FFTP Expands Relief Operations As Aid Reaches Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 1, 2025) – With relief trucks on the move, shipments arriving daily, and field teams reaching storm-hit parishes, Food For The Poor (FFTP) is accelerating its humanitarian response to Hurricane Melissa, which left a path of destruction across Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
Working alongside partners such as World Central Kitchen, Water Mission, Cedella Marley and the Bob & Rita Marley Foundation, and the World Food Programme, FFTP is delivering food, clean water, and emergency supplies to communities still struggling with widespread flooding and power outages.
In Jamaica, FFTP’s teams have already distributed more than 1,000 family food kits and are deploying additional shipments of hygiene items, tarps, and mosquito nets to hard-hit areas including St. Elizabeth, Trelawny, and St. Thomas.
With warehouse space nearing capacity, the charity is clearing land near its Spanish Town headquarters to expand operations as containers of aid arrive by sea and air. Local purchases are also underway — including 2,000 food kits and 200 roof repair kits — as part of a commitment to strengthen Jamaica’s recovery through local sourcing and employment.
On-the-Ground Update Today (Nov. 1)
• Islandwide: A convoy coordinated with Jamaica’s Humanitarian Assistance Committee (HAC) and supported by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is distributing 1,000 family kits containing food, hygiene items, and water by land, sea, and air.
• Westmoreland: Teams are serving four communities with 400 food kits, 300 hygiene kits, 200 tarps, and agricultural tools, with Tire Warehouse providing transportation.
• Zion: Crews are delivering 300 kits with food, water, hygiene items, and tarps.
• Black River: Working in partnership with World Food Programme (WFP) to set up camp using mobile storage units. FFTP teams are distributing bulk water, 150 food packages, hygiene supplies, and tarps.
“Our hearts are with the families in Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic who are suffering in the aftermath of this catastrophic storm,” said FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine. “We are on the ground now delivering aid, but we’re also preparing for the long road ahead to rebuild homes, livelihoods, and hope.”
Community and Celebrity Support
Relief efforts have drawn widespread community engagement and celebrity support.
Grammy Award-winning artist Sean Paul and his family joined volunteers at FFTP-Jamaica to help pack 1,000 food kits for families in need. Fellow entertainers Shaggy and Cedella Marley have also rallied supporters, pledging continued help as recovery unfolds.
Across South Florida, cities including Lauderhill, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Tamarac, Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale are hosting donation drives to collect essential items for shipment. Volunteers from churches, civic groups, and schools have joined FFTP staff at the organization’s Coconut Creek warehouse, assembling disaster kits for families in Jamaica and Haiti.
On Saturday, volunteers from Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale visited FFTP to pack cleaning kits that will be sent to families in Jamaica affected by Hurricane Melissa. The church purchased and donated supplies to assemble the kits, which include essential items to help families begin the cleanup and recovery process.
Regional Impact and Long-Term Recovery
In Haiti, more than 130,000 people were affected, with 3,600 families displaced in the southern peninsula. FFTP is coordinating with partners to airlift 1,000 disaster relief kits to Les Cayes, where access remains limited due to gang violence and damaged infrastructure.
In the Dominican Republic, FFTP is partnering with Order of Malta and World Vision to assist families impacted by widespread flooding. Two emergency operations centers established after Hurricane Fiona in 2022 were reactivated to help safeguard lives and coordinate relief.
“We’ve been in Jamaica for more than 40 years,” Raine said. “We’ll stay as long as it takes to help families rebuild stronger and more resilient communities.”
How to Help
- • Donations can be made securely at www.foodforthepoor.org/melissa.
- • An Amazon charity list of urgently needed supplies is available at www.www.foodforthepoor.org/melissalist.
About Food For The Poor
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the United States, is committed to facilitating paths out of poverty and transforming lives. As an interdenominational Christian ministry, we help families across Latin America and the Caribbean. Our efforts span urgent humanitarian relief and long-term development – from emergency aid and hunger alleviation to education, housing, and economic empowerment. We follow a distinctive approach that integrates faith, multi-sector strategies, and trusted partnerships. Whenever possible, we strive to work at the community level, partnering with local leaders and residents to co-create sustainable solutions that address the multi-dimensional nature of poverty. For more information, please visit foodforthepoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Communications
954-471-0928
[email protected]
