ST ANN BASED FOUNDATION, SCHOOL SPEARHEAD ASSISTANCE
OCHO RIOS, St Ann, Feb 3, 2026
A Jamaican charity linked to a religious group and a private school in St Ann is taking care packages to schools whose students have been affected by Hurricane Melissa.
The programme to assist victims of Hurricane Melissa in the education sector is called Operation Grace.
(Headboy at NGH handing over a package at Green Pond Primary, St James)
Their first handover of care packages commenced on Friday, January 30. The team of volunteers, students and staff of the Northgate Youth and Family Development Foundation (NYFDF) and NorthGate High School (NGH), Ocho Rios, on Friday visited St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School, Brown’s Town. That has been followed by a visit to Green Pond Primary, St James, where students also handed out care packages and shared experiences about Hurricane Melissa.
(NorthGate High students with care packages)
Care packages valued at least J$11,500 each were handed out to selected students and staff members whose families were severely impacted during the passing of Hurricane Melissa.
Operation GRACE is a holistic outreach to victims of Hurricane Melissa and is conducted by the NYFDF. The primary donors of Operation GRACE are: Elijah Centre (Trinidad and Tobago), NorthGate College (Trinidad and Tobago), NorthGate High School (Jamaica) and Pocket Angels CIC (United Kingdom).
(Students greet each other beforesharing words of comfort)
This week, trips are planned to Westwood High School, Trelawny, Iona High School, Tower Isle, St Mary and visit is planned for York Castle later in the month.
Pastor Wesley Boynes, chairman of the foundation and of NGH, told the North Coast Times that principals in each school involved have identified at least 15 students in their school whose families were severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa and are still in need of assistance. He said the Foundation has also realized that some school leaders and their members of staff are still facing difficult situations in these parishes.
