Joining several other officials and nonprofit groups, Borough President Donovan Richards announced Tuesday that his office has a collection drive now through Jan. 5 to help with the relief efforts in Jamaica.
His office, located at 120-55 Queens Blvd. in Kew Gardens, has teamed up with the Jamaican consulate in New York, and is collecting bandages, gauze pads, masks, alcohol pads, latex gloves, over-the-counter medication such as Neosporin and Tylenol, sanitizer, diapers, toothpaste, menstrual products and household items such as bedding and tarps. The office will not be accepting food and clothing.
People who use mass transit and would like to drop off donations may get to his office via the E or F train to the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station.
“The scenes of total destruction and entire Jamaican towns flattened by Hurricane Melissa have been nothing short of stunning and heartbreaking,” said Richards, whose father is Jamaican, in a statement. “But as the proud son of a Jamaican immigrant, I know that families across that incredible island are resilient beyond measure. Jamaica will undoubtedly rebuild and recover, but they will require our help along the way. If you are able, I encourage you to donate whatever supplies you can so Queens can be there for our Caribbean neighbors in their time of need.”
The borough president is not the only one supporting the island nation.
The Caribbean American Society of New York is teaming up with City Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Laurelton) and Medgar Evers College to help with the Jamaica relief efforts.
CASONY, a Rosedale-based nonprofit that connects and works to improve the social, educational and economic status of people throughout the Caribbean diaspora through activism, charitable endeavors and cultural events, is directing people to drop off items for the relief efforts to Brooks-Powers’ offices and Medgar Evers College.
The majority whip, whose parents are Jamaican, has offices at 19-31 Mott Ave. Suite 410 in Far Rockaway and 222-02 Merrick Blvd. in Laurelton.
The college is collecting items at its Bedford building, located at 1650 Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn, Room B1033A.
Items sought include alcohol pads, bandaids, batteries (AA), coolers, feminine hygiene products, first aid kits, flashlights, heavy duty gloves, hard toe boots, heavy duty garbage bags, lanterns, linen, non-perishable food, water, pillowcases, pillows, rain gear, coats, rubber boots, safety goggles, solar portable flood lights and towels and toiletries (soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and hygiene kits), said CASONY.
Those who are not able to drop off an item for the drive, but want to support the West Indian nation may visit casony.org/donations/program-support to make a donation.
CASONY had teamed up with Black Spectrum Theatre Co. and Legend Berry, an event curator, last Saturday and collected dozens of items, from disinfectant wipes to toothpaste to clothing and more.
CASONY founder and President Horace Davis was pleased by the event.
“It’s one thing to respond to a need when you can see it and feel its impact directly,” said Davis via email. “But the fact that this need is in a place far from here and our community still came together, recognizing that others are in need is truly heartwarming.
Carl Clay, founder of Black Spectrum, was happy to be a part of the initiative.
“This should stand as an example to other organizations to show that we can do amazing things if we come together,” Clay said.
The office of Councilwoman Nantasha Williams (D-St. Albans) is teaming up with the Global Humanity Network.
Williams said people may drop off items at her office, located at 172-12 Linden Blvd. in St. Albans, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Her office does not need food items, but is taking donations of deodorant, battery-powered lights, bandages, sanitary napkins, sheet sets, antiseptic wipes, diapers, tarp, gauze and medical tape, wipes, batteries, washcloths and towels and pillow covers.
If people are not able to drop off items at Williams’ office but still want to help, they can make a monetary donation to globalhumanitynetwork.org.
The Rosedale Lions and its foundation teamed up with state Sen. James Sanders Jr. (D-South Ozone Park) and dropped off items from a collection drive Nov. 11 at his office, located at 142-01 Rockaway Blvd. in South Ozone Park. The items included 26 boxes of adult diapers, medical supplies, baby formula and clothes.
“As Lions, we are called to serve wherever there is need,” said Ngozeka Onwualu, president of the Rosedale Lions Club and chairperson fo the Rosedale Lions Club Foundation. “These supplies will directly support families caring for elders and individuals with medical needs.”
To help secure direct monetary donations to the relief efforts, Sanders’ office shared the supportjamaica.gov.jm website.
Sanders’ office said it has so many items from the community that it also needs volunteers to help send off what was donated from his office on Saturday, Nov. 22, starting at 11:30 a.m.
To sign up, contact Safeeka Powell by calling her at (718) 523-3069 or emailing her at powell@nysenate.gov.
Dancehall superstar Sean Paul, who previously headlined a Caribbean lineup at the 2024 Rise Up NYC concert series at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans, is teaming up with Shaggy and other West Indian artists for a Jamaica Strong Benefit Concert at the UBS arena, located at the Queens-Long Island border, on Dec. 12.
All proceeds will go to organizations such as Sean Paul’s Food for the Poor, Shaggy’s Make a Difference Foundation, the Jamaican consulate in New York and the Irie Jam Radio Foundation, according to 103.5 KTU.
Tickets for the concert, located at 2400 Hempstead Tpke. in Elmont, are on sale via Ticketmaster.
“This is more than a concert, it’s a movement,” George Crooks of Jammins Events, the concert producer, told KTU.