Spirit At The Beach

Urgent Call For Assistance

Many of the people we serve have had their lives literally blown apart.  In the wake of Hurricane Melissa they have no income, ravaged businesses and damaged homes.  Already at the bottom of the economic food chain, the only resource for most is their resilient, Jamaican Spirit.  These are the beach vendors, street vendors, massage therapists, roadside barrel cooks ~ All those folks who make your beach vacation a little 'extra.'  They bring you fruit and jewelry and carvings; massage away your stress to the sound of the surf; deliver fresh fruits and mouth watering lobster, straight to your chaise, on the sand. 

These are the people we're helping.  They are the people for whom 'big help' is still weeks, if not months away. They need help and they need hope.  Spirit At The Beach Foundation is working tirelessly to deliver both.

We are here to mind the gap until the large relief agencies arrive, which may yet be weeks; until the tourist trade returns; until folks have some foundation upon which to stand and move on from.

We are calling for you to open your wallets today, tomorrow and the next day. This recovery will be a marathon. 

Many of these people will be without power and some water, for months.  We are determined to help ease their suffering as they find their way forward.  As we currently assess the situation, we need to raise a minimum of $250,000 to continue lifting this community over the coming months.  The heartbreak is real.  Please help us continue to help.

PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN.  YOUR ONE-TIME DONATION OF EVEN $10 WILL CHANGE A LIFE.  SUSTAINED, MONTHLY DONATIONS WILL HELP BRING PEOPLE THROUGH THE LONG HAUL.  ANYTHING YOU CAN GIVE WILL HELP CHANGE SOMEONE'S EXPERIENCE AND IS MOST APPRECIATED. PLEASE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY AND SHARING THIS LINK WITH OTHERS.

What We're Doing

17 December, 2025 - UPDATE

Seven weeks in, things have gotten better and worse.

BETTER:

• 7-Mile Beach is coming to life with businesses opening and tourists beginning to return

• 30-40% of the beach vendors are back on the beach, at least part-time

• World Central Kitchen has been serving meals in Negril six days per week

• Power and water are largely restored, in the beach area and west end

  WORSE:

• Tourists see smiling vendors and presume they've recovered, so send their donations, again, to the 'hardest hit' areas, while many of our vendors go home to another dark night, under a tarp

• 80% of Westmoreland remains without power

• Many of those selling have little to offer as they've lost most of their supplies

• 60-70% of our vendors are still just trying to survive, with severely damaged homes and no official help yet arrived. They are looking for a way to get back to work but need help rebuilding and supplies to begin creating again.

• World Central Kitchen is leaving Negril after this Saturday, 20 December, meaning 200-400 people are losing the only real meal they get each day

• Neither the large agencies nor the government have arrived to provide aid to this invisible population

  SPIRIT AT THE BEACH is committed to holding these people up and helping them find a way forward.

  WE ARE:

• Identifying grants and other aid available, i.e. Kingston Creatives Recovery Grant

• Helping vendors gather the information and documentation they need to receive certain aid

• Helping people understand if they will be eligible for government help rebuilding. Many are on captured land that will not qualify - i.e. down by the river. Others are on captured land that will qualify.

• Providing materials for artisans to again create

• Assisting vendors in exploring additional opportunities, such as online sales and hydroponic growing for themselves and for profit. Many are interested in diversifying.

  • RADA has grants available. Chambers Hydroponics is dedicated to lifting people up by reducing food insecurity. We are providing education and assistance in navigating paperwork

  • Online venues, such as ArtPal, provide an opportunity for artists to sell prints from online galleries. We are helping connect artists with photographers and those who can help them with online posting in order to generate a new stream of income.

• Unfortunately, still needing to provide assistance for food, supplies and shelter.

• Trying to bring a megaphone to the ongoing suffering and need. Negril needs a 'donation station' where people can shop for food, sundries and survival supplies. Currently tourists drop donations with given resorts or churches for distribution. Citizens of Negril will need help for months. They need a place to find what they need rather than relying on someone to 'show up.' Noone is showing up for them.

  With World Central Kitchen leaving and the soup kitchen closing until 3January, Negril needs a consistent, reliable, meal delivery system for its most vulnerable.

  IN ADDITION, WE ARE:

• Continuing to work on finding a space to use as a temporary Makers' Space. So many lost their entire inventory. We intend to supply tools, materials and a clean, pleasant space to work. People need a place to create something positive while they crawl out of the rubble. If they can make jewelry, paint or weave, even a few hours per week, it's easier to hang on to hope.

• Continuing to act as a conduit for direct donations from donors to specific vendors. Many don't have bank accounts. Western Union and others can be a nightmare as some folks have lost their IDs and lines are long. Through our donation portal we can receive funds and pass them on quickly; usually within 48 hrs

• Providing the opportunity for donors to Sponsor the entire recovery of some of our most vulnerable vendors. Become a Sponsor and give someone the comfort and security of knowing they will be able to rebuild what they've lost.

Write a short text about your service

Write a short text about your service

~Give The Gift Of Hope ~

Sponsor Someone's HurricaneRecovery

Meet your beach and street vendors! These are the folks who cater to your every impulse as you play in the sand. Today they need your LOVE in the form of helping rebuild. They've lost their homes, their wares, their supplies and MOST HAVE NO WAY TO EARN ANYTHING until...Let that sink in.

Please open your heart and help these generous, loving people put roofs over their heads and food in their families' bellies. NOTE: We respect the privacy of the people we are working with. Photos are posted of those who requested we do so, hoping you might recognize them from a visit and want to assist them directly.

You can fund this person's recovery in $50 increments. To cover their entire rebuild/repair, merely purchase 100% of the Quantity available!