Daniel’s thoughts on helping.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for reaching out and supporting Jamaica! It’s heartwarming to see everyone pulling together to help when a community is in need.

Shannon (my sister) and I spent the last few days looking closely on what we could do and how we could help. Along with Shannon (who lives in Kingston) we have numerous friends and family across the island. Everyone we know is safe and that’s truly what matters most.

Saying that, many have been severely impacted, especially in the Treasure Beach, Montego Bay and Falmouth areas.

Shannon was originally scheduled to fly home to Jamaica on the day Hurricane Melissa hit but is now flying back on Sunday (Nov 2nd). She will have on-the-ground feedback as things progress and I’ll keep this updated as we find out more and things evolve.

- Daniel Hart

Last Updated: Nov 1st, 2025

What’s needed when

General for all disaster responses.

  1. Immediate (first 72 hrs)
    Emergency medical, search/rescue, water purification

  2. Short-term (1 week-1 month)
    Shelter, food distribution for affected areas.

  3. Long-term (months-years)
    Rebuilding infrastructure, ideally stronger than before.

Life saving aid

Money and Supplies

Money

What I’m doing

Just on a personal level, here’s what I’m doing

  1. Supporting friends & family.
    …checking in with them regularly, finding out what they need, listening to what’s going on there.

  2. Researching and helping to share information.
    …with people in Canada and online.

  3. Providing money directly.
    …because I have the ability to send money directly to Jamaica, I’m doing that rather than going through aid organizations.
    Not everyone can do this, so make the best decision for yourself.

What can you do?

Anything you’ve done already to help is wonderful(!) but we’ve put together a list of suggestions.

Ways You Can Support

How you might think about helping:

  1. Anyone you directly know that is struggling, help them first.
    This has the highest impact.

  2. Organizations that have an on-the-ground presence, chose them next.
    There’s a higher likelihood of help reaching those in need.

  3. If choosing an international organization, check that they have impact and a good rating.
    In Canada, Charity Intelligence Canada is the best resource to evaluate.