LAKELAND, Fla. — Several businesses in the Tampa Bay area are working to help with hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica.
What You Need To Know
Caribbean Delights in Lakeland has launched a relief fund to support communities in Jamaica devastated by Hurricane Melissa
Owner Shelly Williams and her team are also calling on the city to help ensure aid reaches the hardest-hit areas
Williams has been unable to reach many loved ones back home since the storm, but she remains committed to helping Jamaica recover
Last week, Hurricane Melissa struck the country as a powerful Category 5 storm, destroying entire communities.
Montego Bay native Shelly Williams first opened her restaurant, SW Caribbean Delights, in North Lakeland in 2013. Since then, she says she’s kept in touch with loved ones back home — many she hasn’t heard from since Melissa made landfall.
“Like totally everything is gone, so I have not been able to reach anyone. I don’t know what’s going on, so it’s really, really depressing right now,” Williams said.
Thankfully, Williams says her restaurant has helped keep her mind busy, along with finding ways to help. She and her team started a hurricane relief fund, collecting supplies and monetary donations to send to the hardest-hit areas.
“I know there are so many people that are really doing this. It’s just about finding the right channels to send it through, so it gets to the right place, so that’s what we’re trying to do right now,” Williams said.
They’re also calling on city commissioners to help raise support for local businesses and organizations in their efforts. She says Jamaica is a resilient country but can’t bounce back without everyone’s help.
“So whatever we have to do for Jamaica, we will do it,” she said.
For those who would like to drop off a donation, Caribbean Delights is located on Daughtery Road. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.