KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – The Jamaican diaspora in Canada has risen to the occasion with a tremendous outpouring of support for the island and residents, in the aftermath of hurricane Melissa. From donating relief supplies to hosting benefit concerts, the community has been mobilising across cities such as Toronto and Montreal.

High Commissioner of Jamaica to Canada, Marsha Coore-Lobban, notes that her team's immediate response, following the hurricane on October 28, was to mobilise leaders in the diaspora who are spread across Canada.

“We pulled together a meeting with our diaspora leaders to discuss how we strategise. It is from that discussion where the decisions to hold benefit concerts, and to open up their facilities for holding items [were made],” Coore-Lobban said, and emphasised that her office has been fulfilling an important role by sharing information and coordinating relief efforts in the community.

This coordination involves organising the shipment of items that are donated by members of the diaspora.

“We work with Air Canada, WestJet and the [other] airlines. There is a shipping company here in Canada that has offered to ship all the donations we collect from our diaspora organisations free of charge. I have seen other companies now coming online to offer similar or to support the diaspora in terms of their personal shipments to family members. So again, this is what we do. We connect. We coordinate,” Coore-Lobban outlines.

High Commissioner of Jamaica to Canada points out that in addition to individuals, organisations, and registered charities are also reaching out to support the hurricane Melissa relief efforts.

“There was an organisation that reached out to provide mental health support to diaspora members whose families were impacted. Tertiary institutions have reached out, and we are working with them. Food For the Poor Canada, Helping Hands Foundation Jamaica, and other entities have stepped up and have offered to help. We have gotten offers from Canadian medical teams that have offered to send down personnel to support,” Coore-Lobban tells JIS News. She notes further that the support goes beyond just food items and donated relief supplies.

“For instance, the Carpenters Union in Toronto is looking forward and will be partnering with Food For the Poor to help to rebuild some of the homes in the West that were destroyed,” the High Commissioner outlines.

She shares, as well, that members of the Jamaican diaspora in Alberta have stated their willingness to donate lumber to assist with the rebuilding of homes.

Coore-Lobban says seeing the response from Jamaicans across the diaspora makes her proud to be a Jamaican.

“Our Jamaicans rallied as soon as they heard, and they stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Jamaica. When you see the outpour, when you see persons coming out in their droves... again, many of them have families who are impacted as well.... It speaks to that spirit... that indomitable spirit that identifies us and characterises us as Jamaican, and it assures me that we will rebuild, we will recover [and] we will rebound, because that is who we are as Jamaicans,” she continues.

The High Commissioner says that persons in Canada interested in donating items to hurricane Melissa relief in Jamaica may visit the High Commission's website for a list of drop-off locations in that country.

“We have a direct cell number that we have set up for diasporans to reach us across Canada. It's 343-961-5200, and that's for anyone who has any questions or wants to even just to reach out to see how they can provide support,” Coore-Lobban informs.

She adds that persons may also reach out to the High Commission via a dedicated email address.

“We have a direct email address as well, which the team is monitoring 24/7 –.... For our consulate in Toronto, the email address is...,” the High Commissioner says.

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