On July 3rd 2024 Hurricane Beryl hit Treasure Beach, a tight knit community in southern St Elizabeth on the island of Jamaica leaving immense destruction but thankfully no loss of life. Eight weeks later the resilient people of this area are building back with love and major progress has been made with the support of many friends and strangers from near and far.

Fortunately BREDS the Treasure Beach Foundation, a registered charity under the laws of Jamaica, was established in 1998 and is able to  solicit and accept donations in cash and kind and ensure the equitable distribution of same to those in need as BREDS did after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. 

BREDS partnered with the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), a registered 501 c 3 to receive funds from overseas donors and the NCB Foundation matched donations up to a threshold of USD$150,000.00, a significant milestone which was reached and surpassed within weeks. 

As the Hurricane approached Jamaica, Michael Capponi, of GEM (Global Empowerment Mission) based in Florida, saw the need and responded with urgency. GEM mobilised relief supplies which were distributed throughout the community a remarkable four days later using volunteers to deliver emergency care packages, tarpaulins, generators and a Starlink internet system to provide communication. WATA donated trucks of bottled water immediately which was essential. 

After supplying food and bottled water, the most immediate concern was getting water back to the affected communities who were without water, electricity or reliable telephone or internet service.

BREDS then raised USD$152,000 to purchase two generators to power NWC water pumps at Newell and Little Park and rented a third unit for Hounslow. This enabled thousands of people served by these pumps to regain water supply. These generators will now ensure a level of water security for this region going forward. GEM, TEF, JHTA and Myco Meditations/Blue Marlin were among the donors who facilitated this initiative. 

The Treasure Beach Womens Group (TBWG) have led the programme to distribute food and water care packages to thousands of people in over thirty districts. Seprod Foundation, the Azan Family, Pricesmart, Rainforest Seafoods, CPJ and many private food drives provided the contents for these packages. Since doing these home visits, TBWG have compiled a list of 260 of the most vulnerable persons to ensure their challenges are known as the need is ongoing.

Dennis Abrahams, a BREDS director, has led the volunteer effort to assess and distribute, based on need and resources, construction material to assist in the rebuilding of homes. Construction material, donated from companies, such as H&L and purchased from Tankweld Metals and other suppliers, have been delivered to over 340 homes in 31 districts (detailed below). It is important to note that as more need is identified and more resources are made available, the rebuilding project will continue, both to give further assistance to those already in the programme and new recipients.  

Much has been done but there is still much to do to aid the recovery of this resilient community. Farms and fishing has been negatively impacted, as has tourism, and those are the three economic drivers for the area. It is imperative that people are helped to get back to their productive lives especially as a new school year has started. Therefore focus has now been expanded to assist farmers and fisherfolk as well as back to school activities. 

Over 254 students from seven primary and infant schools and 56 high school students have been given vouchers to assist with back to school expenses and active fisherfolk in the area will be supplied with fish wire.  

BREDS wishes to sincerely thank all the donors and volunteers who have given so generously, it is greatly appreciated.

Treasure Beach is indeed building back with love!

 

To August 31st 2024

• Water restored to over 3,000 people
• 2 large generators (500kva & 350kva) purchased to enable water supply 
• Approx. 5,000 care packages delivered
• 250 tarpaulins distributed
• 15 generators deployed to power key services to the community 
• Starlink enabled communication provided to hundreds
• 341 recipients of construction material
• 254 Primary & Infant school students assisted with back to school expenses in 7 schools
• 56 High school students 
• Approx 80 Fisherfolk in 3 fishing villages to receive wire

 

Districts impacted:

Treasure Beach, consists of 8 districts, namely:

• Beacon
• Billys Bay
• Bluntas
• Calabash Bay
• Frenchman
• Great Bay
• Sandy Bank
• Fort Charles

But given the level of need, BREDS has expanded their scope to include another 23:

