Roofs for 1,000 Homes and New Churches on Four Islands: A Christian Charity’s Caribbean Rebuilding Plan

• Samaritan’s Purse set rebuilding goals in Puerto Rico, Barbuda, Dominica and St Martin
• Dominica: about 1,000 roof repairs, around 825 homes and 30 churches
• Puerto Rico: 500 homes and 20 churches
• Barbuda: 73 homes and three churches; St Martin: 15 to 20 churches and 100 houses

Five months after hurricanes Irma and Maria tore through the north-eastern Caribbean, the Christian relief charity Samaritan’s Purse set out a long-term plan to rebuild homes and churches, it reported in February 2018.

The targets were large. In Puerto Rico, the charity aimed to rebuild 500 homes and 20 churches. In Barbuda, it planned 73 homes, 18 of them already completed, and three churches. In Dominica, it set out to carry out about 1,000 roof repairs, rebuild around 825 homes and restore 30 churches. In St Martin, the plan covered 15 to 20 churches, 100 houses and help for 500 families.

The charity said it would work through local churches. “For us, this is an incredible opportunity to empower local churches to reach their own communities in a way that will draw more people into the church and expose them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Dave Holzhauer, regional director for the Northern Caribbean. Jason Edgerton, regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said: “We’re excited God is giving us this opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love in word and deed.”

The report did not give costs, but the scale shows how much of the region’s housing and church property was left without roofs. It also shows how faith-based agencies often become major builders after a disaster, using church networks to identify families and manage work.

Roofs were the common thread. On every island, the first job was making buildings weathertight, and church buildings were often repaired alongside homes because they double as shelters and community centres.

Jamaica learned the same lesson after Hurricane Melissa. For churches and homeowners here, the practical points are clear: build or retrofit roofs to hurricane standards, keep insurance current and documented, and know which church and charity networks can mobilise materials and volunteers quickly. A strong roof is the cheapest protection for both a house and a sanctuary.

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