KINGSTON, Jamaica — Food For The Poor (FFTP) has partnered with Cedella Marley to raise funds to help survivors of Hurricane Beryl with repairs or replacement of thousands of zinc roofs damaged and destroyed by the Category 4 storm, which swept across Jamaica and several other Caribbean Islands last week.

Marley is the daughter of legendary Jamaican reggae musicians Bob Marley and Rita Marley.

“I have many family members and friends in Jamaica, and I’ve been in constant contact with them,” said Marley, who lives in South Florida. “They tell me there’s great concern for those left hungry and homeless, especially the children.”

Marley visited FFTP’s Coconut Creek, Florida headquarters on Friday and Saturday and worked alongside volunteers to pack hygiene kits with essential everyday items that people need in a crisis.

“People need help and that’s why we’re working with Food For The Poor on delivering much-needed supplies,” Marley said. “This is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions.”

With so many homes in need of new roofs or major roof repairs, the Bob and Rita Marley Foundation, working in concert with FFTP, is raising funds to provide zinc roofing and hurricane straps.

“We are deeply honoured to partner with Cedella Marley and the Bob and Rita Marley Foundation,” FFTP President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Raine said.

“The materials for new roofs and these repairs are critical for the families affected…They will provide safety, security, and hope to those who have faced unimaginable hardship. As we brace for what is expected to be an active hurricane season, it is more important than ever that these roofs and repairs are completed swiftly,” he continued.

Prior to the storm in Jamaica, FFTP disaster preparedness kits for 500 families were ready to be deployed. In the aftermath of the storm, the charity delivered 400 packages (and an additional 140 by that weekend) of food, hygiene kits, tarps, water boots and blankets to affected families in the six hardest-hit parishes of St Mary, St Thomas, St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, and St Elizabeth.

FFTP also has 53 containers of food, hygiene items, and medical supplies either at the port or en route to all affected areas including 27 containers in transit to Jamaica.

More than 1,000 people evacuated their homes in Jamaica and are now in shelters. FFTP-Jamaica is supporting these shelters through partnerships, providing food, hygiene items, mattresses, bed linens, and pillows.

Raine said FFTP is uniquely positioned to provide aid through its network of more than 30 distribution centres around Jamaica, plus a network of partners in the Windward Islands.

“Our team, in collaboration with local partners, is ensuring that essential aid reaches those who need it most,” Raine said. “We are committed to standing by these communities as they begin the process of recovery and rebuilding.”