executive chairman of ARC Manufacturing and a son of St Elizabeth. After the hurricane, ARC sourced and shipped alloy coils for roofing sheets to Kingston within two weeks, supporting the re-roofing of homes across the island.

AFK International Humanitarian awardee Michael Capponi, founder and president of Global Empowerment Mission, and his wife Alina

Two International Humanitarian awards went to Michael Caponi, founder of Global Empowerment Mission — whose team arrived on the first plane into the affected region and mobilised roughly 3,000 volunteers in Miami while sending about US$16 million in aid in the first two months — and to Edward Raine, president and CEO of Food for the Poor, which moved some 250 containers of relief goods through Jamaica, worked with about 70 partner organisations, and helped return 23 damaged fishing boats at Galleon Beach to the water.

AFJ President Wendy Hart credited the speed of the response to the organisation’s long-standing on-the-ground ties. “That is not a miracle. It is 43 years of relationship building coming due,” said Hart.

Guests also participated in a curated silent auction featuring an exceptional collection of experiences, luxury travel packages, fine dining, sports and entertainment, artwork, and exclusive experiences.

The diverse catalogue reflected the generosity of AFJ’s corporate partners, donors, and friends, offering bidders unique opportunities while advancing the organisation’s mission.

For more than 43 years, AFJ has connected donors who want to support Jamaica with the communities, NGOs and policymakers on the ground who know what is needed and how to get it done.

The organisation, which funds programmes in education, healthcare and economic development, reviews roughly 100 grant applications from Jamaican NGOs each year, and coordinates rapid relief when disaster strikes.