JPS Foundation, Food For The Poor Provide Post-Beryl Relief to Residents of St. Elizabeth 

(Kingston, July 13, 2024)   JPS Foundation and Food For The Poor (FFTP) Jamaica have joined forces to provide well needed post-hurricane relief for families in St. Elizabeth, following the passage of Hurricane Beryl. 

One of the hardest hit, the parish suffered extensive damage to residential and commercial buildings alike, as well as critical JPS infrastructure. 

Sophia Lewis, head of the JPS Foundation, detailed the scope of the joint effort: “Our immediate response sees the provision of care packages and access to charging stations to assist residents in their day-to-day lives until the full assessment of the specific needs of the communities are ascertained.” She continued, “The support is multipronged and will be ongoing as we help the breadbasket parish bounce back from what can only be described as devastating circumstances.” 

While care packages will cover the basics to include non-perishable food items, distribution of water and ice across the parish, sanitary items and tarpaulins, JPS Foundation and FFTP Jamaica are also contemplating solutions for displaced residents whose properties would have been severely damaged by the strong winds and rains associated with the weather system. 

Kivette Silvera Stephens, executive director at FFTP Jamaica, made the disclosure as the teams distributed aid in Parottee, Flagaman and Bull Savannah,St. Elizabeth on Wednesday. “It is never a simple fix when one has been uprooted from the place they call home. More than the physical loss, it is an emotional rollercoaster watching years of memories go down the drain or in some cases, go with the wind,” she remarked. “It will take a lot more hands on deck to help the people of St. Elizabeth get back on their feet. It is for this reason that we extend sincere thanks to the JPS Foundation for helping to restore hope as their dedicated teams continue working to restore electricity islandwide.” 

JPS’ aid will also extend to the JPS Foundation’s offering of educational grants to students in the parish for the academic year 2024-2025. 

The aftermath of the category 4 hurricane saw several residents plunged into darkness as flood waters and winds ripped through JPS lines and toppled poles in the parish.  After 5 days of grueling work in the parish, on July 9 JPS reported some success regarding the restoration of electricity in parts of St. Elizabeth with the energization of the Black River Hospital.  

Following the passage of Hurricane Beryl, JPS has been delivering aid across the island to residents who have been severely impacted.  So far, the light and power company has provided relief support to over 400 families in St. Elizabeth, St. Catherine, St. James and Kingston and St. Andrew. There are plans for JPS to provide ongoing support over the next couple of weeks.