A ROTARY Club in Reading has lent its support to the people of Jamaica following intense storms.
Money donated by the people of the town to Rotary Club of Reading Abbey has been used to help out in Jamaica following the devastating hurricane Melissa.
The club has funded two Shelterboxes which will provide urgently needed tarpaulins, tools and rope for emergency repairs.
The kits also contain blankets, mosquito nets and water carriers so people can continue to be protected.
Shelterbox work closely with the Rotary Club to ensure aid reaches local communities where it is most needed.
Melissa, the third most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, made landfall in Jamaica late last month, destroying homes and key infrastructure across the country.
Jamaican prime Minister Andrew Holness said that the cyclone, the worst ever to hit the country, had caused damage costing the equivalent of around 30% of Jamaica’s GDP (gross domestic product) from last year.
Damages of between six and seven billion were described as “conservative” estimates, and the short-term economic output of the country is expected to decline by up 13%.
Rotary Club President Peter Mason said “without the generosity of the people of Reading at events like the Duck Race in the Oracle, Rotary couldn’t respond to catastrophes like Melissa.
“We are also always on the look out for urgent needs closer to home where people may be needing a helping hand.”
