Pencils4Kids delivers $2m in relief to hurricane-hit Quickstep, Donegal
Published:Wednesday | November 19, 2025 | 12:18 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
New York City-based charity Pencils4Kids has stepped in with relief support for the residents of Quickstep and Donegal in St Elizabeth, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
The organisation’s founder and CEO, Randy Griffiths, travelled to Jamaica in the days after the storm, personally overseeing $2 million worth of supplies and care packages distributed across the two hard-hit communities.
Griffiths and his volunteers delivered tarpaulins, cement, lumber, generators, steel, food and other essential items to families whose homes were damaged or completely destroyed by hurricane-force winds associated with the Category 5 hurricane.
For many residents, the support provided a lifeline at a time when they were still reeling from the destruction.
In Quickstep, the presence of the charity carries deep meaning.
Pencils4Kids has a long history in the district, having funded and constructed a library and a basic school, both of which became emergency shelters when residents’ homes were blown apart during the storm.
During the Quickstep phase of the distribution, the effort was strengthened by Accompong Maroons Chief Richard Currie, who worked alongside the Pencils4Kids team.
Currie coordinated the receiving and issuing of relief supplies to households spread across the rugged terrain along the Trelawny-St Elizabeth border, ensuring that even families in the most remote pockets received assistance.
“When I landed in Jamaica and saw the destruction with my own eyes, it hit me differently,” Griffiths said.
“The photos and videos I received while I was in New York couldn’t compare to standing here and seeing what people were going through. That’s why it was important for us to come and help right away.”
In Donegal, Pencils4Kids partnered with non-governmental organisations and community leaders to deliver additional supplies and assess long-term rebuilding needs.
MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
Several families there also suffered major structural damage, and residents say the charity was one of the first major groups to bring substantial relief to the district.
Quickstep has also begun attracting support from other international partners.
Most recently, the Vodafone Foundation visited the community and installed a Starlink system, giving the residents and the school access to free Wi-Fi, a first for many in the remote district.
The connectivity is already being hailed as a game-changer, enabling students to access online learning resources and allowing residents to communicate more easily during emergencies.
Community members say the momentum is encouraging, while they acknowledge that recovery will take time, the combined efforts of Pencils4Kids and other organisations have brought a renewed sense of hope.
“Quick Step is far from being out of the woods,” one resident said.
“But with all this support coming in, we are finally beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.”
Griffiths is encouraging persons locally and internationally to follow Pencils4Kids’ ongoing work on Instagram, where the organisation shares updates and opportunities to support future recovery and development initiatives.
“We’re committed to standing with these communities, not just in the days after a disaster, but for the long haul. Pencils4Kids has a local team that will communicate to me directly. I want to say thanks to Dameon Gayle and his warriorsmusick team also. They sprung into action and made things lighter for when we got here,” Griffiths said.