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Saskatchewan’s Jamaican community is coming together to help families and hospitals recover after the Category 5 storm Hurricane Melissa killed 32 people and damaged over 100,000 houses when it struck Jamaica on Oct 28.
The Saskatchewan Jamaican Association (SJA) says western Jamaica suffered the worst damage, leaving thousands without homes, power or access to health care.
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“The condition in Jamaica is devastating,” said Mavis Ashbourne-Palmer, president of the SJA, “People are hungry, hospitals are destroyed, and children have nothing to eat.”
To help, the association will hold a fundraising lunch on Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shiloh Assembly Apostolic Church (1600 Broadway Avenue) in Regina.
Tickets cost $30 or $40 and include a chicken or fish meal, and all proceeds will go toward purchasing and shipping emergency supplies to Jamaica, with a focus on rebuilding damaged hospitals.
Ashbourne-Palmer says the group is also collecting non-perishable food, clothing, hygiene products and medical supplies, including sterile gloves, blood pressure monitors, and oxygen masks.
“People are really suffering and don’t know where to turn,” she said. “It’s very important for us to come together to help the needy.”
In a statement issued on Nov. 3, the SJA outlined the most urgently needed medical items, from portable pulse oximeters and catheters to wheelchairs and surgical tape, noting that hospitals in the hardest-hit regions face critical shortages.
Donations can be made by e-transfer to the SAJ, by cheque or through coordinated drop-offs. The SJA says all funds and supplies will be sent to reputable organizations in Jamaica that work directly with frontline health care providers.
Among those assisting in the relief effort is Mike Thomas, executive director of Football Saskatchewan, and the son of one of the association’s founders.
Thomas said the devastation is unlike anything he has seen, even compared to Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
“To see what the island used to look like and what it currently does, is unbelievable,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like that in my lifetime, and even for my parents, they’ve never experienced anything like that.”
His parents, who live in southeastern Jamaica, were spared the worst but relatives along the north coast saw significant property damage.
“Every little bit counts,” Thomas said. “Even if you’re not of Jamaican or Caribbean descent, it still matters, because we’re all human and want to do the humanitarian thing.”
Ashbourne-Palmer said another fundraiser is planned for December as the association continues to coordinate support.
“We know we’re resilient people,” she said. “But without your help, we can’t accomplish what we want to accomplish for the Jamaican people.”
