11/03/2025
Helping Our Jamaican Team After the Hurricane Melissa
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Hi everyone,
As many of you know, I’ve had Shanice, Ricardo, and Veronia from Jamaica working with us over the past three years at The Northwood. They’ve become a big part of our team and our extended family, so I wanted to share what’s happening after the hurricane.
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Ricardo’s family was hit especially hard in the Montego Bay area. His dad lost both his house, and the upholstery shop he worked out of when the roof came off during the storm, and most of their belongings were destroyed. Several of his other family members also lost their roofs, and the wind and rain have caused major damage to their homes.
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Shanice and her mom are safe and only had minimal damage, thankfully. We haven’t been able to reach Veronia yet, since there’s very little cell service, but Shanice said that the area where Veronia and her mom live was hit hard.
Right now, it’s a really tough situation for them — no power, no water, and limited access to food. Gas and groceries can only be bought with cash since ATMs and card systems are down.
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How to Help
If you’d like to support any of them or their families as they recover and rebuild:
🇯🇲 Donations can be made to The Northwood. I’ll make sure 100% of the funds go directly to them.
🇯🇲 Please include a short note with your donation so I can pass it along to them.
🇯🇲 Every bit helps — even small amounts will go a long way toward food, supplies, and repairs.
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Thank you so much for your kindness and support. I know it will mean the world to them to know we’re thinking of them and helping however we can.
With gratitude, Dawn Gibbons, The Northwood Restaurant & Bar
