ST ANN, Jamaica — Hundreds of residents of Chalky Hill in St Ann were treated to a recent community outreach activity organised by the Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) which organisers say provided both practical relief and reassurance that they had not been forgotten months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Community members turned out at the Chalky Hill Primary and Infant School to receive care packages, hot meals and medical services, while also participating in psychosocial counselling sessions designed to help residents process the emotional impact of the disaster.

Shanakay Porter, a Chalky Hill resident who attended the outreach, said the initiative was well received by the community.

“I really enjoyed the session because I learned a lot about the body and how to react to different situations,” Porter said after participating in one of the counselling sessions. She added that residents were grateful for the support provided. “I really appreciate it, and I know other people appreciate it as well.”

A 16-year-old student who attended one of the health education sessions said the discussions offered valuable information for young people.

“I thought it was very insightful, and I learned a lot of things about sexually transmitted infections and how women should take care of themselves,” the student said.

According to VPA representative Andre McNab, who led on the initiative, the outreach was the final in a series of disaster relief activities organised by the Alliance following the hurricane.

“This is the last of our disaster relief efforts for these communities. While they [Chalky Hill] may not have received the full blunt force of the hurricane, they were still impacted and needed additional support,” McNab explained.

He applauded Sakura Express who partnered with the VPA at all the outreach efforts including Chalky Hill, where they provided 600 hot meals for residents.

The outreach activity was also supported by partners, Luminary Health Medical Centre and Oxfam Canada.