In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, AFJ mobilized rapidly to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance across western Jamaica, prioritizing food security, clean water, shelter, health, and coordination.

Partnering with Global Empowerment Mission, AFJ sponsored the first two emergency airlifts from Miami, transporting essential family care packages that arrived on October 30, 2025, and were distributed that weekend to families in Black River. AFJ also strengthened GEM’s emergency operations by supporting tarp installations and urgent roof protection for homes and medical clinics across St. James, Westmoreland, and St. Elizabeth during continued rainfall.

Building on this rapid response, AFJ collaborated with Dennis Shipping, ARC Manufacturing LTD., and Colgate-Palmolive Company to coordinate sea freight deliveries of food, shelter materials, and clean drinking water to Westmoreland and surrounding parishes. Additional support expanded delivery capacity across Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, St. James, Hanover, and Trelawny.

To help prevent disease outbreaks and restore safe access to water, AFJ supported UNICEF in delivering Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programming for children and families across Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, St. James, Hanover, Trelawny, St. Ann, and Manchester.

AFJ also funded JDC to provide food assistance and WASH support for hundreds of families, while helping deliver emergency shelter solutions for thousands of households during the ongoing rainy season in hard-hit southwestern parishes.

Recognizing the importance of coordination and last-mile delivery, AFJ supported the One Love Consortium to strengthen aviation coordination with the Jamaica Defence Force, reinforce emergency telecommunications, and enable delivery of food and essential supplies to remote rural communities through airdrops and trucking operations across western Jamaica.

AFJ further strengthened community-based response efforts by supporting a centralized Hurricane Relief Hub managed by Swallowfield Chapel, coordinating and distributing relief supplies to more than 20 church communities across western Jamaica.

Additional relief initiatives included community debris removal through the Montego Bay Clean Up initiative in St. James to restore access and improve safety, along with targeted support to education and community centers serving as relief hubs. In Treasure Beach, AFJ supported urgent storm repairs at Sandy Bay Primary School and helped meet emergency education and literacy needs for affected students and families.

AFJ also provided support in Hanover, helping local partners deliver roof repair supplies and community-based relief services such as hot meals, medical clinics, and psychosocial support for hurricane-affected families.

AFJ also worked with the United Church of Jamaica & Cayman Islands to assist Hampden Estate staff impacted by Hurricane Melissa, alongside support for the Hampden United Church and Dumphries Basic School in Trelawny.

Together, these efforts ensured immediate, coordinated, and wide-reaching relief—meeting urgent needs while helping communities stabilize during the most critical phase of the disaster.

As emergency conditions stabilized, AFJ transitioned its focus toward recovery, restoration, and resilience-building—helping communities rebuild stronger and more sustainably following Hurricane Melissa.

In partnership with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information, AFJ is funding the delivery of solar panels to schools across the island, restoring reliable and sustainable power for students and teachers and enabling education to resume safely and consistently after storm-related disruptions.

AFJ is also supporting local partner organizations across multiple parishes to restore essential infrastructure and improve living conditions. This includes support for construction materials and targeted rebuilding assistance in communities where homes and shared spaces sustained significant hurricane damage.

To accelerate livelihood recovery, AFJ and H&L launched a small-farmer gift card program designed to reach 1,600 farmers across five parishes, helping farmers restock critical supplies and get back to work more quickly.

AFJ is also supporting Global Empowerment Mission’s reroofing initiatives—targeting approximately 100 homes in Maggotty, St. Elizabeth and 100 homes in Darliston, Westmoreland—so families can return to safe, weather-tight housing.

In Hanover, AFJ is partnering with Sandals Foundation to repair and upgrade Cove School, improving learning spaces and supporting students as communities recover.

Through these recovery investments, AFJ is ensuring that every dollar raised not only addresses immediate humanitarian needs but also supports long-term stability, resilience, and sustainable development for communities across Jamaica.