Jamaica Red Cross St. James Branch Appeals For Volunteers

The Jamaica Red Cross St. James Branch is appealing for volunteers to support ongoing relief efforts in the parish, as communities continue to recover from hurricane melissa.

The plea comes from Emergency Chairperson for the Jamaica Red Cross St. James Branch, Colleen Lawson-Taylor, who was addressing a meeting of the Emergency Operations Centre, held at the St. James Municipal Corporation on November 20.

Mrs. Lawson-Taylor said that volunteers are urgently needed to assist with the distribution of care packages, assessments, and the provision of essential items to families in need.

“We are taking it one day at a time, and the greatest need we are seeing is shelter. People are sitting down, looking quite hopeless. [Giving] food is great, yes, but they don’t have anywhere to live,” she emphasized.

To date, the Red Cross has distributed over 2,000 care packages, including food, water, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, building kits, personal hygiene kits, and cleaning supplies.

Teams have visited several communities, including Tangle River, West Green, Catherine Hall, Cambridge, Mount Salem, and Johnson Common, to provide relief and conduct assessments.

In Cambridge, Mrs. Lawson-Taylor highlighted that the Jamaica Red Cross, in collaboration with the French Red Cross and other stakeholders, is establishing a water treatment plant at Seven Rivers, which will serve the health centre and surrounding community.

She also shared some of the urgent situations encountered on the ground, including families who have lost their homes entirely, with some members living in makeshift shelters.

“Sometimes I alert our team on the ground when persons have not received any attention. We continue to be out there in the field,” Mrs. Lawson-Taylor said, noting that some communities, such as York Bush in Mount Carey, are still awaiting assistance.

An overseas volunteer team has arrived in Montego Bay and will work alongside local volunteers to help families, one school and one family at a time.

The Jamaica Red Cross is urging residents who can assist to join the efforts and help vulnerable communities rebuild.