• Barbary Hall
• Betteny
• Big Wood
• Crowe Town
• Flagaman
• Greenfield
• Hill Top
• Hounslow
• Lennon Wood
• Lewis Town
• Little Park
• Mountainside
• Munro
• Newcombe Valley
• Newell
• Pedro Cross
• Round Hill
• Seaview
• Short Hill
• Slipe
• Southfield
• Watchwell
• Williamsfield

Total of 31  DISTRICTS

 

TO AUG 31

Current needs:

Funds for farming supplies

Funds for school repairs

Water tanks for schools and homes 

Restoration of the Treasure Beach Sports Park 

Ongoing supplies of adult diapers and nutrition for elderly & vulnerable

 

Donors & Partners

GEM Global Empowerment Mission

NCB Build Back Jamaica Fund

American Friends of Jamaica

Tourism Enhancement Fund

Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association

Airports Authority of Jamaica

Myco Mediations & Blue Marlin

Treasure Beach Womens Group 

Treasure Beach Destination Management Organisation (DMO)

Do Good Jamaica

Do Good International 

Treasure Tours

Desso Foundation

 

Americares

Helping Hands Jamaica

Cape Cod Loves Treasure Beach Fundraiser

Creators of Hope

Dr Emily McNellis

PMBL

Ted Corriher

 

Tankweld Metals

Appliance Traders

Hardware & Lumber

Wards Tools

WATA

Seprod Foundation 

Pricesmart

Rainforest Seafoods

CPJ

National Bakery

Lugit Tanks

 

The S Hotels

The Diana & Richard Stewart Foundation

Kind Hearts Foundation 

Cargo Handlers Limited

Freeport Investments Limited

S&G Road Surfacing & Paving 

Leah McConnell Squash Tournament

Sienna & Ella Morin PickleBall Event

 

Noah Azan & the Azan Family

Eddie Azan

The Chuck & Levy Family

Toby Facey

MaryAnn Ferrigan 

Iris Bisenieks

Crystal Pope

Orlagh Kilbride 

 

Art from Di Heart / Ronda Darling

Jakes Hotel & Villas

Potula & Parchment Inc Ltd 

Rainbow Tree Villa

Sea Urchin Villa

Shakti Home

Solms/Pignataro Family

Sparkling Waters Villa

Tranquillity Bay Police Academy

Treasure Beach Turtle Group

Treehouse Villa

Upful Villa

 

There have been so many volunteers and donors who also wish to remain anonymous and we wish to thank them as well.

 

Donations from outside Jamaica can be made via the American Friends of Jamaica, Inc., a registered 501c(3) non-profit.

To donate in Jamaica, contact Brianne Stewart (brianne1000@msn.com or 876-285-3423) or Shantay Pringle (shantaypringle1@gmail.com or 976-315-6247)

Breds has partnered with The Treasure Beach Womens Group Benevolent Society, the Hillsborough County Osteopathic Society (HCOS/The Ministry of Health and Wellness, and Minister Floyd Green to establish a full time medical center in Treasure Beach – the Treasure Beach Health Center (TBHC). The center will provide much needed day-to-day medical services for residents who would otherwise have to travel as far as Black River, Santa Cruz and Mandeville (40 – 60 minutes away) depending on treatment needed. The center will also provide a facility to host medical service trips organized by local and overseas medical teams. With the assistance of Minister of Parliament Floyd Green and support from the Ministry of Education, the partners identified the teacher’s cottage that adjoins the Sandy Bank Primary School as an ideal location to house this full time facility. Kenneth Brown senior engineer of the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation has drawn plans and for the expansion and upgrading. Due to the economic implications of COVID-19 the project will be broken into two phases with the total cost of the expansion being approximately USD$145,000.

A total of 200 computer tablets have been donated to schools since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Funds were raised through donations from Treasure Beach stakeholders, repeat guests, villa owners and friends of the area. These tablets were distributed to Newell High School, Sandy Bank Primary, and Pedro Plains Primary School.