WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — As the world is still learning the extent of the destruction Hurricane Melissa caused in Jamaica, a Winter Haven church is mobilizing to help bring relief to families.
Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, bringing powerful winds and life-threatening flooding to the Caribbean island nation.
“If you look at the footage that’s been on social media on the news, it's completely wiped out,” said Mikhaila Frasier.
Frasier is a Montego Bay native. She said phone service on the island is limited, making it hard for her to get in touch with loved ones.
“As of right now, I haven't been able to make contact with them. We're pretty much just keeping the faith and hoping that it’s just power lines down and nothing devastating has happened,” Frasier said.
For people in Jamaica, cleanup and recovery efforts are just starting to take shape.
Abundant Believers Church in Winter Haven has a large Jamaican congregation and they are stepping up to help. The church has launched a relief drive.
“I’m going to personally get my feet on the ground over there. I'm trying to right now navigate all of that and get everything together,” said Gregory Hawthorne, pastor of Abundant Believers Church.
They are collecting essential supplies including non-perishable food, hygiene products, diapers, baby wipes, baby formula, clothes and shoes, while making sure they get to residents who are most vulnerable.
“They can drop it off to the church. Anything that they can donate. We'll make sure that it gets there and it gets in the proper hands,” Hawthorne said.
Donations can be dropped off at Abundant Believers Church, located at 2101 2nd Street NE in Winter Haven, during the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
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