More than 24 hours after Hurricane Melissa pummelled Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, Chris Garwood was still trying to make contact with his mother and a sister who live in St. Elizabeth parish.

Garwood is from St. Elizabeth — considered Jamaica’s breadbasket, because it’s where most of the island’s agricultural production takes place — and has been living in Hamilton since 2001.

While he awaits word about his relatives, Garwood is part of a community group in Hamilton that has jumped into action, spearheading efforts to assist the island nation with its recovery.

“I am from … the area that was directly hit. That is where my mother is today, that's where my siblings are,” Garwood told CBC Hamilton.

“I have made contact with my brother, and I've made contact with [one of] m

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