Engineering, construction and project management company M&M Jamaica Limited has committed $6.5 million to assist families, especially those in south St Elizabeth, with their on-the-ground disaster recovery and general relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

The company announced last week that the financial support includes a $1.5-million payment to NEMS Hardware, $2.5 million to Williams Hardware and another $2.5 million committed to communities scattered across St Elizabeth. It added that the funds paid directly to hardware stores will help more than 200 families with the greatest need.

Explaining how the beneficiaries were selected, the company said in its release that entities, including the Jamaica Defence Force, the Red Cross and United States Agency for International Development carried out a combined assessment of the worst-hit areas and did a needs analysis to be able to determine, in an equitable manner, the beneficiaries of the M&M Jamaica-driven support.

Beneficiaries will receive vouchers to take to the participating hardware store nearest them to purchase building materials. Vouchers given to respective families will be valued at either $30,000 or $40,000, M&M Jamaica Limited said.

“By now we all know that the destruction left behind in the wake of Hurricane Beryl is devastating and heartbreaking,” said Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Eastern Franklin Witter.

“With the level of displacement so far-reaching, we are pulling on as many willing partners for the people of St Elizabeth to be able to have their lives restored. When I contacted M&M Jamaica Limited for help, there was an immediate ‘Yes’, followed by their generous donation.”

According to the construction company’s Deputy Managing Director Richard Mullings, M&M Jamaica strongly believes in its commitment to the communities in which they work; “our projects go beyond just pipelines and roadways, we take genuine interest in improving lives”.

The company recently completed a major agricultural irrigation project in the Essex Valley area of south St Elizabeth, and seeing the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl, the company knew it had to support post-hurricane restoration efforts in that parish.

M&M Jamaica’s founders Donald and Winnifred Mullings are also natives of St Elizabeth.

“We are hopeful that this assistance will help with ongoing rebuilding, strengthen community spirit as people bond together to assist each other, sharing the skills and time needed to repair houses, workspaces, farms, shops, and other essential facilities in ruin as well as bring some relief to those who are suffering,” the deputy managing director added.

One resident who has already collected her building material from NEMS Hardware expressed gratitude.

“We literally saw the water rising in our house, and the roof lifting piece by piece. When the whole roof went, I realised my family wasn’t going to be normal for quite some time. We are so thankful for the building material; it almost feels as if we are getting our lives back,” Glandeen Ebanks said.