REGINA — The Saskatchewan Jamaican Association has raised a large amount of money for relief efforts in Jamaica, which was devastated by Hurricane Melissa.
The category five hurricane landed in Jamaica in late October, killing at least 45 people and displacing over 1,000 people.
In response, the local association hosted a lunch fundraiser at the Shiloh Assembly Apostolic Church on Friday, which raised nearly $9,000. That number will likely be higher once all the money has been counted.
Saskatchewan Jamaican Association president Mavis Ashbourne-Palmer said nearly 300 people purchased a meal for the fundraiser.
“My heart was filled with joy,” she said after seeing hundreds of people come out.
“It means a lot to us who are Jamaican-born that other people are reaching out to us. And it tells me that people are very compassionate and they're ready to give,” she added.
The meals, fish and chicken were primarily provided through donations, but members of the Saskatchewan Jamaican Association used their own cash to also purchase food.
As she started crying, Ashbourne-Palmer explained her desire to help her people.
“My people in Jamaica don't even have a place to live. They're hungry. They're starving. If I could take everything out of my house and get it to Jamaica, to people, I would.”
The association has a goal of raising $20,000 for relief efforts, which Ashbourne-Palmer said would go a long way.
"It would make a good impact, especially to the people that are living in the rural areas, like older people, mothers and fathers.”
“Many of these people live paycheck-to-paycheck, so when this disaster struck, it meant that they're back at square one,” she added.
The association will decide in late November on which organization will receive the current funds raised, and also provide details on future fundraisers.
Ashbourne-Palmer commended the association’s board, which consists of 12 people, for its quick reaction to the situation in Jamaica.
“I didn’t think doing all of this in two weeks [after the storm hit] would be possible.”
