KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Digicel Foundation has launched a substantial humanitarian initiative, allocating $30 million in hardware and lumber vouchers to support western Jamaican families devastated by Hurricane Melissa during the Christmas season. This effort represents a critical component of the foundation’s comprehensive hurricane recovery program, which has maintained continuous operational presence since the storm’s passage.
The foundation’s teams have been actively delivering essential resources to severely affected households, educational institutions, and special needs facilities throughout the crisis period. Charmaine Daniels, CEO of the Digicel Foundation, emphasized the program’s seasonal significance: “Christmas embodies hope and collective solidarity. Our mission ensures that families experiencing extreme hardship from Hurricane Melissa receive meaningful support and recognition during this period.”
Daniels further explained the strategic value of the assistance: “These hardware vouchers symbolize our dedication to restoring fundamental human dignity, ensuring safety protocols, and reestablishing household stability for affected communities in their reconstruction journey.”
Beyond construction materials, the Foundation has significantly enhanced its care packages to include comprehensive hygiene kits containing soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Addressing infrastructure challenges, the organization has incorporated solar-powered lighting solutions to help families overcome persistent electricity disruptions.
These upgraded assistance packages continue to be distributed alongside nutritional support to communities still experiencing hurricane-related disruptions months after the initial disaster. Current statistics reveal the program’s substantial impact: relief operations have reached 35 communities and vulnerable groups island-wide, delivering over 6,000 food packages and 900 hygiene kits, with an additional 1,000 hardware vouchers scheduled for distribution in this recovery phase.