MINDEMOYA—A Mindemoya woman has initiated a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help a family friend who is now homeless due to Hurricane Melissa which hit Jamaica, last week.
“I last heard from Jovian (Wade) on Friday,” said Jan McQuay this past Sunday. “He lost everything in the hurricane, and he currently has no place to live.” She explained Mr. Wade was able to contact her when, “he got a connection to Starlink. That is how he reached me. I’ve been helping him since my sister, Betty, passed away.”
Ms. McQuay received a message from Mr. Wade which stated in part, “The country is destroyed. It’s a huge catastrophe. Everything is blown down, and where I rent, the roof blew off and everything I had is lost. I lost my bed…everything I owned is gone.”
“The whole country is in a state of shock,” messaged Mr. Wade. “It’s not nice right now, everything is closed, and we don’t have a life. I had to walk like a mile to connect with someone who has Starlink.”
Ms. McQuay posted on her GoFundMe post, “I know a young man who has lost everything in Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. Melissa tore the roof off the home Jovian was renting in Savanna La Mar, and everything inside was destroyed.” She explained, “I first met Jovian in 2011 when his father was dying of cancer in hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. I went to Kingston with my sister Betty for a last visit. Jovian was 16 at the time, and his father was a good friend of my sister, who died in 2021.”
“I’ve helped him out since she died, but now Jovian’s rental is destroyed, and there’s wreckage everywhere,” wrote Ms. McQuay. “He had a job driving a delivery van until Melissa struck (October 28). Now everything has stopped. He finally managed to contact me today (October 31) on What’s App. He needs a lot of help, he needs to find a place to live, food, clothes; I can’t be more specific because everything is in turmoil there, but trust Jovian to use the money to find shelter and food, and knowing Jovian I’m sure he will do what he can to help his mom and family.”
“This is the worst hurricane to ever hit Jamaica,” continued Ms. McQuay. “You’ve probably seen videos of Black River, which was completed destroyed; well… Sav La Mar is just 45 kilometres from Black River so you can imagine the devastation.”
Ms. McQuay added in her GoFundMe post, “I haven’t found a YouTube video of Sav, but even the hospital roof was whipped off by the hurricane. Can you help me help Jovian through this catastrophe by donating through Go Fund Me?”
“I’ve been helping Jovian since my sister Betty died,” Ms. McQuay told The Expositor. She has continued helping him, for instance paying for Jovian’’ driving lessons so he could get his licence; so he could get a job as a delivery car driver.
“He was renting out a place to live,” said Ms. McQuay. “Since the hurricane he has no place to live.”
Ms. McQuay is hoping to raise $8,000 in her GoFundMe fundraising campaign. Those who would like to make a donation can go online to GoFundMe “Please Help After Hurricane Melissa in Savanna La Mar Jamaica.”
