11/05/2025
On October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, devastating the island.
It was a Category 5 hurricane, labeled the “storm of the century”, the most powerful ever to hit the island, with wind speeds reaching up to 185 mph. The destruction has been immense, and the full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Jamaica, still recovering from Hurricane Beryl (2024) and facing the ongoing impacts of climate change, is now confronting catastrophic losses. Homes, livelihoods, and essential services have been destroyed.
Please contribute to the Friends of the WARE COLLECTIVE (FoWARE) to help rebuild communities in southern Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica. FoWARE is a U.S. based 501(c)(3) organization that works alongside the WARE COLLECTIVE in Jamaica. Their mandate focuses on community building and heritage preservation. Your donation will go directly toward setting up accounts at local, Jamaican-owned companies, allowing community members to purchase essential building supplies such as lumber, roofing materials, and cement.
Our fundraising goals are to:
Distribute 70% of the funds raised to those most in need, meaning families identified through the WARE Collective’s church, school, and community networks.
Support local small businesses, including hardware and farm supply stores, by purchasing gift certificates redeemable for roofing materials, tarpaulins, and other necessities.
3. Allocate the remaining 30% to WARE’s rebuilding efforts.
While the destruction across the island is heartbreaking, we’ve also witnessed the incredible resilience of traditional Jamaican building methods. For instance, the Wynter House is still standing, with only parts of its zinc roof lost; a testament to the durability of these older techniques.
Your support of FoWARE’s efforts will help St Elizabeth communities recover, rebuild, and preserve these legacies of resilience for generations to come.
