Jamaica response bolstered by diocesan campaign

Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean in late October 2025. In Jamaica, the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands mobilized an extensive emergency relief response to support vulnerable households across affected communities. The diocese provided affected families with food, water, personal care supplies, emergency shelter materials and pastoral support during the immediate response phase through the support of Alongside Hope, Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) in the United States, local partners, congregations and other international donors.

Alongside Hope sent an initial solidarity grant of $10,000 to the Diocese of Jamaica and began accepting donations to a future response. Discussions with the diocese and other agencies of the Anglican Alliance continued to discern what longer-term supports were needed. With immediate humanitarian needs being met, the diocese’s Hurricane Melissa Relief and Response Task Force was able to identify shelter recovery as the most urgent unmet need among vulnerable families.

The large Caribbean diaspora in the Diocese of Toronto was keen to make an impact. The Rev. Canon Donald Butler is a member of Alongside Hope’s board and a retired priest in the Diocese of Toronto. Born in Antigua, he says that people of Caribbean origin have a track record of responding well to the needs in the wider region. “A couple of the churches I have been involved with in my ministry pushed me to talk to Alongside Hope,” he says, recalling he also helped initiate a response to Hurricane Irma in Barbuda in 2017.

On Feb. 27, Bishop Andrew Asbil called on churches in the Diocese of Toronto to designate their Lenten givings, with the goal of raising $50,000 for Alongside Hope’s Hurricane Melissa response.

The campaign surpassed Bishop Asbil’s challenge, raising $74,822. With a $50,000 matching grant from FaithWorks, the total allocated to Alongside Hope was $124,822.

“Alongside Hope is grateful for the generous support of the Diocese of Toronto,” says Will Postma, executive director of Alongside Hope. “The support allows us to grow the relationship with the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and strengthen the implementation with program staff, all with the shared commitment to respond to current needs and build community readiness to respond should there be other hurricanes. We are grateful for the financial supports from the Diocese of Toronto that make possible the carrying out of work and the strengthening of relationships. Truly, the Church in action.”

In March, staff from Alongside Hope and ERD met with the task force. In June, Alongside Hope and ERD staff travelled to Jamaica to visit affected areas. With the final funding allocation, the task force has proposed a project to support long-term recovery and community resilience.

Jackie Koster, director of Programs and Partnerships at Alongside Hope, reflected on her visit. “As we stood together, representing three Anglican provinces, there was a profound sense of solidarity and shared purpose. In moments of crisis, we are reminded of what it means to be part of a wider community. The immediate support of tarps, supplies and emergency assistance is invaluable, as is the commitment to long-term recovery. Equally important is the reassurance that distance does not diminish our connectedness. Even across great distances, we remain united in care, prayer and action.”

The task force found that many families were unable to pay for home repairs and therefore remain highly vulnerable to future weather-related events. Further, a significant number of these families continue to live in unsafe structures that were either destroyed or severely compromised by the hurricane.

Continued rainfall, deteriorating building conditions and ongoing exposure to future weather events have made vulnerable families even more vulnerable, particularly the elderly, people with disabilities and families headed by women, with young children or living in extreme poverty. Temporary measures, including tarpaulin coverings, provide short-term protection but are insufficient to restore long-term safety, dignity and resilience.

The project will restore safe and dignified living conditions for households most severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa while strengthening community resilience against future disasters. Through a combination of new construction and housing repairs, the project will provide secure shelter, improve living conditions, and enhance the resilience of vulnerable individuals and families who remain at risk from future climate-related disasters.

“This shows me that when you have a grass roots movement it can create possibilities,” says Canon Butler. “Alongside Hope was not active in Jamaica when the hurricane struck, but they rose to the occasion by encouraging people to give to a future response.”

The Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands remains committed to implementing this project with the highest standards of accountability, stewardship, transparency and community participation. Comprehensive selection procedures of participants, financial controls, monitoring mechanisms and project reporting systems will ensure that resources are directed to those most in need and that donor investments will result in measurable and sustainable recovery outcomes.

It will be of the utmost importance, says Canon Butler, who noted on a recent visit to Jamaica that buildings and houses need to be rebuilt to withstand hurricanes. “Conversations about resilience will continue to be important in the region. These disasters are going to become even more regular. We need to learn how to prepare effectively.”

–With files from the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands