When Henry Fernandez saw on social media how last month’s prolonged rain ravaged sections of the island, he had one thought — how could he help?

“Immediately I went into mission mode, and I decided that we had to do something to show the Jamaican people that we’re here for them because the truth is every one of us will someday have our day with disaster, no matter who you are. I don’t care if you’re rich, I don’t care if you’re middle class, all of us will have an encounter one day with dealing with a crisis,” he stated.

“So I mobilised my missions team. We got together, we partnered of course with Dr Velma [Hamilton Brown] from Children Upliftment and Restoration Foundation to really do this and it is a joy to be able to help these people,” the Bishop noted as he observed the many persons collecting packages.

With a packed schedule, the US-based televangelist planned a benefit concert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, giving Jamaicans overseas an opportunity to assist countrymen, while Hamilton Brown dealt with organisation locally.

Last week the two led their teams to two communities that were severely affected — Frankfield, Clarendon, and Douglas Castle, St Ann — to deliver relief packages to residents.

In Frankfield, the team rendered assistance to some students of Edwin Allen High School who were badly affected in the bout of torrential showers.

“Children Upliftement and Restoration is concerned about children and their well-being so we have to empower their parents for them to be able to benefit ,and we have the raincoats for the children themselves because we said they must have been having a hard time to get to school,” Hamilton Brown told the Jamaica Observer.

“This is very significant, we were not expecting this. We recognise that a number of students were affected and it has impacted school in a negative way. We had to close school for approximately two weeks because many of the roads were inundated, there were many land slippages, so transporting students to school was a very difficult thing and the people had to take the alternative route through Porus, Spalding, those from the May Pen area, and that was very costly for them,” school principal, Everton Walters said.

Some 500 students — roughly a quarter of the school’s population – were affected by the weather condition recently.

“When we learnt that Bishop Fernandez was planning to come here we really extended welcome, because we felt that it was a kind gesture for many. Many parents were impacted and some are still struggling to make two ends meet, as we say in Jamaica ,that they could carry out the functions of their families,” Walters indicated.

“So this comes at a time when they needed it most. And I want to commend this ministry for this kind gesture. I would love to see more Jamaicans, corporate world, coming on board to give assistance,” he continued.

In Douglas Castle, scores of residents gathered at the community’s Baptist church to receive items as word spread of the team’s intention.

“Today we brought some toiletries; canned goods…[namely] sausages, ham, rice; toiletries; toothpaste, toothbrush, toilet paper, baby diapers, and of course water,” Fernandez stated.

“Our goal was to raise US$50,000, but we only had two weeks to do this and we were able to reach the halfway point, and I am so glad that we did,” he added.

The residents expressed gratitude to their benfactors.

“Mi deh yah long but mi glad mi wait,” a resident of Douglas Castle told the Jamaica Observer as he saddled his donkey with a bag of items. “Di tings dem come in handy man”.

“I am truly blessed,” another woman shouted as she left with her bags of items atop her head.

The residents were recently marooned in their rural community after flooding caused by a trough that lingered across Jamaica last month.

“It couldn’t get any better,” Ann Marie Williams stated as she held her bags of toiletries and food items closely. “We get whole heap a help and we very thankful fi it.”

“I feel joyful to see what is happening, because most of us are in need of it, you know, and maybe dem nuh have the brain to say thanks. It’s a good thing,” Gloria Powell stated.

In a brief visit last week, the Henry Fernandez Foundation and the Children Upliftment and Restoration Foundation also donated funds to the Golden Age Home and a children’s home in Kingston.

According to Hamilton Brown, the team received assistance and support from the Caribbean Maritime Institute, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the National Education Trust, and Customs Jamaica.

The total value of items donated is US$25,000. This was raised from the proceeds of a benefit concert hosted by Fernandez’s church in Fort Lauderdale and a special offering collected.

“This is one of the responsibilities of the church; it’s not just to verbalise Christ, but to demonstrate Him in the purest form and that is the form of love. Jesus said… when I was hungry you fed me, naked you clothed me, and if we fail to do that as a church, then we have failed to preach the totality of the gospel. So I am excited just to watch all of these people with a spirit of expectancy, regardless of it being a small package they will receive because the fact that someone cares, the fact that someone will be able to make life a little bit easier for them makes a world of a difference,” the clergy leader stated.