REGINA — The Saskatchewan Jamaican community is feeling the devastation from the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in the country.
On Oct. 28, category five Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, killing over 30 people and ripping through over 120,000 structures, according to state officials.
“We are very depressed and numb about what happened because we have never known a hurricane to be this dangerous,” said Saskatchewan Jamaican Association president Mavis Ashbourne-Palmer during a press conference on Friday.
Mike Thomas, son of one of the Saskatchewan Jamaican Association's founders, said he’s never seen damage like this to the country before.
“To see the current state of what the island used to look like and then what it currently does is unbelievable.”
Thomas’ parents currently live in Jamaica, on the southeastern side of the country, which didn’t see as much damage.
However, his family on the north coast saw their properties damaged in the storm.
To aid those in Jamaica, the association is hosting a fundraiser lunch on Friday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Shiloh Assembly Apostolic Church located on 1600 Broadway Avenue in Regina.
“We are depending on you for your help. We know that we are a resilient people and we're strong. But without your help, we won't be able to accomplish what we want to accomplish for the Jamaican people,” said Ashbourne-Palmer as her message for the Jamaican and Caribbean communities.
Tickets for the fundraiser will go for $30 and $40, and include either a chicken or fish meal.
All the money raised will be stored in an account and sent to a reputable organization in Jamaica, said Ashbourne-Palmer.
Ashbourne-Palmer is also encouraging people to donate items for relief.
“Items that would be useful is clothing that is not really soiled. So, for men and women, baby stuff, toiletries, things in cans that are not perishable.”
The association is planning on hosting another fundraiser, likely a month after next week’s one.
“Every little bit counts, and regardless of who it may be or where you may come from and even if they're not of Jamaican descent or Caribbean descent, it still matters because we're all human and want to do the humanitarian thing [to do],” said Thomas.
