Fri | Jan 23, 2026

Tourists, travel agents ‘Pack for a Purpose’ to boost post-storm recovery

Published:Friday | January 23, 2026 | 12:07 AM
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From left: Mellisa Boothe-Anderson, centre manager; Ashley Simms, regional public relations manager (Sandals Negril); Stacey-Ann Reid, counsellor; and Claudia Lindsay posing with a portion of the donations made by the Sandals Foundation, Pack for a Purpose
Contributed
From left: Mellisa Boothe-Anderson, centre manager; Ashley Simms, regional public relations manager (Sandals Negril); Stacey-Ann Reid, counsellor; and Claudia Lindsay posing with a portion of the donations made by the Sandals Foundation, Pack for a Purpose, to the Savanna-la-mar Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation
Adam Stewart, executive chairman for Sandals Resorts International (centre) and Sandals Foundation volunteers from the Montego Bay Region receive packages of school supplies from Ttavel agents at the Travel Leaders Network Conference at Iberostar in early
Contributed
Adam Stewart, executive chairman for Sandals Resorts International (centre) and Sandals Foundation volunteers from the Montego Bay Region receive packages of school supplies from Ttavel agents at the Travel Leaders Network Conference at Iberostar in early December.
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Travel partners and guests of Sandals and Beaches Resorts are helping to accelerate community recovery in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. Since the resorts in Ocho Rios and Negril reopened on December 6, visitors have, through the Sandals Foundation’s partnership with the US non-profit Pack for a Purpose, donated more than 7,000 pounds of supplies for children, families and vulnerable communities.

The items, ranging from clothing and toys to school materials and sanitary products, have been distributed across organisations and households in St Ann, St James, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth and Trelawny.

“We have seen a growing number of guests respond to appeals to donate supplies through the Pack for a Purpose programme, a global initiative that enables travellers to bring up to five pounds of essential items for local communities in need,” said Ashley Simms, regional Public relations manager in Negril.

Within her region, the donations have supported the Savanna-la-Mar Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation and the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation Poor Relief Department, two bodies central to local recovery efforts nearly three months after the storm.

“We have collected quite a variety of products, including non-perishable food, hygiene products, school supplies and other everyday essentials identified as priority needs by local stakeholders. The supplies are expected to assist hundreds of residents in the region who continue to face challenges related to housing repair, food security and basic necessities,” Simms added.

Mellisa Boothe-Anderson, representing the Savanna-la-mar Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, praised the enduring collaboration with Sandals’ philanthropic arm, noting, “When it comes on to Sandals and the Women’s Centre of Jamaica foundation we can never be strangers because the partnership over the years has been phenomenal, whether it’s a celebration, wellbeing support, or relief, the Sandals Foundation has always been there and we are thankful.”

Since Hurricane Melissa struck on October 28, 2025, Sandals Resorts and the Sandals Foundation have played a role in relief efforts, helping restore hospitals and schools, coordinating partner support at home and abroad, and aiding families facing livelihood disruption.

In December, more than 300 travel advisers attending the “Back to Jamaica” showcase hosted by Sandals Resorts contributed an additional 250 pounds of toys, which continue to be distributed to children across multiple schools.