Operation GRACE launched to help Hurricane Melissa victims in Cambridge

WESTERN BUREAU:

Residents of Cambridge and neighbouring communities in St James, which were severely affected by Hurricane Melissa, are set to receive help to rebuild infrastructurally and emotionally, thanks to NorthGate Youth and Family Development Foundation’s (NYFDF) Operation GRACE initiative.

The NYFDF, a charity that has operated in Jamaica since 2008, formally launched Operation GRACE during an online Zoom meeting on Thursday at the Cambridge Health Centre, ahead of the outreach initiative’s official start on March 7.

Operation GRACE, an acronym for gifts, relief, access, care, and engagement, has been formulated to provide outreach assistance to victims of the Category-5 hurricane that tore through Jamaica on October 28, wreaking havoc across the western side of the island. St James was one of the worst-affected parishes, along with Westmoreland and St Elizabeth.

NYFDF Chairman Wesley Boynes said during the launch that, in addition to physical assistance post-Melissa, one of the most immediate features he and his group have identified in Cambridge is the need for emotional and psychosocial support.

“Operation GRACE is a holistic outreach to victims of Hurricane Melissa, with short-term and long-term strategies and implications. People are traumatised, and I have found that the people need somebody to talk to,” said Boynes.

“When I went to Cambridge the other day, I found that lots of people have issues with their roofs, as their roofs need fixing. We really want Cambridge to have an excellent experience while we are there,” Boynes added. “We are providing relief, and we are facilitating access to resources, access to relatives, and access to empowerment.”

Among the resources that will be made available to residents during Operation GRACE’s six-month duration in Cambridge are roof repairs for select people and institutions, potable water and food packages, physical and mental health checks, the establishment of a temporary fun-space for children, prayer and counselling.

Alcia Loach, founding director of the United Kingdom-based Pocket Angel Community Interest Group nonprofit organisation and one of the sponsors for Operation GRACE, said she and other members of the diaspora were inspired to help as best they could following the news of Melissa’s impact on Jamaica.

“When the news first hit about the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Melissa on the western side of Jamaica, like many diasporan Jamaicans, my heart broke, and I knew that we needed to send help. Through the NYFDF, we were able to help to start work on Operation GRACE, and I can now see that the volunteers are making a real impact on the ground,” said Loach.

“I would also like to thank the other sponsors for their faith and their commitment in helping to make Operation GRACE a reality. It is an absolute pleasure to be able to be a part of this really good work in the community,” Loach added.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com