Leesburg couple raising relief aid for Jamaica after surviving Hurricane Melissa
Virginia couple raising relief aid for Jamaica after surviving Hurricane Melissa
Many are still without power and clean water in Jamaica after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. One local Virginia couple who was there during the storm is now planning to return with much-needed supplies. FOX 5's Katie Barlow has the story tonight.
LEESBURG, Va. - Many are still without power and clean water in Jamaica after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.
One local Virginia couple who was there during the storm is now planning to return with much-needed supplies.
A helping hand:
Sonya and David Weed have traveled to Jamaica repeatedly over the years — it's a frequent vacation spot of theirs, so much so that they've become friends with several locals.
After they survived the Category 5 storm and came home, all they could think about was how bad things got for those they left behind.
"A friend of ours, we found out his five-year-old is a little bit of afraid of the dark. Well, they don't have any power. It is dark in Jamaica where they are. Up in the mountains and so we sent him home with a little teddy bear that I got for her as kind of as a joke, But it lights up," David Weed said.
What they're saying:
Sonya, David, their oldest daughter and a family friend all have flights to Jamaica booked next Wednesday.
Sonya is using her airline miles as a former frequent flyer. She gets three free checked bags so they each plan to pack three bags full of fans, batteries, body wipes, water filters and other necessities.
Their friends in Jamaica tell them that their children are getting overheated at night, so the fans can help the kids sleep at least a little bit.
They've started a GoFundMe page to raise money for supplies. Anything above what they need to travel down to Jamaica, they plan to use to buy generators and food. They're targeting Ocho Rios — an area that was not hit as badly but is experiencing devastation just the same.
"I've had two surgeries, he's not working, then I lost my job and you know, people need to come together and do some good, right?" Sonya Weed said. "There's a lot of people that are in a really bad situation. I'm doing this for them. And they need it. They need it, you know, I just don't know, it's just hard. It's just hard and I'm communicating with them every day and it's hard. And every time they think, you know came, we heard maybe we might get power then, then no, it looks like no."
What you can do:
You can donate on the GoFundMe page or you can donate supplies directly to the woods. If they get more people willing to travel, Sonya says she will use more miles to book someone a flight to bring an additional three suitcases of supplies down.
Local businesses have also started to chip in by offering a percentage of profits toward the cause.