Hurricane Melissa Recovery: Support the Most Vulnerable in Jamaica
Your gift helps ensure children and adults with disabilities affected by Hurricane Melissa will be sheltered and cared for.
Nearly 500 Jamaican children and adults with disabilities rely on the care and protection of Mustard Seed Communities.
In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, your support helps provide emergency relief, restore damaged homes, and ensure essential care continues for those who need it most.
Current Situation: Hurricane Melissa Recovery
Mustard Seed Communities is continuing to assess the impact of Hurricane Melissa across our 12 homes in Jamaica. While all residents and staff are safe, the damages are extensive and the challenges ahead are serious.
- Loss of Food Sources: Our greenhouses and farming operations were completely destroyed. These crops provided fresh produce and vital nutrition for the 500 children and adults in our care.
- Severe Structural Damage: Multiple homes sustained roof damage, broken windows, and significant water intrusion; Blessed Assurance experienced catastrophic flooding.
- Power and Water Outages: Electricity and running water are still unavailable at several locations. Restoration is expected to take weeks in some regions.
- Limited Access and Communication: Downed trees and washed-out roads continue to hinder travel and delivery of food, medical supplies, and relief support.
We remain focused on ensuring the safety and well-being of every resident and restoring access, power, and essential supplies as recovery continues.
On the Ground in Jamaica
10 AM, November 3: In the days since Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica, Mustard Seed Communities has continued recovery and assessment efforts across our 12 homes caring for nearly 500 children and adults with disabilities.
Access Restored: Roads leading to our Blessed Assurance home in Montego Bay have been partially cleared, allowing one-lane traffic. Teams have returned to deliver a generator, restore internet communication, and check on the health and wellbeing of residents and staff.
Ongoing Support: Cleanup continues this week, with additional teams assisting on-site and bringing much-needed fuel, supplies, and equipment. Our leadership is assessing whether some residents from Blessed Assurance may need to be temporarily relocated to other Mustard Seed homes as infrastructure repairs progress.
Looking Ahead: The coming weeks will focus on restoring stable power, water, and access to all our communities, supporting caregivers, and ensuring continuity of care for every child and adult in our homes.
12:30 PM, October 31: We are deeply grateful that all Mustard Seed Communities residents and staff in Jamaica are safe following Hurricane Melissa. Our Blessed Assurance home in Montego Bay endured severe flooding—the buildings were completely submerged, and residents and caregivers sheltered on the second floor through the storm. Two of our leaders walked nine miles through flood-damaged roads to reach the home and found everyone alive and safe.
We thank God for their protection—and for the courage of our staff, who never left their side.
🎥 Watch the video of Blessed Assurance during the storm →
500
Individuals find loving homes
80
Children in Dare to Care Programs
12
Teen moms & infants at Mary’s Child
150
Children in Little Angels Learning Centers
Caring Homes for Individuals with Disabilities
Primarily centered on caring for children and adults with diverse disabilities, our residential programs in Jamaica address a spectrum of challenges, including schizophrenia, autism, hydrocephalus, and cerebral palsy.
My Father’s House
Kingston: Serving as Mustard Seed Communities’ headquarters in Jamaica, My Father’s House is a vibrant community featuring a residence for over 40 children with diverse physical and cognitive abilities, alongside administrative offices and community outreach programs. The central chapel hosts Mass and devotional sessions three times daily.
Blessed Assurance
Montego Bay: Blessed Assurance houses 33 residents and provides another meaningful location for mission trips to Jamaica. The property also features on-site accommodations for volunteers, fostering a welcoming environment for those contributing to our mission.
Gift of Hope
Mandeville: Gift of Hope offers a nurturing home to children with disabilities aged 2 to 34 and also serves as the latest destination for mission trips, providing opportunities for volunteers to contribute to our critical mission of caring for the most vulnerable.
Sophie’s Place
Gordon Town: Nestled in the mountain vistas of Gordon Town, Sophie’s Place is an apostolate providing a home for more than 20 children with disabilities. Engaging in a collaborative project with Kingston’s University of Technology, residents attend daily sessions with occupational therapists on the university campus. Sophie’s Place also offers accommodations for visiting mission teams, a chapel, and a Little Angels preschool.
Widow’s Mite
Moneague: Widow’s Mite stands as the inaugural residential home for abandoned children with disabilities developed by MSC outside of Kingston. Today, Widow’s Mite passionately cares for over twenty children, embodying our commitment to extending support to diverse communities.
Jerusalem!
