The Hurricane Ended; Their Struggle Didn't. #HurricaneMelissa

Nothing. The lady come, come take the camera, come take a picture of me and the NRS. Take my name, take my age, 75 year old. Nothing, nothing so me no get, nothing, food. Lord have mercy, it's very rough, brother man. The shelter not really up to standard, you know. And we are catch cold and the water system kind of trouble because if rain not fall, we have to go out spring, by the spring to get water and it kind of hard to come up the hill too. We have to pay money to carry up the water and then when we carry up the water again, we have to still pay a little money to carry it down off the way out. So, kind of terrible too. My daughter actually, every week she catch cold. A few months ago, Hurricane Melissa changed the lives of many families here in Westall, Beeson Springs, Westmoreland. I was one of the first persons to visit the community to share what transpired. Total devastation, total devastation. And since then we brought a lot of relief items, you know, plywood, zinc, lanterns, even had some sessions. We had birth certificates, applications, passport applications and so on, you know. But through it all, something remarkable happened. People started to reach out. People who have never been to Leff Hall, people who have never heard of the community, don't have a clue where the community is, started reaching out. And I want to take the opportunity to salute a few of them right now. Dr. Judith Johnson, Owen Wilson, the Felipe's family, Patterson's family, my own family, extended family in the U.S., a whole bunch of other people, Cecile, Shelley B and her mom, and those persons who came on board to help. I want to say thank you. Thank you. But the calls continued because there are still persons, even with some of the relief that has been going on, and even with the government programs, you know, there are a lot of people who are still not touched. And I've been getting the calls. Today, thanks to the help of Dr. Johnson, I am in the community to help three persons. We're going to see how much you can stretch, but particularly three persons who had reached out to me, in particular, that they really needed help. Today, we're going to try and help them. Zinc and plywood, we're hoping can help to make a difference. Stay with me. This is what is left of the home of our first recipient. We call him Uncle Mike. As you can see, no real change. No real change since the hurricane. There's a bed over there and stuff. I'm going to be talking to him now. He's going to be getting the stuff we brought for him. He's one of them who reached out to me. I'm going to be talking to him. Talking to him now. All right, guys. We have our first recipient, Uncle Mike. Uncle Mike, we just took off the zinc and plywood of the truck and left it over there. I wanted to talk to you, just a little bit, man, to find out what happened during Melissa. This is your house? Yes. What is left of it? Everything was mashed up. The furniture, everything was mashed down. You see all the wood, like where it dropped. See the top gone? All this side, I pulled up and put this up. Everything gone. Furniture, every garden, everything. You were in there? Yes, I got it. I jumped. The breeze blew the door. I braced the door. The house came down on me. I had to screech. When I came out, all the ribs were pierced. I ran to the shelter. How have things been since the hurricane? Seven months now. All right, nothing. The lady came to take a picture of me. She recognized me. She took my name. She took my age. Seventy-five years old. I didn't get anything. Not even food. I couldn't sleep up here. I had to go down to Miss Marcia. I don't know. That's where you can live? No. Down where you turn in. You see that house against Miss Barton? The lady gave me a little rescue. She's my church sister. Her house blew up. We give God thanks to a friend of mine, Dr. Judith Johnson. God bless her. She was one of them who was instrumental in helping you get these stuff. I don't know if you want to say something to her. Thank you, thank you, thank you, mommy. God bless you, bless you, bless you. Keep your strength and your energy. And your good mind that you have in you to keep you flourish in this world. You are a part of a generation. You see that you have love for the generation of the people. Continue, mommy. I give thanks to you. I can't thank you no more. But I give thanks to you for what you're doing for the nation right now. You didn't force us to do it. God put it in you to do it. Thank you, mommy. God bless you and bless your family. Everyone who is around you. God bless everyone. Thank you, Miss Johnson. What kept you through all of this, Uncle Mike? Tribulation. What kept you through? The faith of God. The faith of the Almighty God. Believe me. You know what I'm saying? You know me as an elder in a war. No option, meeting people. I love unity. God loves me. If the government doesn't help me, God will speak to people. To give me a little help. That's it. I give thanks and praises to Miss Johnson. And you, me. God's son. Amen. God bless you. I always tell him to be a barrister or a doctor. But you see this nice little head back here? I always tell him to be a doctor or a barrister. Yes, yes. It's a blessing. He's an elder in the community, guys. And somebody I respect as well. So it's a joy to be able to reach out. To be able to rally around. So when I get the call that you needed the help. It was a no-brainer. It's just a matter of the persons who rally around. To get them to buy in and to get their support. So all the best. Hopefully. It's a start. Yeah. It's a start. You can't get something off the back of your head until you get back together properly. It's going to take some time. Yeah. Because I'm the only one in there. I have to go use enough of them. Start me back and give thanks and praises. All the best, my brother. All the best, man. All the good family. Yes, yes, yes. All the best, sir. All right, Uncle Mike. This, guys, is Tracy Ann. Some of you would have seen her from the first video. The devastation video. She was the one sitting in the veranda. Holding the baby. Sharing her experience. I think she might have shared her experience. I'll allow her if she