FERRIS, Westmoreland — No insurance agency would touch O’Dane McDowell’s “high-risk operation”, a combined gas station and block factory he named Bricks & Blocks Depot and Ferris Service Station.

When Hurricane Melissa struck last October, his main transportation for the business, his truck, became the resting place for a big tree which destroyed the vehicle’s cab. Half his house was left roofless. His gas station canopy was ripped away, gas pumps needed replacement, his block factory was flattened, and his staff was left struggling and homeless. McDowell faced a stark choice:Ppermanently shut the doors to his business place in Ferris, Westmoreland, or rebuild from scratch.

Quitting was never really an option, though.

Dollar by dollar, McDowell scraped together enough capital to buy new gas pumps, drive up sales, and resume block production.

Owner and operator of Bricks and Blocks Depot and Ferris Service Station O’Dane McDowell (second right) marks the moment with Member of Parliament for Central Westmoreland, Dwayne Vaz (left); principal of Ferris Primary Tracie Campbell (second left); and councillor-caretaker for Cornwall Mountain Division Abigail Malcolm during the distribution of 10,880 blocks for residents of Ferris and neighbouring communities. (Photo: Rosalee Wood Condell)

“In the storm, I lost everything,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “At my business place, I lost the whole canopy. I lost pumps. At my block factory, I lost the roof, everything. Only thing that was spared was the machinery.”

With a far-from-satisfactory insurance payout of $1.4 million for his comprehensively insured truck – which he said was originally valued at $14 million – he was left with a $6-million repair bill for just that vehicle.

Again, he refused to fold, opting instead to look beyond the immediate source of frustration.

“I had to put my foot down, and I had to buckle down and just work,” McDowell stated.

His will to continue extended far beyond his own bottom line. Working tirelessly day in and day out, he stabilised his business enough to not only support his family and staff, but to uplift his entire neighbourhood.

Former Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Central George Wright (left) greets owner and operator of Bricks and Blocks Depot and Ferris Service Station O’Dane McDowell who on July 30 donated more than 10,000 blocks to residents of Ferris and neighbouring communities. Also pictured is Councillor Dawnette Foster (Jamaica Labour Party, Cornwall Mountain Division (second left); principal of Ferris Primary Tracie Campbell (centre) and caretaker for the Cornwall Mountain Division Abigail Malcolm (second right). (Photo: Rosalee Wood Condell)

The result of that resilience was a massive initiative in which he donated 10,880 blocks to residents of Ferris and surrounding areas. For McDowell, it was simply the right thing to do.

“As business operators, whatever space we’re in, I think it’s just showing good corporate social responsibility to give back to the community that supported you and protected you over these years,” he explained. “Everybody wants an opportunity to rebuild; not everybody has the resilience, the tolerance, or maybe a network of persons that they can call on.”

For many residents, McDowell’s donation is their only lifeline as government assistance struggles to reach everyone.

Councillor Dawnette Foster (Jamaica Labour Party, Cornwall Mountain Division) said many residents missed out on official aid assessment because they were not home or lacked proper documentation at the time assessors visited. She praised McDowell’s initiative and thanked Bricks and Blocks for always looking out for residents.

Recipients say thank you to Bricks and Blocks for their donation. On July 30, each resident received 100 blocks to begin the rebuilding process. (Photo: Rosalee Wood Condell)

There were also commendations from Member of Parliament for Central Westmoreland Dwayne Vaz, who spoke of the importance of McDowell’s selfless action in the context of what he described as “slow” Government response.

For beneficiaries such as Diana Lewis, a shopkeeper from Watercress, McDowell’s help offers a glimmer of hope after months of compounded tragedy. Lewis was burnt out of her home in June 2025, only to have her newly rebuilt shop completely knocked down by Hurricane Melissa.

“I don’t have no house right now,” she shared, explaining that she relies entirely on her shop to survive while squatting with family members.

McDowell’s blocks represent her first real step toward permanent shelter.

Community members and local representatives across the political divide expressed deep gratitude for the businessman’s generosity.

Residents wait patiently at Ferris Service Station to collect building blocks donated by O’Dane McDowell, owner and operator of Bricks and Blocks Depot. (Photo: Rosalee Wood Condell)

“I just want to say a big thank you to Mr McDowell, and I hope that the Lord will continue to bless him. I pray that his food basket will never empty,” former MP for Westmoreland Central, the Jamaica Labour Party’s George Wright told the Observer.

People’s National Party’s councillor caretaker for Cornwall Mountain Division Abigail Malcolm was equally complimentary.

“In a time like this, he stood up to the responsibility of giving back… Sometimes you have to lend a helping hand to those in need, no matter if you might be going through a rough patch yourself,” she said.

For McDowell, seeing his neighbours begin to rebuild makes every hurdle endured after the storm worth it. As far as he is concerned, this act of community restoration is only just beginning as there is more in the pipeline from Bricks and Blocks Depot and Ferris Service Station.