RG CARES BRINGS HOPE, POWER AND CONNECTION TO TRELAWNY

In a parish still reeling from Hurricane Melissa’s fury, it wasn’t the sound of sirens or heavy machinery that broke Sunday’s silence. It was the hum of a generator, the voices of volunteers and residents, and a live broadcast reconnecting isolated hearts to the wider world.

More than 30 volunteers from the RG CARES Foundation (the charity arm of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group), led by the foundation’s Chairman, Gary Allen, arrived in Falmouth on Sunday, November 2, transforming the storm-damaged Trelawny Parish Church Hall and other affected areas into a lifeline for many. Undaunted by the severe damage from the hurricane and from looting in its aftermath, the parish church provided a base for hope and connection through the work of the volunteers.

“I remember how relieved the nurses from one of the infirmaries set up temporarily at the Hague Primary School were when they charged the blood pressure machines and to charged their phones to speak with their families,” said Whitney Manderson, digital sales support specialist at The Gleaner. “I also remember this gentleman walking up and down the premises smiling because he was able to talk to his relatives using the charging station and the satellite Wi-Fi that we provided.”

With on-the-ground coordination from the Trelawny police, led by Sgt Wayne Wallace, the distribution began – care packages, plus portable charging stations, and Wi-Fi hubs, giving storm-hit residents a chance to call relatives or send them messages.

Radio Jamaica’s ‘That’s A Wrap’, broadcast live from the site with host Milton Walker, became more than a programme. It was a public service. Names of residents cut off from outside contact were read on air to assure anxious family members that they were safe. Interviews with Rev Norbert Stephens, general secretary of the United Church; Mr Richard Robinson, rector’s warden of the Trelawny Parish Church; and residents like Ms. Naheela Brown captured the human face of the existing challenges.

Beyond Falmouth, the team fanned out into Hague, Granville, Green Park, and Maxfield, delivering aid and connectivity services. FairTech Services Limited, another partner, powered up charging stations and provided games for the children. Thelecia Patrickson, marketing and projects executive at RJRGLEANER recalled using her personal phone to help a young woman place an overseas call, which resulted in her family wiring money for her to collect. “That one phone call changed everything,” she said.

By dusk, as the foundation’s convoy rolled out, navigating the rubble from homes and entities strewn across the streets, gratitude hung in the air – from the residents who had been assisted and the volunteers who had been given an outlet for their compassion.

Mr. Allen expressed thanks to the Foundation’s Hurricane Melissa relief partners – the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the Anglican Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Lee’s Food Fair, Mother’s Enterprises Ltd, Fairtech Services, American Jewellery Co. and Securipro Limited – and called for continued public support.

HOW TO HELP

CANNED FOODS, HYGIENE ITEMS, AND WATER MAY BE DROPPED OFF AT:

Anglican Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands sites:

Church of the Good Shepherd, 193 Constant Spring Rd

Mon–Wed, 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

St Luke’s Church, 89 Slipe Rd, Cross Roads

Mon–Wed, 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; Thurs, 7:30 a.m.–12 noon

United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands sites:

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.

Webster Memorial United Church Hall

53 Half-Way Tree Road

Hope United Church

221 Old Hope Road

Meadowbrook United Church

2 Flemington Drive

Portmore United Church

Bridgeport Road

CASH DONATIONS SHOULD BE LODGED OR TRANSFERRED TO:

Account Name: Television Jamaica Change a Life Jamaica

Bank of Nova Scotia – New Kingston Branch

Transit #: 50575

JMD Acct #: 10822945 or USD Acct #: 10822946

Type of Account: Chequing Account

Jamaicans care, so we will all rise again. Together, we can make a difference with the foundation’s ongoing efforts as it targets other severely affected parishes in the aftermath of the hurricane.