Members of the Jamaican-American community in Connecticut are anxiously awaiting to hear from their loved ones in the island nation after the strongest hurricane in over 100 years made landfall in Jamaica Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction.
Dr. Camelia Lawrence of Shelton said she last spoke with her family Tuesday when the storm hit. She has since been unable to make contact with anyone.
“It's a lot of anxiety at this moment, because I do have a lot of family that's on the island, and as of yesterday, at about 2 p.m. shortly after landfall, I've lost all communications with family and friends,” Lawrence said.
The breakdown in communication also impacts people on the island, according to Lawrence. She’s now working with advocacy and aid organizations for much needed help.
“Trees are down, power lines are down,” Lawrence said. "Communities are completely isolated, and so there will be coordinated effort to just get food. So we're collecting a lot of non-perishable items.”
Lawrence is working with the Jamaican American Connection based in New Haven as well as the American Friends of Jamaica, which have both launched fundraisers for relief efforts. Lawrence said the community is resilient.
For others, like Hamden resident Nadine Barnett Cosby, that sense of community can take on different forms.
Cosby, who is dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University, said most of her connections to the Jamaican-American community are in New York, and she hasn’t made many connections in Connecticut.
But she doesn’t feel alone in a time like this.
“I actually have had friends from really all over the country and parts of the world texting me calling just to check in and ask me if my family is OK,” Cosby said. “And I think even without having that Jamaican network in my immediate vicinity in Connecticut, it really is heartwarming to know that I have such a vast support system.”
Gathering help in Hartford
At the West Indian Social Club in Hartford, dozens of people gathered Wednesday night to pray and discuss how to send help.
A list of preliminary needs from the Jamaican government was posted on a wall inside the club. The needs listed everything from mattresses and pillows, to flashlights and water purification kits.
“There are several hospitals … the roof came off completely,” said Marva Douglas-Wilks, former president of the West Indian Social Club.
“So of course, medical supplies [are] going to be needed,” she continued. “There are people without homes. So we're going to need clothing and food and medical supplies and all that kind of stuff.”
Beverly Redd, president of the West Indian Social Club, said Jamaica’s Ministry of Health is “desperate for what they’re calling a care package, which is basically food and hygiene.”
According to Redd, the ministry says every $4,000 raised in the United States can help 100 people in Jamaica.
CT officials rally help as federal resources wane
Mike Fallon, a representative from U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy’s office, told members at the West Indian Social Club that recovery from Hurricane Melissa may look different from previous storms.
That’s because the U.S. foreign aid agency, USAID, has shut down.
“In years past, there was USAID, where the federal government was able to step up and had a very strong, coordinated response,” Fallon said.
USAID ceased operations in July with President Donald Trump calling the agency “unaccountable to taxpayers.”
“That's really unfortunate,” Fallon said. “That being said, we're here to help on behalf of our office and help coordinate any kind of response for many of the folks in this room who have family in the Caribbean.”
State Rep. Bobby Gibson said he and state Sen. Douglas McCrory have a meeting with Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday to ask for additional support.
“Now is the time to ask our state to step up and come out for our community. There are monies out there that they can provide,” Gibson said.
How to help
The West Indian Foundation is now accepting financial donations through the CT Caribbean Coalition Disaster Relief Fund. Drop-off sites for food and other items are being set up in Bloomfield, Hartford and Windsor.
- West Indian Social Club of Hartford, 3340 Main St., Hartford
- North United Methodist Church, 1205 Albany Ave., Hartford
- Fire Engine Co. #10, 510 Franklin Ave., Hartford
- Rehoboth Church of God, 1170 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield
- Grace Episcopal Church, 311 Broad St., Windsor
This story has been updated.
