KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Foundation and Food For The Poor (FFTP) Jamaica have partnered to provide much-needed relief in St Elizabeth following the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

St Elizabeth is one of the hardest hit parishes from the hurricane. It suffered extensive damage to residential and commercial buildings, as well as critical Jamaica Public Service (JPS) infrastructure, a release on Saturday said.

Sophia Lewis, head of the JPS Foundation, detailed the scope of the joint effort.

“Our immediate response sees the provision of care packages and access to charging stations to assist residents in their day-to-day lives until the full assessment of the specific needs of the communities are ascertained,” Lewis said.

“The support is multipronged and will be ongoing as we help the breadbasket parish bounce back from what can only be described as devastating circumstances,” she added.

JPS Foundation and FFTP Jamaica said that while care packages will cover the basics to include non-perishable food items, distribution of water and ice across the parish, sanitary items and tarpaulins, they are contemplating solutions for displaced residents whose properties would have been severely damaged by the strong winds and rains associated with the Category 4 storm.

Kivette Silvera Stephens, executive director at FFTP Jamaica, made the disclosure as the teams distributed aid in Parottee, Flagaman and Bull Savannah in St Elizabeth on Wednesday.

“It is never a simple fix when one has been uprooted from the place they call home. More than the physical loss, it is an emotional roller coaster watching years of memories go down the drain or in some cases, go with the wind,” she stated.

“It will take a lot more hands on deck to help the people of St Elizabeth get back on their feet. It is for this reason that we extend sincere thanks to the JPS Foundation for helping to restore hope as their dedicated teams continue working to restore electricity islandwide,” Silvera added.

JPS’ aid will also extend to the foundation’s offering of educational grants to students in the parish for the academic year 2024-2025, the release said

The aftermath of the category 4 hurricane saw several residents plunged into darkness as flood waters and winds ripped through JPS lines and toppled poles in the parish. The utility company has since begun restoring electricity to parts of St Elizabeth.

Following the passage of Hurricane Beryl, JPS said it has been delivering aid across the island to residents who have been severely impacted.  So far, the light and power company has provided relief support to over 400 families in St Elizabeth, St Catherine, St James and Kingston and St Andrew. There are plans for JPS to provide ongoing support over the next couple of weeks, the release said.