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HURRICANE MELISSA RELIEF

The Hurricane Melissa Relief Initiative stands as a united effort of Moore Town and the wider Rio Grande Valley Maroon community — grounded in ancestral values of resilience, self-reliance, and collective care. Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica with historic force, devastating homes, farmlands, and community infrastructure across the island, including the upper Rio Grande Valley. In its wake, families in Moore Town, Millbank, Comfort Castle, and surrounding areas face structural damage to their housing, potential loss of livelihood, and access to essential resources.

This initiative brings together the Maroon Council, maroon elders, community volunteers, and diaspora partners to coordinate recovery and rebuilding. Guided by traditional Maroon principles of mutual aid, it focuses on immediate relief, medium-term recovery, and long-term resilience planning for future disasters.

Efforts include:

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  • Supplying materials for home, business, and community rebuilding

  • Organizing aid drop-off stations for food, water, and clothing contributions

  • Providing emergency care and support to elders, children, and families most affected

  • Partnering with local and diaspora networks to deliver aid efficiently and transparently

  • Reestablishing farmlands, water systems, and community infrastructure damaged by flooding

 

Each donation and act of support strengthens the bridge between home and diaspora, ensuring that recovery efforts are transparent, accountable, and rooted in Maroon values of dignity and unity.

Together, we honor our ancestors by protecting their legacy — not only in heritage, but in the daily survival and renewal of our people.

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