As residents of St Elizabeth continue to recover from the impact of hurricane Beryl, several of the hardest hit families have received much-needed assistance from Jamaican organisations in the United States to prepare their children for the upcoming school year.
The Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC), in collaboration with the Lorraine J Smith Foundation and other Jamaican-run charities, staged a back-to-school fair on August 9 at the Black River Fire Station, where they provided school supplies, book vouchers, and free health checks for students.
The event, under the theme: ‘Restoring Hope, Rebuilding Futures,’ served as a beacon of support for many families in the breadbasket parish, who are still struggling in the aftermath of the storm, helping to ease their financial burden.
Speaking with JIS News, GJDC representative for the Southern United States, Peter Gracey, said that in response to the devastating impact of the hurricane, the group decided to assist the children of Jamaica as they prepared to return to school.
“We understood that there are going to be challenges for the parents who were saving their money to buy school supplies for the kids. They are also not going to have money to do their children’s medical and more.
“So, we organised with the Lorraine J Smith Foundation, the Sunshine Medical Centre, Everyone Has a Story (EHAS) and Grocery List to come to Jamaica,” he informed, noting that the Lorraine J Smith Foundation generously donated $1 million to assist the effort.
The ‘This Is Jamaica’ charity, founded by Gracey, was also involved in the initiative.
The relief effort saw the distribution of essential school supplies such as backpacks, notebooks, pens and pencils, thus ensuring that the children of the parish are well equipped to start the new school year.
Additionally, the students benefited from free medical checks and mental health support.
“So, now you see the parents and the children are out here to collect these backpacks with school supplies, to get their medical checkup at no cost because this is what we do as diaspora members,” Gracey said.
The Lorraine J Smith Foundation, which facilitated the mental health sessions through the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology, announced the official adoption of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) on the day, committing to providing ongoing emotional and educational support for the first responders.
Founder of the organisation, Lorraine Smith, said the entity is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of those most in need.
“We are confident that this [back-to-school fair] will make a substantial difference in the lives of the affected families, helping to restore a sense of normalcy and hope as they prepare for the upcoming school year,” she added.
Oscha Ellis, who was among the large turnout of residents, expressed gratitude for the assistance.
“To the organisers here, well done. They didn’t have to do it but they are doing it out of the kindness of their heart and I know persons are appreciative. So, thank you on behalf of the other people who are getting some assistance today,” Ellis said.
“Things are not back to normal following the hurricane. Some persons may be back to normal but there are a lot of persons who still don’t have electricity, still don’t have water, their homes are still not fully repaired. So, any little help goes a far way right now,” she told JIS News.
The children, who received school supplies, were also thankful.
Nine-year-old Sasha-Kay Reid of Holland Primary School was excited about her new school bag and books. She also enjoyed the day’s activities which included entertainment and refreshment.
Sasha-Kay’s mother, Trina-Kay Jones, welcome the back-to-school fair, noting that the event highlights the importance of persons giving back to their communities.
