\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s been a little over a month since Category 5 Hurricane Melissa made landfall in the Western parts of Jamaica, leaving thousands without homes and over 40 people dead. Zoraida De Souza, the founder of the initiative \u201cBeds for Jamaica,\u201d is a freshman at Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale. De Souza is making a difference hundreds of miles away to hurricane victims in western Jamaica. \u201cI thought about all these people and how they don\u2019t have houses anymore and nowhere to sleep\u2026and how when they\u2019re stressed out and have a lot going on. Sometimes people need rest, and they need food and water and everything. I knew people we\u2019re really focusing on that, so I thought maybe that was a way I could give back,\u201d De Souza said. Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsAlthough De Souza lives in South Florida, she said her connection to the island runs deep. \u201cMy family is from Jamaica, both of my parents and my grandparents on both sides. So, the country has always been very close to my heart,\u201d De Souza said.She started an initiative called \u201cBeds for Jamaica,\u201d where she partnered with multiple companies on the island, raising money to make and transport beds to those who need them most. \u201cSo many people lost their lights, they lost their house, many people lost their live, and I knew I had to do something. We know a lot of companies and people in Jamaica, and we didn\u2019t want to buy things in Florida and ship them there because it would take more time.\u201d said De Souza. The first shipment consisted of 70 beds, costing about $85 per bed. Her classmates and the community raised over $5,000 to make sure victims had something comfortable to sleep on. The mattresses also carried a personal touch. De Souza said, \u201cMy classmates and I, we wrote notes\u2026 like little letters there as a method of encouragement. Additionally, to that, to say you\u2019re not alone, that we\u2019re thinking about you, that we\u2019re praying for you.\u201dThe companies she partnered with were Boss Furniture, a manufacturing company in Jamaica. For logistics and delivery, she worked with Stewarts Auto Sales, Stewarts Industrial, and Kind Hearts Jamaica. Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.De Souza recently completed a 2nd shipment of 30 additional beds, raising $2,550, and plans to continue the ongoing effort throughout the holiday season. As of now, she has another 38 mattresses on the way to survivors. \u201cMy family instilled in me from a very young age that if you\u2019re fortunate enough to give back, every tiny bit helps.\u201d De Souza said.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a little over a month since Category 5 Hurricane Melissa made landfall in the Western parts of Jamaica, leaving thousands without homes and over 40 people dead. <\/p>\n
Zoraida De Souza, the founder of the initiative \u201cBeds for Jamaica,\u201d is a freshman at Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale. De Souza is making a difference hundreds of miles away to hurricane victims in western Jamaica. <\/p>\n
\u201cI thought about all these people and how they don\u2019t have houses anymore and nowhere to sleep\u2026and how when they\u2019re stressed out and have a lot going on. Sometimes people need rest, and they need food and water and everything. I knew people we\u2019re really focusing on that, so I thought maybe that was a way I could give back,\u201d De Souza said. <\/p>\n