As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, South Florida’s Jamaican community is wasting no time jumping into action. With strong cultural and family ties to the island, locals across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are coming together to collect supplies and raise funds before the storm’s expected landfall Tuesday morning.
💚 How South Florida Is Helping
Multiple cities — including Miramar, Lauderhill, and Homestead — have set up official drop-off sites, while local nonprofits like Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) in Doral are collecting and packing donations to be shipped to Jamaica immediately after the storm.
Requested items include: Non-perishable food, bottled water, flashlights, batteries, tarps, bug repellent, diapers, first-aid kits, generators, and hygiene products. (Organizers ask donors not to bring used clothing.)
Miami-based organizations South Florida Caribbean Strong and the Caribbean Bar Association are also coordinating volunteer shifts at GEM’s warehouse — encouraging residents to show up anytime between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, or Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“You don’t need an invitation to be there,” said Marlon Hill, who’s leading volunteer mobilization for Caribbean Strong. “Everyone is welcome.”
📦 Donation Drop-Off Locations
Miramar (open 24/7)
- Fire Station 19 – 6700 Miramar Parkway
- Fire Station 70 – 9001 Miramar Parkway
- Fire Station 84 – 14801 SW 27th Street
- Fire Station 100 – 2800 SW 184th Avenue
- Fire Station 107 – 11811 Miramar Parkway
- Miramar Police HQ – 11765 City Hall Promenade
Lauderhill (Mon–Fri, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
- Lauderhill City Hall – 5581 W. Oakland Park Blvd.
- Veterans Park – 7600 NW 50th Street
- John Mullins Park – 2000 NW 55th Avenue
- Westwind Park – 4550 NW 82nd Avenue
- Lauderhill Historical Museum – 1080 NW 47th Avenue
- St. George Park – 3501 NW 8th Street
- Joy’s Roti Delight – 1205 NW 40th Avenue (open weekends)
Homestead (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
- City Hall – 100 Civic Court
- Homestead Police Department – 45 NW 1st Avenue
- Pichol Williams Community Center – 951 SW 4th Street (also open Saturdays)
GEM Warehouse (Doral)
1850 NW 84th Avenue, #100 — accepting both volunteers and donations
💵 Ways to Donate
If you can’t drop off items in person, several local and national organizations are accepting monetary donations online:
- American Friends of Jamaica — partnering with relief agencies to distribute funds where needed.
- Americares Hurricane Fund — deploying medical and disaster-response teams to Jamaica.
- South Florida Caribbean Strong Relief Fund — supporting local packing and shipping efforts.
- Food For The Poor — providing food and housing relief across the Caribbean.
💬 Community Voices
“This hurricane is of unparalleled proportions to Jamaica,” said Wendy Hart, president of the American Friends of Jamaica. “For most disaster relief agencies, the best thing people can do is donate what they can — whether it’s $10 or $10,000.”
Gabrielle Thomas, president-elect of the Caribbean Bar Association, echoed that sentiment: “Jamaicans are resilient. Caribbeans are resilient. We’ll help each other — that’s what we do.”