As Hurricane Melissa loomed last week, Hollywood resident Mark McKenzie tried talking his mother, who lives in Jamaica part of the year, into flying to Miami.
McKenzie described his mother, Julette Richards, a retired hospice nurse, as strong-willed and “willing to see things through.” She said no.
“Now it’s too late,” McKenzie, 52, a media consultant born in London to Jamaican parents, said on Monday as he scrutinized the storm’s path. “This is deeply personal to me. I’m annoyed and worried.”
Heather Ireland, a cashier at Irie Jerk Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, also keeps checking on Melissa’s expected route. Ireland’s mother, brother, sister-in-law, aunts and uncles are in Kingston, the nation’s capital.
Her Jamaican family’s internet and phone service were spotty as the storm neared, so she had trouble receiving the full picture on their preparations, making her even more fearful.
She said there’s little more she could do than pray: “Only God can change the direction of the storm.”
McKenzie and Ireland are among the thousands of people of Jamaican ancestry in South Florida with family on the threatened island. Florida has one of the largest Jamaican-born populations in the United States.
Jamaica is not the only Caribbean island likely to be affected by the hurricane. According to the National Hurricane Center’s forecast track, Melissa was expected to move over Jamaica through Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night and the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.
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South Florida cities with large Caribbean populations, including Miramar and Lauderhill, have been mobilizing to gather clothing and other essentials that will likely be needed post-hurricane.
Nonprofit organizations are also gathering their volunteer troops. Members of South Florida Caribbean Strong, which has been assisting with Caribbean disasters since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, began assembling family emergency kits over the weekend, said Marlon Hill, a Miami attorney and lead mobilizer for the group.
“We have gone through this many times,” Hill said, remembering donation mobilizations for hurricanes Maria and Ivan.
But Melissa hits especially personally for Hill: He grew up in Kingston, and this hurricane is expected to make landfall near Treasure Beach, where his grandfather drowned many years ago.
“I have a high level of anxiety,” Hill said. “There’s no escaping this one.”
Below, find a sampling of ways that South Floridians can contribute to community relief efforts.
DONATE
U.S. Caribbean Strong Relief Fund, managed by The Miami Foundation, supports disaster preparedness and long-term recovery efforts: miami.fcsuite.com/erp/donate
Global Empowerment Mission, based in Doral, delivers aid to people around the world: globalempowermentmission.org
Food for the Poor, a Coconut Creek-based nonprofit that provides aid to the people of Latin America and the Caribbean: foodforthepoor.org
American Friends of Jamaica, supports Jamaican charities: theafj.org
VOLUNTEER
Help assemble emergency kits at Global Empowerment Mission’s warehouse, at 1850 NW 84th Ave, No. 100, Doral. Hours are:
10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. Oct. 28-31
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 1
SEND RELIEF ITEMS
The City of Miramar requests items such as tarps, generators, canned foods and hygiene kits. No used clothing or linens. Visit miramarfl.gov/News-articles.
Drop off at:
Fire Station 19: 6700 Miramar Parkway
Fire Station 70: 9001 Miramar Parkway
Fire Station 84: 14801 SW 27th St.
Fire Station 100: 2800 SW 184th Ave.
Fire Station 107: 11811 Miramar Parkway
Miramar Police Headquarters: 11765 City Hall Promenade
The City of Lauderhill is looking to donate new tarps, sleeping bags, yard waste bags, unexpired canned and nonperishable foods, new work gloves, solar powered lights/flashlights, industrial sponges, professional first aid kits, personal hygiene kits, new wash cloths, baby diapers and wipes. For more details, visit lauderhill-fl.gov.
Drop-off locations:
Lauderhill City Hall, 5581 W. Oakland Park Blvd.
St. George Community Park, 3501 NW Eighth St.
Veterans Park, 7600 NW 50th St.
John Mullin Park, 2000 NW 55th Ave.
Westwind Park, 4550 NW 82nd Ave.
Lauderhill Historical Museum, 1080 NW 47th Ave.
Joy’s Roti Delight, 1205 NW 40th Ave.
Food for the Poor is accepting items through Nov. 1 at their warehouse at 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek. Collection hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
They are looking for the following new items in the sizes listed:
Wash cloths (12 inch-by-12 inch)
Soap (3 ounces)
Unscented deodorant (2 ounces)
Shampoo or body wash (8 ounces)
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/10/27/hurricane-melissa-heres-how-to-help-the-caribbean/
