SDC Reviewing More Than 170 Church Applications for Hurricane Melissa Clean-Up Grants

The Social Development Commission (SDC) has started reviewing and verifying more than 170 grant applications submitted by churches in the five parishes that bore the brunt of Hurricane Melissa, as part of the Government of Jamaica's Community Church Clean-Up and Restoration Initiative. The programme falls under the broader National Clean-Up Programme.

Unveiled by Prime Minister Andrew Holness alongside Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, the initiative sets aside JMD 75 million in grants to fund clean-up activities and small-scale repair work at damaged churches.

SDC Executive Director, Omar Frith, said the Commission is delivering on its assigned duties under the programme, which cover intake of applications, on-the-ground verification, and the coordination of damage assessments. He reported that, so far, 176 applications have come in from churches spread across 16 constituencies in St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St. James, Trelawny, and Hanover. The bulk of those submissions originate in St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, and St. James, mirroring the severity of hurricane damage in those areas.

Mr. Frith said the SDC is firmly behind the Government's push to assist churches with their recovery, pointing out that the role of these institutions stretches well past spiritual and religious functions. He described churches as central players in community development, hosting community engagement activities, psychosocial support work, partnerships, and a broad slate of development programmes.

He also pointed out that church premises are routinely pressed into service as emergency shelters, coordination hubs, and meeting venues, especially during emergencies. Helping these institutions get back on their feet, he argued, lifts the surrounding communities as well and bolsters national recovery and resilience.

An application form together with a detailed content note has been issued by the Commission, setting out what the initiative will and will not cover. Notably, the funding does not extend to rebuilding or reconstructing churches; it is geared toward clean-up tasks and modest repairs intended to restore basic functionality and safety. Eligible works take in debris removal, roof sheeting, doors, windows, guttering, basic waterproofing, and similar small-scale remedial fixes.

SDC parish teams are being sent into the field to verify applications, with backing from Municipal Corporations, which will help assess the reported minor repairs and keep technical standards consistent across the programme.

Mr. Frith stressed that every clean-up activity under the initiative must comply with national environmental and public health rules, and that debris collected during the exercise has to be taken to approved dumping sites in line with the requirements of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and the relevant Municipal Corporations.

He added that the SDC remains central to the Government's recovery and eventual rebuilding agenda, particularly in the areas of data collection, verification, and evidence-building. "Our role ensures that recovery interventions are guided by sound evidence, supporting accountability systems, giving the Government confidence in programme delivery and the use of public resources," he said.

The Commission is urging eligible churches in the affected parishes to keep working with their parish offices as verification advances under the national clean-up framework.