They Went to a Jamaica Retreat Before a Hurricane and Found Belonging

There are seasons when life feels like a storm that just won’t let up.
The winds change before you can catch your breath. The rain keeps coming.
And you begin to wonder if the sun even remembers where you live.

Connection isn’t always loud or obvious.
It can live in the smallest gestures, the ones that whisper, You’re not alone.

When the storm is strong, you don’t have to go looking for a crowd.
You only need a few hearts that understand the sound of thunder —
people who know what it means to hold on.

If you can’t find them right now, keep your heart open.
You might meet them in unexpected places:
in the quiet corners of an online group,
in the smile of an elder who’s weathered storms before you,
in the shared silence of someone who doesn’t need words to understand.

Community isn’t always built in sunshine.
Often, it’s born in the rain —
where compassion grows roots,
and where our souls learn to recognize each other by the light we carry,
not the storm that surrounds us.

Hold on.
You are seen.
You are surrounded.
And even in this storm, you are part of something sacred and unbreakable.

@nicole_doyon signed up for a yoga retreat & left with an experience I could have never predicted. My outlook on life will forever be changed ♥️ don’t take a single thing for granted, tell people you love them, & be a good human. Praying heavy for my Jamaican family and everyone affected by Hurricane Melissa 🙏🇯🇲 on a lighter note, it would be me who gets herself into a cat 5 😂😭 ready for anything now! #hurricanemelissa #jamaica ♬ growth – Gede Yudis

Jamaica Red Cross Society

Pull up Jamaica

• Local national society affiliated with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) — mobilising volunteers, shelters, emergency supplies. American Red Cross+1

• Trusted because of its longstanding humanitarian role in Jamaica and direct local networks.

• Website: jamaicaredcross.org

• Global Empowerment Mission (GEM)

  • Has a dedicated “Hurricane Melissa” response page: extensive aid supplies delivered in Jamaica in the first week. Global Empowerment Mission

  • Strength lies in logistical capacity (warehouses, local Jamaican team) and commitment to long-term recovery.

  • Good for donors who want both immediate and sustained impact.

• All Hands & Hearts

  • Active in Jamaica for Hurricane Melissa relief: food/supplies distribution, cleanup & rebuilding operations. All Hands & Hearts

  • Clear about volunteer opportunities and direct impact; useful if you’re also thinking of on-the-ground involvement (or spreading the word).

• Send Relief

  • Disaster response arm of the North American Mission Board; has a specific response page for Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. Send Relief

  • Focuses on logistical support (shelters, food, rebuilding) via trusted church-partner networks.

• GiveDirectly

  • Offers cash assistance directly to affected families — allowing them to prioritise their needs (food, shelter, repairing homes) rather than pre-determined donations of goods. GiveDirectly

  • Especially valuable where logistics of goods may lag; cash gives dignity and flexibility to survivors.

• American Friends of Jamaica

  • U.S.-based nonprofit working with local partners in Jamaica; named in media articles as a response partner for Hurricane Melissa. TIME+1

  • For donors in the U.S., may offer tax-deduction benefits depending on status.

• Hurricane Melissa Relief

  Rebuilding Lives. Restoring Hope.