The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation have announced a $1 million commitment to support relief and recovery efforts in Jamaica and other Caribbean areas affected by Hurricane Melissa. The funds will be distributed through product donations, nonprofit grants, and additional assistance aimed at both immediate relief and long-term rebuilding.
Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on October 28 as a Category 5 storm, causing significant loss of life, severe flooding, building collapses, and widespread power outages. More than 25,000 people are currently staying in emergency shelters. Recovery from the disaster is expected to take several years.
The Home Depot Foundation is providing critical resources for immediate response. Grants have been allocated to World Central Kitchen to coordinate with local chefs for emergency meal distribution in Jamaica, Haiti, and the Bahamas. Additional grants are going to Convoy of Hope and Operation Blessing for the purchase of essential supplies. The Foundation plans to continue working with its nonprofit partners over the coming weeks and months to address both short- and long-term needs.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Jamaica and the broader Caribbean region as they recover from Hurricane Melissa,” said Erin Izen, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “Our teams are working around the clock with nonprofit partners to deliver emergency aid and lay the groundwork for long-term recovery.”
The company will also donate urgently needed products such as generators, water supplies, toolkits, flashlights, solar lights, and cleanup materials. In response to requests from employees and customers, The Home Depot has designated its Miami stores along with 30 locations in the New York Metro area as hubs for expediting orders bound for affected communities in Jamaica.
Each year before hurricane season begins, The Home Depot stocks its warehouses with key supplies required for disaster response so that these items can reach impacted areas quickly when needed.
“The Home Depot is uniquely positioned to provide disaster-impacted communities with the support they need today, as they look to recover and clean up, and in the future, as they turn to rebuilding,” said Jason Arigoni, vice president of field merchandising for The Home Depot. “We’re here to help.”
