Hurricane-affected C’bean islands to benefit from JN Foundation funds
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Caribbean countries which were devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria earlier this year are to benefit from donations made to a Jamaica National Foundation campaign titled “Help Our Caribbean Neighbours”.
The campaign, launched in October via the ‘I Support Jamaica’ funding site, saw members of the public and employees of companies and organisations in The Jamaica National Group donating to the cause.
Grants Manager at JN Foundation, Rose Miller, who officially handed over the contributions to United Way of Jamaica on Thursday, December 21 at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, commended persons who responded to the campaign.
“We are grateful to those who contributed having seen the need to reach out to our Caribbean neighbours,” she stated.
“We are always seeking opportunities to help others;and The Jamaica National Group pays an integral role regionally; therefore, we endeavour to reach out when there is a need.”
Winsome Wilkins, chief executive officer of United Way of Jamaica, expressed gratitude to the JN Foundation and members of the public who supported the campaign.
“Our thanks to JN Foundation, which is a serious partner with us in the voluntary sector. We value their support,” she said, explaining that the funds will be merged with a larger pool of funds, which will be used in the rehabilitation and restoration process and help families in those islands to pursue economic activities.
“There is a pool of funds that will be allocated to the Salvation Army and to the Adventist Development Relief Agency, which are already on the ground doing work; and identifying the families that would benefit,” she said.
Wilkins said that the campaign organised by United Way across Jamaica has already received some $3 million in contributions to the hurricane relief effort. This, she said, was in addition to contributions in-kind.
“The campaign was successful; and of course, for us at United Way, rehabilitation and restoration are areas, which we focus on in times of disaster,” she said.
Several islands were affected by the hurricanes, which moved across the northern Caribbean leaving a trail of death and destruction. Some of the countries to benefit from the contributions include: Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico, Dominica and Haiti.
