Houston chef collecting donations to send to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
Help is on the way as the Houston community comes together to collect food, clothing and other essentials for Jamaica, which was hit hard by Hurricane Melissa.
Help is on the way as the Houston community comes together to collect food, clothing, and other essentials for Jamaica, which was hit hard by Hurricane Melissa.
The historic Category 5 storm made landfall six days ago, decimating everything in its path.
Moved by images of the destruction and concern for loved ones, a popular social media chef is taking action to support relief efforts.
Aldaine Oakley has made a name for himself as a traveling chef who shares Jamaican flavors with his social media followers. When he asked the community to help support his home island, they responded with an outpouring of donations.
“It was really heartfelt. Jamaica is just my home, so seeing it being damaged like I was heartbroken, and we were like we have to do something,” said Tiffany Douglas, who, along with many others, stopped by to drop off items.
Oakley, also known as World Chef, told KPRC 2 that he’s been paying close attention to the needs of those on the island.
“The moment it hit, it’s like I woke up and I got a vision from God and God was like use your platform in a good way to raise some items,” Oakley said.
Since then, social media and his phone have been constantly buzzing.
In just a few days, they have collected a room full of items.
“So right here, we got some spice Jamaican seasoning, some fruit juice, canned tuna, flour, fries, corned beef because they love that in Jamaica,” Oakley said.
The items will be sent to the Escarpment Road New Testament Church of God in Kingston.
“I went to school there, I went to church there, it’s in my neighborhood, so it means a lot to me,” he said.
Most of Oakley’s family is still in Jamaica.
“Compared to what happened on the other side, they weren’t affected,” he said.
Even though his family didn’t suffer great loss, Oakley knows the need is great.
The items collected will be shipped out tomorrow, but Oakley says they are still taking donations.
If you want to help, you can do so by dropping off items at two separate locations:
The Spice Jamaica Office
11115 Mills Road, Suite 128
Cypress, Texas 77429
Or the Houston drop-off location:
Robert’s Markland LLP
2555 N MacGregor Way
Houston, TX 77004
