Kiawah Island, South Carolina — Residents on Kiawah Island are banding together to support the hundreds of Jamaican workers on the island after Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean island.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Oct. 28 as a Category 5 storm, becoming one of the most powerful storms in recent memory. At least 45 individuals were killed, with an estimated $8 billion in damage.
Many of the 300 Jamaicans working on Kiawah as housekeepers, servers, and bartenders, either full-time or on H2B work visas, are scheduled to return home after the conclusion of the island’s busiest season in December.
However, in the aftermath of the storm, some will return to towns where almost nothing remains.
“Several of our Jamaican employees have been with us for decades,” stated Sarah Morgan, Kiawah Resort’s Director of Human Resources. “About 50 to 60% of our employees lost their homes completely.”
When Kiawah resident John Moffit learned of the destruction, he checked in with longtime staff members.
“I just talked to them when I’d run into them, and we found out their families were safe, but their homes were gone,” he informed me.
John and his wife Barbara decided to start an online donation fund to help workers and their families rebuild.
“What would happen if we had a hurricane here and your neighbor’s house was destroyed?” Moffitt asked. “Could you help them? Because it is the same motivation. It’s about assisting your neighbors and friends.
Kiawah Resort is also lending a hand by collecting goods at its conference center, which will be transported straight to Jamaica.
Officials stated that the donations, which can be purchased and shipped directly to the town via an Amazon wish list, will be packaged in barrels and tailored to each employee’s specific needs.
“I know these people will make sure they’re communities are affected and that what we give them translates to their community,” Morgan told me. “I get that. So it feels good to give it to the folks who are so important to us.”
Donations can also be delivered in person to the resort’s Human Resources department or mailed to Juliana Leypoldt at 1 Sanctuary Beach Drive.
