A Community Responds: Packing Hope for Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa
Watch the video on the WPTV news article: https://www.wptv.com/region-c-palm-beach-county/lake-worth-beach/lake-worth-beach-nonprofit-collecting-donations-to-help-jamaica-after-hurricane-melissa
When Hurricane Melissa swept through Jamaica, it left a path of destruction that went far beyond damaged homes and broken trees. In rural areas of St. James Parish and Montego Bay, many families, especially elders, found themselves without shelter, food, or security and with urgent needs that were not being met through traditional relief channels.
In South Florida, a different kind of response began; one rooted in community care, compassion, and collective action.
At Rebuild Joy, our work grew out of this moment. What started as an emergency call for donations quickly became a movement of people coming together to pack hope into barrels and send it across the sea.
Lake Worth Beach Steps Up
In Lake Worth Beach, the nonprofit Arms of Hope Community, long known for feeding families and supporting neighbors, opened its doors not just to local residents in need, but to a global cause.
Inside the Wingfield Street facility, volunteers gathered barrels, boxes, and stacks of essentials donated by community members across Palm Beach County. Water, canned goods, non-perishable food, hygiene items, diapers, and more were sorted, packed, and prepared for shipment to rural Jamaica.
This effort wasn’t organized by a national agency. It wasn’t directed from afar. It was powered by neighbors helping neighbors, inspired by compassion and a sense of shared humanity.
The Human Cost of a Storm
Arms of Hope Director Patrick Livingston Sr. captured it well when he said:
“Imagine waking up and walking to where your house used to be.”
That simple statement helped fuel the urgency of the work, because in many of the areas hit hardest by the storm, that is exactly the reality families are living.
The goal was not just to fill barrels, but to make sure those barrels would arrive in time to make a difference. In Jamaica, duty-free windows for incoming aid close at specific times. Getting donations shipped before that deadline means partner organizations on the ground can receive and distribute supplies without additional cost or delay.
A Wide Range of Support
The community responded with generosity. Donated items included:
Bottled water
Canned food and dry goods
Baby diapers and formula
Hygiene products and first-aid supplies
Each bag packed and barrel sealed represented someone in South Florida saying “We see you, and we are with you.”
Working Against Time
Preparing donations for international shipment is not simple. It requires coordination, volunteers, space, logistical planning, and most of all, urgency.
The packing efforts in Lake Worth Beach were organized around a tight timeline, with the community working to prepare and ship donations so they could reach Jamaica before critical deadlines passed.
Thank You to Everyone Who Made It Possible
Watch the video on the journey of preparing and sending off barrels filled with food, water, and essentials to the rural community of Spring Mount, St. James, Montego Bay, Jamaica: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQuQnOADsZV/?igsh=MWcwNXBncG93a2cyZw==
This rapid response effort would not have been possible without community generosity or the partnership of Greenhouse Creative Collective and Arms of Hope Community. Their support from providing space to helping organize volunteers played a central role in turning donated goods into tangible relief.
But even now, this work continues.
Most importantly, this phase of urgent relief is only the beginning. While packed barrels and donated supplies can address immediate needs, many families, especially elders, still face long roads to rebuilding homes and restoring livelihoods.
That’s why our work at Rebuild Joy has grown into something more than rapid response. It has become a pledge to walk alongside communities as they rebuild, recover, and reclaim stability after Hurricane Melissa.
