West Side churches collecting relief supplies to donate to hurricane-ravaged Jamaica
Twelve West Side churches, a moving company, people in communities across Chicago, and the Jamaican Consulate are joining forces to provide relief to hurricane-ravaged Jamaica.
Zoe Life Ministries International Senior Pastor John Abercrombie assisted in unloading trucks full of boxes on Friday.
"These are blankets. This is items that are being given away," he said.
The boxes were loaded with items like bottled water and household items; just some of the things being sent to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa left 45 people dead and 30,000 households displaced.
"Some people don't have furniture. Well, we're going to get some of the furniture we received from Macy's that we're going to be sending and shipping that over as well," Abercrombie said. "I just want to see people mature, grow, live, to be sustained, to have stability; and that's what it really is all about for me."
Abercrombie organized the Jamaica relief effort with 11 other West Side pastors, who are part of the Westside Community Development Collaboration.
"We felt it was necessary and mandated for us to move into action," said Pastor Michael Eaddy, vice chairman of the Westside Community Development Collaboration.
Each church raised money to buy much needed donations through Good360. The nonprofit works with corporate partners to receive surplus inventory so it doesn't end up in landfills. Money also poured in to allow the Jamaican Consulate to fill a truck.
"For people to reach out, and for humanity to touch humanity, is a wonderful thing," said Lester Barclay, Honorary Consul of Jamaica in Chicago & Midwest States
Four 53-foot-long semi-trailer trucks loaded with relief items will be driven to Miami, then shipped to Jamaica.
"It will be distributed across the island," Barclay said. "The areas that were hit the hardest receive priority."
This is not the last effort. Abercrombie said all 12 churches will start new fundraisers for more relief efforts to help Jamaica rebuild.
You can learn more about The Midwest Jamaica Corps here.