In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastation, a collaborative humanitarian effort between retail giant Unicomer Group and appliance manufacturer Whirlpool has brought much-needed relief to residents of St. James parish, Jamaica. The initiative, hosted at Courts’ Barnett Street location, provided complimentary laundry services using state-of-the-art 20KG impeller washers to community members grappling with disrupted water and electricity infrastructure.
The Saturday event witnessed overwhelming participation from local residents who expressed profound gratitude for the practical assistance. Cordella Brown, a resident from the flood-affected Westgreen area, shared her emotional response: ‘I almost lost my hand in the hurricane and had to seek medical attention. When I learned about this service with provided detergent and everything, I thought—this is marvelous.’
The timing proved particularly crucial for families preparing for school reopenings. Roneika Campbell from Hendon Norwood emphasized: ‘This enables us to wash our children’s uniforms and ensure they’re prepared for school despite our utility challenges.’
Organizers implemented comprehensive support measures, providing not only machines and detergent but even garbage bags for transporting cleaned garments. Amoy Smith, another beneficiary, noted the exceptional organization: ‘They’ve thought of everything—we only needed to bring our clothes.’
Kera Swaby, a Whirlpool representative, explained the corporate motivation behind the initiative: ‘As household names, Courts and Whirlpool recognized our responsibility to support communities during this difficult recovery period. We aimed to provide practical assistance that would genuinely improve daily living conditions.’
While celebrating this corporate citizenship, residents simultaneously appealed to utility providers for accelerated infrastructure restoration, highlighting the ongoing challenges in accessing basic necessities throughout the parish.