Spanish Town: Spanning eight acres, this dynamic space serves as a residential care haven for over 150 children and adults with disabilities. The Village section of Jerusalem! is dedicated to older teenagers and adults, featuring several houses that form a close-knit neighborhood. The emphasis on training encompasses construction, home economics, farm work, and formal education, preparing residents for a semi-independent way of life. The Dare to Care program for children affected by HIV, a Little Angels preschool, and impactful agricultural initiatives are also important parts of the thriving apostolate at Jerusalem!
Jacob’s Ladder
Moneague: Jacob’s Ladder stands as a distinctive apostolate dedicated to the compassionate care of adults with disabilities. Situated on 150 acres of land, Jacob’s Ladder addresses the critical gap in facilities for individuals with mental and physical disabilities beyond the age of 18 in Jamaica. Envisioned to be a permanent home for 400 young adults, this apostolate currently accommodates over 90 residents, with ongoing construction to expand housing capacity. The expansive property also serves as a hub for our sustainable agriculture program, exemplifying our commitment to holistic care and self-sustainability, and is a beloved place to serve in our mission volunteer program.
WE impact jamaica’s communities
Residential Care for Children Affected by HIV
Dare to Care, an extraordinary initiative to care for children affected by HIV, was born in 2000 with the establishment of its inaugural home, Dare to Care. Over the years, this pioneering program has evolved and expanded to encompass three homes—Dare to Care, Matthew 25:40, and Martha’s House—providing a nurturing haven for close to 80 children from diverse regions of Jamaica. From its humble beginnings of caring for seven children, Dare to Care has become a symbol of resilience and compassion. Matthew 25:40, founded in 2002, focuses on meeting the specific needs of boys living with the virus, ensuring individualized care. Despite facing challenges, such as a devastating fire in 2009, Dare to Care remains steadfast in its mission to provide unwavering support. Martha’s House, initially established in downtown Kingston in 2006, has been rebuilt on the Jerusalem! campus, symbolizing the program’s commitment to overcoming obstacles and creating a brighter future for every child under its wing.
Residential Care for Young Mothers
Mary’s Child, a unique apostolate, provides crucial housing and support to twelve teen mothers and their babies, making it one of the only residential facilities of its kind in Jamaica. Actively engaged in empowering young mothers, Mary’s Child not only offers a safe haven for the transition into motherhood but also provides essential life skills through educational, professional, and personal development training, including computer courses, home economic classes, and parenting lectures. Emphasizing spiritual growth, the program incorporates daily meditation, midday rosary, and weekly Mass, aligning with the holistic approach of other MSC apostolates.
Education and Nutrition
Mustard Seed Communities, guided by our commitment to care for the most vulnerable, established the Little Angels Learning Center to create a standout school system. Officially recognized by the Ministry of Education on September 2, 2002, Little Angels provides top-notch education not only to our residents but also to children from local communities. Managed by the Ministry of Education, our curriculum includes religion, music, Spanish, Computer Studies, and Physical Education, fostering the holistic development of our students’ mental, physical, and spiritual selves. With regular field trips, exposure to cultural heritage, and a strong focus on spirituality, Little Angels exemplifies our dedication to true education, echoing Proverbs 2:6: “True education is that imparted by Him with whom is wisdom and strength.”
Mustard Seed Communities prioritizes nutrition across all our communities, recognizing its vital role in the well-being of those we serve. In Jamaica, the Little Angels preschools incorporate nutrition as a cornerstone, offering students two nutritious meals daily. This commitment to proper nutrition extends to our residents, including children and adults with disabilities, where the right food and medicines contribute significantly to their improved quality of life.
Sustainable Agriculture
We are committed to achieving self-sufficiency and sustainability across all our programs. Our key sites for agricultural projects, Jerusalem! and Jacob’s Ladder, play a vital role in this mission. The farm at Jerusalem! not only serves as a therapeutic space for residents but also generates income. With fish ponds, egg-producing chickens, a vegetable garden, and a flock of sheep, the farm addresses in-house protein needs and contributes to the community’s income through surplus sales.
Jacob’s Ladder, blessed with ample open land, boasts a flourishing agricultural expansion with over 40 pigs and multiple greenhouses. Recent enhancements, including a completed water catchment system, ensure a reliable water supply. These initiatives not only meet the present needs of residents but align with our long-term vision of Jacob’s Ladder as a lifelong home for over 400 adults with disabilities.
Training and Community Outreach
At Mustard Seed Communities, our commitment extends beyond the care of our children to uplifting vulnerable and marginalized communities. In Jamaica, we actively engage in various outreach programs, including the Christmas Treat initiative aimed at alleviating poverty. Additionally, our efforts include training programs like the Pottery Shop & Apprentice program at Mahoe Drive, contributing to skill development and empowerment.
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