Hurricane Melissa has devastated many communities in Jamaica, including ones our students call home. Find out how you can help here.
Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund
Make a Donation
Hurricane Melissa left tens of thousands of families without homes, schools, and supplies. Your tax-deductible donation helps the recipients of the Josephine Lilly Wolf Memorial Scholarship Foundation rebuild. Help us reach our goal of sending one barrel of essential goods to each of our 21 students. We want to raise $21,000 by December 15th, 2025 so we can gather supplies, pack the barrels, and ship them out in January.
$9,874.99 raised
33 donations
6 days left!
47%
Amount
Barrel/Delivery
$250
Food Bundle
$300
Other Essentials
$450
Full Relief Barrel
$1,000
Other
Barrel/Delivery
Covers the cost and shipping of a relief barrel — guaranteeing supplies reach our students efficiently and securely.
Food Bundle
Delivers non-perishable food to support our students’ households as they recover from their disrupted daily life.
Other Essentials
Provides hygiene and first-aid items to help our students and their families stay healthy and safe in the days/months after the storm.
Full Relief Barrel
Equips a student with essential supplies — food, hygiene, and medical items — ensuring a stable foundation as their communities rebuild.
Hurricane Melissa: What Happened in Jamaica
On October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a devastating Category 5 storm — the strongest ever to make landfall on the island. In its wake, entire communities have been shattered. Homes, schools, and lives were torn apart — including Manning’s High School, which suffered severe destruction.
What Makes Hurricane Melissa Historic
1. Record-Breaking Strength and Speed
Melissa made landfall with sustained winds near 185 mph, the highest ever observed for the country. It grew from a weaker system to a major Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours.
2. Unprecedented Wind and Rainfall
Not only did Melissa produce the strongest winds but it also brought the second-highest two-day rainfall total of any storm to hit Jamaica since 2000.
Entire parishes in the south and west were flooded.
3. Massive National Impact
Government reports estimate total damage at US $6–7 billion about 28 to 32 percent of Jamaica’s annual GDP as of early November. Independent analysts have placed the broader economic loss as high as US $22 billion, with full recovery expected to take years.
4. Heavy Loss of Life and Widespread Destruction
As of Nov. 11, the official death toll has risen to 45 with at least 15 others missing. Whole communities are underwater, hospitals have sustained structural damage, and farmlands have been wiped out. It is likely the death toll will continue to rise as devastated areas are still difficult to reach with critical aid.
5. Island-Wide Infrastructure Collapse
About 77 percent of the island lost power after landfall.It is estimated power and water services will take 3 months to be restored. Major roads have been blocked, communication networks crippled, and emergency response teams struggled for days to reach cut-off communities despite advance evacuations and national shelter activations.