Attorney hopes to rebuild hometown after Melissa

With roads ripped apart, houses flattened, and hundreds left with nowhere to lay their heads, young attorney Jovaine Brown says his heart breaks for the people of Beeston Spring, Westmoreland - the community in which he was raised - and he won't just sit back and watch.

"I'm doing what I can as a concerned citizen," Brown told THE STAR. "I am a member of the Beeston Spring Community Development Commission, and as someone who saw the destruction first-hand, I know that it has been a heavy toll. My community is one that is mostly board structures, and more than half of the residents here are now homeless as a result."

Hurricane Melissa made landfall just 10 minutes away from the hilly community, but for Beeston Spring residents, the nightmare came straight through their doors. Brown described the destruction as "exponential".

"It passed directly over us and we received the full brunt of it. The building back will be a lot and will be in the hundreds of millions, as the roads are destroyed, community pillars are destroyed, as well as homes and most of them now homeless," he said.

While some communities are still waiting to be reached, Beeston Spring residents are banding together.

"We have been communicating with various groups such as World Central Kitchen. The US Army has provided food supplies. I have personally provided some, and we've had one and two volunteer groups," he noted.

"We're also working to get a team of doctors here to assist residents next week. Along with the GoFundMe, we have created an Amazon registry for those overseas who wish to support."

Brown also pointed out Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, Dr Dayton Campbell, and Councillor for the Whitehouse division, Michael Jackson, for offering assistance, while acknowledging that more help is needed.

"The people who have been getting some items have been appreciative of the assistance, but it's just that some people will get, while others off the main areas don't," he said. "For example, Left Hall is still cut off, and as far as I know, they haven't received any assistance. There could be other areas experiencing the same issue."

Food, Brown said, is not enough, not when so many residents have lost their roofs.

"People don't have anywhere to put the food stuff they're getting. They need shelter. The main ask right now is for tarpaulins so they can do some temporary repairs or put up a tent to sleep in," he said.

The Mussons Foundation has committed to flying in 300 packages via helicopter, and the US Army returned last week to distribute supplies and tarpaulins. But with a population of roughly 4,000, and the number of packages distributed, the imbalance is stark.

"Our leadership can work on the uniformity of distribution so everyone gets help in all the areas that are affected," Brown urged. Still, he refuses to lose hope.

"The goal now is to rebuild not just homes, but livelihoods. My intention is to benefit at least five to 10 families in the community to have a home restored," said Brown, who noted that the families have not been specified.

"I also want to highlight that we're seeking donations for our farmers [whether] seeds and farming equipment since it's a mostly farming community. That way we can restore livelihoods and get back on our feet," he said. "We are still very much suffering and need all the help we can get."