The Community Through Colors Sail Relief Team is a group of artists, builders, and dreamers who came together to turn compassion into action and stand in solidarity with communities impacted by disasters. Our work began during the 2017 hurricane season, when Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Florida and Puerto Rico. What started as friends helping friends quickly became a commitment to helping communities across the Caribbean. Since then, we have continued our working together and, after several disasters, have helped restore community centers, set up emergency radio stations, coordinated the transport of essential supplies, delivered more than 600 small solar kits to families in remote areas, and supported the installation of over 2MW of solar and battery systems that support community resilience.

Now, as Jamaica begins the long road to recovery from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa — the largest Atlantic storm of this year — our teams are preparing to bring in and build out the support structures we have the skills and experience installing, including solar, water, and communications equipment.

We aren't a distant nonprofit or a large business. We are an active part of our communities and can be boots on the ground in others. Together with our allies at Mutual Aid Disaster Relief - an experienced, grassroots, all volunteer disaster relief organization - we have the capacity to provide direct, long-term support, relief and recovery resources to remote communities across the Caribbean that are leading their own recovery in the aftermath of the storm, but only with your help.

While damage assessments will be slow, we know that the heavy rains and wind speeds of 185 mph have caused landslides, fallen trees, and power outages across the island. The extent of the power and infrastructure damage means not only that survivors will be without light or fans - they will also lose medications, life-sustaining medical equipment, food security, and access to clean water. Additionally, the ability to communicate with loved ones or search for support resources will likely remain down for weeks, if not longer, as comms infrastructure has been damaged. These communities will be isolated, and first responders will be navigating blindly.

We’ve seen this before — and we know what works. With this funding campaign, the Community Through Colors Sail Relief Team and Mutual Aid Disaster Relief are preparing to deploy solar kits across Jamaica to address basic needs.

Each solar kit can power a small refrigerator, a cell phone charging station, WiFi comms and a few lights. For first responders, this means continuous communication and reduced noise at search and rescue sites. For community centers and individuals, this means storage capacity for medications and perishable food. The Sail Relief Team will coordinate the delivery, distribution, and training for these solar kits to achieve the greatest impact in the community while Mutual Aid Disaster Relief teams support solar installation, water treatment and communications systems deployments in collaboration with local organizers.

Time is critical as Hurricane Melissa has now passed over Jamaica and is about to make landfall in Cuba. By contributing to this collaborative campaign, you can help amplify the impact of our solidarity efforts today and bring (solar) power back to the people. Even a small contribution makes a real difference: $25 helps ship wiring and connectors, $100 supports components, and $1,500 can fund a full solar kit, water treatment supplies, or contribute to the development of mesh networks for remote areas.

Together, your donations bring light, communication, hope and solidarity to communities across the Caribbean. Our teams are committed to sharing your impact - you will see the first installation and the first lights turn back on through our updates and report backs on our websites, socials, and via our listserves.

If you can, please donate, and please share this campaign widely with your networks. Together, we will make sure Jamaica does not go through this alone and that recovery efforts are sustained in the long term. Now, more than ever, solidarity not charity in the face of increasing and intensifying disasters and ongoing crises across the globe is critically important.

With gratitude and hope, Community Through Colors, Sail Relief Team and Mutual Aid Disaster Relief