From a church in Petersfield, Westmoreland, where Yonique Myrie grew up. The roof has been completely blown away. (Photo: Ronel Myrie)
Yonique Myrie, a community organizer in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, is from Petersfield, Westmoreland Parish in Jamaica. It’s got a small-town feel, with a hardware store, primary school, and library all close to each other.
Most people know each other in Petersfield, says Myrie. Families go to the same supermarket, and children tend to go to the same school, all within walking distance.
And after Hurricane Melissa hit the island, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, those small-town relationships made a difference.
Myrie said the island went dark, with cell service and power out. Small businesses were able to get generators working for people to charge their phones, and one of her family members had a Starlink router and just left it out for everyone to use.
Slowly, people began to communicate with their folks in the States.
The damage was devastating. Many roofs were blown completely off, and flooding and water damage occurred throughout the island.
The damage is widespread and almost inconceivable. Jamaica’s government says the storm may even cost the country a significant amount of its annual output.
Myrie cites how bureaucracy and political division can sometimes slow down aid efforts, so she set up a GoFundMe to start collecting financial donations to give to people directly in Westmoreland.
“Because of how large-scale this disaster is, I thought it needed more of a grassroots approach, where people who are in the community or have contacts in the community know exactly the needs of the people (including) the emergency needs of the people, and then they can help each other with whatever is provided to them,” said Myrie.
She felt that because neighbors on the ground can know who needs more or less help in the rebuilding process, she says she trusts that money going directly to them will make the best decisions for the neighborhood.
Myrie is one of many neighbors in the Germantown section — and greater Philadelphia — organizing to help their loved ones how and where they can.
Local churches collaborate with Jamaica to collect donations and relief aid.
Dr. Shawn Bartley is the pastor at True United Church in Ogontz, near the Northwest Philadelphia area, which has a large Jamaican congregation. He was born in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, and goes back to the island two times a year. He also used to be the Faith Sector Leader for the Jamaican diaspora for the Northeast United States.
Bishop Bartley said he’s heard a mix of feelings from the Jamaican community in Philadelphia since the hurricane hit the island last week.
“All of last week, people had mixed emotions. Right away, they wanted to help. They, like myself, still have family members or close friends that we haven’t heard from and are unable to reach. So on that end, our hearts are broken. I know I spent two days, and I didn’t realize it would hit me as hard as it did, to be honest with you,” said Bartley.
Even Bartley has been struggling with whether to get on a plane and volunteer for two weeks on the ground, or help raise awareness and relief efforts here in the city.
He feels grateful to have connected with the Honorary Consul General of Jamaica in Philadelphia, who has asked for the church’s assistance in getting volunteers who can work and assist with hurricane efforts. He was also able to get the government of Jamaica’s official link, where people can donate.
True United is collaborating with the New Testament Church of God in West Philadelphia, collecting goods like batteries, flashlights, hygiene kits, bottled drinking water, and other post-hurricane supplies at both their respective locations, and collecting money via the Jamaican government site here.
Christopher Gordon, a social worker and organizer of the Men Empowering Men group in Germantown, attends True United Church and has family from multiple parts of Jamaica. He still has lots of aunts and cousins down on the island.
“Culturally, I think Jamaicans are very helpful, especially in times like this. So down there, everybody is helping each other out. Like, no matter where you’re from, who you are, how old you are, what sex you are, the community down there is just trying to build back together as a unit,” says Gordon.
Gordon mentions that his family has even seen tourists and people on vacation helping with clean-up efforts, which feels very positive.
“Honestly, I think a lot of people love Jamaicans. That’s like a go-to Caribbean spot. So a lot of friends that are non-Jamaican in my community are just calling, checking in on me, making sure my family is good, and seeing any which way that they can help,” says Gordon.
Local organizers are uplifting relief efforts.
Eboni Zamani, a community organizer and filmmaker who grew up in the Germantown/Nicetown area, has good friends from Jamaica.
She’s been uplifting their personal fundraising pages and fundraising efforts from folks like Asasiya Muhammad (known as the People’s Midwife) and the Philly Birth Fund.
One of her friends and their family are packing barrels full of essentials and emergency supplies to send to the island.
Zamani makes a point not to forget the real effects of climate change on islands and island weather patterns.
“I thought for me personally, I feel like it’s time, it’s been time for us to take the impact of climate change seriously,” she says.
She cites the work of environmental activist Mikaela Loach, who is from Jamaica, who has campaigned to name these super-storms after the companies and the CEOS she says were a part of what led to the conditions — burning fossil fuels, and accelerating climate change.
“These things (hurricanes and super-storms) are happening because of choices and decisions by major governments and big corporations across the world,” says Zamani.
Editor’s note: While sources for this story, Myrie and Zamani, are active within the Germantown Residents for Economic Alternative Together (GREAT) group, which the writer is also involved with, the efforts above don’t relate directly to the work within that group. And also because the nature of this article isn’t to seek transparency or promote publicity of their shared group or the individual sources, I found no harm in allowing this coverage.
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