KINGSTON, Jamaica — The JN Group, working with local and corporate partners, recently stepped in to provide urgently needed psychosocial support to residents in southern Trelawny still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

Counselling sessions, led by Reverend Kevin Page from the JN Group Chaplaincy Unit, were held at Albert Town High School in Trelawny. The counselling sessions were in addition to medical, pharmaceutical and food relief efforts, allowing residents to receive emotional support and essential aid during the same visit.

Residents met with the JN Chaplain in the school’s reading room, with some conversations kept brief and others extending into quiet, steady exchanges. For some, it was the first time since Hurricane Melissa that they had spoken to anyone about how the past weeks had affected them internally.

“Him is the right one because there is so much going on,” said Marcella Powell, one of the individuals who sought out the reverend to talk through the trauma of the hurricane. Like many others seeking support, she shared feelings of distress and emotional strain since her life was upended by the Category 5 storm.

“Sometimes you have to tell people your problem so you feel a little lighter,” she said while noting that, “they’re not looking out for the older, poorer people. Sometimes the soldiers pass by and give a small bag of food or so but that’s it”.

Powell, who also visited the doctor for several health concerns, said she lost her roof in the storm and appealed for help in obtaining zinc, as she is currently using an old tarpaulin to cover her home.