Residents in the eastern Hanover communities of Jericho, Retrieve, and Morris have welcomed recent hurricane relief donations of tarpaulins, tents, mattresses and household packages by the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC).

The handover was initially planned for Retrieve but was instead held at Jericho Primary School, which was considered more central to the hundreds of residents from adjoining communities, including Claremont.

The BGLC was joined by Rise Life Management Services, which provided counselling to the residents in an effort which Anissa Spence, disaster preparedness and emergency response coordinator for Hanover, said brought hope to the people.

The Category 5 Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica on October 28, with communities in the eastern section of Hanover among those hardest hit.

Many of the residents refused to go into the shelters as the hurricane neared, believing that the structures at home would withstand its fur,y but that was not to be.

They shared stories of moving from one corner of their houses to the next, only to witness everything being blown away. The residents say they have been left distraught, depressed and drained, which prompted the BGLC and other entities to come to their aid.

According to Spence, a number of young mothers were especially grateful for the intervention by the BGLC and other donors, as they were unable to afford childcare supplies that were a part of the donations they received.

Andria Gutzmore, Rise Life facilitator, responsible for training and counselling, agreed that the residents were very appreciative and welcoming.

“There is a special joy being expressed as many working in the hotel industry are itching to get back to work. Facing all that uncertainty, this is indeed restoring hope.

“Interacting with them, listening to the stories and the eagerness being expressed about getting their lives back together again, they welcome more of this effort – and there was a sense of peace,” said Gutzmore.