wanted to talk about that. If she wished to. But she's the second person we're going to be. She's giving some of the plywood and things now to help her to make a start. So I'm going to ask her just a couple of questions. I almost said Melissa. Tracy Ann. Did you mind telling us a little bit about what was it like? What was that like? It was hard. Hard, hard, hard. Because. Stressful. We did that with my grandmother and my mother. And the other mother's house. My grandmother's house. So we have to try and get out of that. And try to go back over my mother's house. Because her house has never been blown down yet. So we have to go back over there. Me and my grandmother and my grandfather and my brother and my sister. My little sister was sick. And my daughter. And my son. So when we go back over my mother's house now. The house started to blow off. So we have to go under the bed. Then when we look again. Every part of the house is gone. So. Under the bed so much has gone. So we have to just try to get up and run. So when we try to get up and run. We couldn't see nowhere because the breeze was terrible. And I had to kneel down in the ground and have a baby under my shirt. By the time my brother had me with my son. And my next brother and my mother didn't have her. And my grandmother with them. So we couldn't hardly move. So we just had to hitch up under one little rock stone. Until the breeze kind of calmed down. So I was there with my daughter. And through it rained a bit. And everybody rained a bit. But every time she was there she started to blow. I had to just try to take out the water out of her nose. And then I heard she started to cry back again. I had to say to my mother. Every time I was there. It was the same thing. I had to say to my mother. So my baby was gone. So. After a while. She started to blow or something. By the time. She didn't have to be there with her grandmother. My grandmother. Yeah. But after a while. I don't know if her eye did pass her. Yeah. And it started to calm down. But every time I noticed. The breeze was like that. My sister and my little brother. Yeah. So my brother had to run off. And my little brother had to catch him back. What do you mean? Like what? Like a breeze. Swing liquor. The breeze that came where. Like came going to go to the water. Oh lord. Yeah. These are real experiences? Yeah it was. You had to endure? It was terrible. What have, since Melissa. What has been the most challenging part for you? Since this... Over the last seven months? Well. I would say it's the shelter. Because the shelter is not really. Up to standard. You know. And you catch cold. And the water. This is the same kind of trouble. Because if it rains, we have to go out by the spring to get water, and it's kind of hard to come up the hill, too. We have to pay money to carry up the water, and then when we carry up the water again, we have to still pay money to carry it down to the yard, so... It's kind of terrible, too. And she was not so good again. Taxi didn't pay to go up there. Ah, that's another story. But we give thanks for people like Dr. Johnson who came on board, who, you know, was from a heart for people. That's true. And she came on board, and I told her that you were one of them who reached out to me, and she said, Identify the persons and, you know, let's do something. We're not able to do for everybody, but you were one of the persons who was singled out to help, and we give thanks. What does this assistance mean for you, though, now? Well, it means... You're getting 10 sheets of plant, 10 sheets of zinc as a starter. That, it means a lot to me. It means very much to me, a lot. Because my daughter, actually, every week, she gets a call. So, at least, you know, I have a comfortable place for them and all. Even if it's only one room? Even if it's only one room, it's still great. How old is she? She's just one. She's just one. I'm five this month, and it was last week, Thursday. And my son is just six. What gives you hope today, Tracy? Well, you know, people still can assist me, and Father God doesn't give up on me, nor people don't give up on me either. Yes. So, it still gives me hope, you see. I can still go on and start. Try something for myself, and try... It's kind of hard, you know, to explain certain things, but it's just helpful. And also, I have hope, you know, every little way. All right. You give thanks. Yes. All right. Take care. It's a start. Yes, and I thank Miss Johnson for this. See you later. All right. This is Tracy, and guys, one of the recipients of a few more release items today. Still in great need. Yes. We wish her all the best, and the love and prayers for her and the rest of the community. Yes. This is Darnit, guys, Auntie Darnit, the third recipient of this particular distribution. I wanted to ask you, Darnit, what was it like? What was it like during the hurricane? God, it was very terrible, sir. Very. Everything flat, everything during the storm. I wasn't there before I moved up, because the house was never up to date. And I tell you, sir, it was a bored house. But everything got flat. Everything, I didn't see nothing at all. Nothing, no furniture, nothing at all. No furniture, no bed. No bed, nothing, nothing. It was just flat dirt, flat down. Yes, that happened. Seven months, approximately, gone since. How have things been for you? God have mercy. It's very rough, brother Mark. Very rough. So I had to go, I did have to leave out here in this area. So when all the assistants came, nobody could get anything. So I didn't get anything at all. Nothing. Everything, I didn't get anything. So you can't make any starters. So actually, you're staying with your daughter in South? Yes, I'm staying with her. She's a rent host. Rent host. So she, I just want to say I appreciate it. So I called you. You had reached out to me. Yes. Because you really needed something to get a starter now. You made the arrangement to leave South, to come up here early this morning. Yes. Just to accommodate, to facilitate what we're trying to do. Yes. And I appreciate it. Yes, and I really appreciate what you are doing, brother Mark. Respect all over. To God be the glory. There's a lady, I keep picking her up. This particular trip, there's a lot of people