WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Place of Hope in West Palm Beach has launched a relief drive for the people of the Caribbean. They are collecting essential supplies for those impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
The local nonprofit is one of many Palm Beach County organizations stepping up to help. The group has already collected items bound for Jamaica this week.
“Right now people are going to need non-perishable items, they’re going to need tarps, a lot of people we’ve been speaking to on the ground have seen roofs completely blown away, so people are temporarily displaced or still in that situation," said Joy Tomaselli of Place of Hope.
The group is working with Jamaican-based Shade Tree to get essential items to residents impacted by the storm.
“We put together a disaster relief list and some of those are just daily essential items that will be for the hardest areas to have but also things like gloves, trash bags, and all of those things that are critical for getting debris and making things more livable,” said Tomaselli.
Jamaica’s government urged people to make donations through the government’s newly launched relief program to avoid scams.
You can find more information here. The website allows people to donate goods or make monetary donations to the island.
Items needed for Place of Hope:
- Non-perishable food items and can openers
- Charcoal
- First-aid kits
- Toilet paper, soap, hand sanitizer, feminine hygiene products, and garbage bags
- Tarps
- Portable cell phone chargers
Donations can be dropped off at the Sam & Connie Frankino KidSanctuary Campus Compassion Center, located at 432 Safe Haven Drive, Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more information or to coordinate a drop off, contact Place of Hope at 561-775-7195.
'It’s going to be hell': Jamaicans describe aftermath of Hurricane Melissa
New video from the Jamaican government shows the catastrophe left behind by Hurricane Melissa.
Late Wednesday, the country’s leaders said the storm had left behind a humanitarian crisis.
Jamaican businessman Doug Gore is based in Freeport. He has had to use a Starlink to connect with friends and loved ones abroad. Gore says with downed trees and power lines, the storm has left the island in a dire state.
“The Montego Bay Airport is flooded out. It’s in bad shape. Even if you’re sick and have to go to the hospital, just getting there now is going to be a problem,” Gore said.
Jamaicans say the impact of the storm will be felt for years to come.
“We are bracing ourselves there for a massive food shortage, and in relation to that, price gouging,” said Vivian Tyson, editor in chief of Newsline TCI.
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