who helped me along the way. I mentioned some of them guys. But this particular trip, Dr. Johnson, a friend of mine. She was one of them who was instrumental in helping to make this trip possible. Make you, your little initiative, intervention possible. Auntie Darnit. Yes. Anything you want to say to her? Yes. I am very thankful. And I appreciate everything that you have done, Dr. Johnson. Is that correct? Yeah. Dr. Johnson. Yeah. And I'm glad to know that the Lord has made a way for us. That you could really assist us. Assist me with whatever I have to receive. And I am very grateful and thankful for what you have done. I actually have a question I wanted to ask you. What does this mean for you today? What does it mean? So we're going to give you 10-sheet of ply, 10-sheet of zinc as a starter. Yes. What does it mean? What does that mean for you? Well, I really appreciate the 10-sheet because it will help me to go a little further. You know, it will not really. Yes. But I appreciate the little help what I get. It's a start. Yes, it's a big start for me. It's a start. Yes, it's a start for me. Okay. Yes. Alright. Well, I wish you well. I know my community online is always supportive and praying for the community. I know that for a fact. I know a number of them have actually reached out to me. They wish you well. And I wish you well. And I hope that, again, this is a start and hopefully, as things progress, as time progresses, things will get better, quicker. You know? I never knew that this would come up because when I reached out to Brother Mark here, I never knew that he would be very interested to reach out to help me. So when I heard he called me, I really, really couldn't believe. But because I was praying, always praying and praying, and I said, Father God, help me so that I can get the bill back. Because through the house, mushrooms and so forth, and I don't have, I don't have it. You know, when you feel the place and you don't expect what would have happened, say we would have reached that far, it gives you a big leak, man. I tell you, it's big. It stresses me out, too, that I know I'm not going to look for my place up there because It's traumatic. Exactly. And it's like I don't want to get one kind of heart attack in that farmer way. So that's the reason why I don't go and see it. I know I don't see it. Yes. Guys, it's one of the things I said I'm going to ask. I'm going to continue to ask you to keep the community, keep the individuals in your prayer because there's still a lot of trauma and a lot of people probably don't realize that the person is still hurting from the incident. So keep us in your prayer. And whatever help you can get, you can get the support. It's still welcome. And not just financial or material. Yes. But even counseling and stuff like that, whatever help you can get, we welcome that as well. You know, because you heard from Aunty Donna that, you know, it's still going through a process. Yes. Seven months after, you know. Yes. All right. All the best. All the best and I'm happy. Take a picture. I'm really happy. This is Kenish, guys. He's one of the persons that we're trying to reach out to. We're not able to give... Kenish, we're giving you five feet of flyer. Yes. Because you haven't... Since the hurricane, you haven't had any help. No. Yes. So we're hoping it has started. It's not a lot, but it has started. How are you managing since the hurricane though? Rough, man. Yes. Where are you staying? I'm staying in Alberta. Yes. And you don't get no assistance and nobody? No. All right. So what will this do for you though? It's going to start. Yes, man. Yes. All right, Kenish. This is Kenish, guys. Wish him well. Keep him in your prayers the same way. All right? All right. All right, Kenish. So one more thing, guys. This box here was actually sent to me from Dorothy Darby, a friend of mine in the US. She sent it to me. I got it cleared. God bless her. Dorothy is actually one of my followers, but she is actually... I didn't even realize that Dorothy was a big woman. Dorothy is over 80 years old. Dorothy, if you're hearing, big up. Dorothy is Jamaican as well, living in the US. And Dorothy sent this. She... And what I admire more about Dorothy than anything though, Dorothy has been reaching out to me from the hurricane hit. She's trying. She was trying. She wasn't too much into the complications of the shipping and all of those stuff. Eventually, she got her stuff. She got it. She said she sent it in January, I think. Got it. I just got it. Just got it. It's a little box with some clues and stuff. I want to bigger up again. I'm going to just... I'm just going to give it to... Just going to put it out here and have the community members, you know, choose what they want. So big up Dorothy again for this effort. I'm actually up in the middle of left hall now. All right. That's it, guys. You know, months ago, left hall, Beeson Spring became known because of the devastation. Today though, I see something different. I see more than just survival. I see determination. I see resilience. I see neighbors helping neighbors. I see people caring for people. People from all over the world who have no idea where left hall or Beeson Spring is came together to help. And it just goes to show what can happen when we care about each other. Again, thanks to all the amazing folks who came on board to help to make not just this trip, but the trips before possible. I mentioned their names so many times, they know themselves. Thank you. Thank you so much. The work continues though. The rebuilding continues. If you are inclined to help, you can do so via my GoFundMe campaign. There's a link in the description. You can support the work of the My Island Jamaica Foundation as well. Link in the description. Or just reach out to me directly. In fact, good time to tell you as well, to share with you that we have actually started. We encourage the community to form a CBO, a community organization. That will help to strengthen them to build their capacity as well. We're working together on that. More to come on that. But thank you again once more. Thank you for being part of the journey. And thank you for helping bring hope to the hills of Eftihar in Decent Springs. God bless you.