Seaford Town Family Leaves Shelter for Rebuilt Home After Melissa

Seaford Town, Westmoreland, 31 July 2026

A Westmoreland family who lost their home to Hurricane Melissa has moved out of a shelter and into a rebuilt house in Seaford Town, delivered through a recovery partnership between Angostura and the Seprod Foundation.

The Simpson-Whyte family, Alvin Whyte and Nania Simpson, received the home at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 29 July attended by representatives of both organisations, Seprod Group volunteers and members of the community. Their previous house was destroyed when the hurricane struck last October, and they had been living in temporary shelter while they waited for help.

“Living in a shelter is difficult, but today our family is turning a new page,” Whyte said.

Part of a Wider Programme

The Seaford Town house is one of four housing interventions under the partnership, which also covers families in Crawford, St Elizabeth.

The programme rests on three pillars. As well as rebuilding homes for displaced families, it supports animal welfare through a partnership with the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is helping vulnerable dogs. On the business side, 12 shopkeepers and bar owners have received building materials so they can repair their premises and reopen.

Voices From the Partners

Lisa D’Oyen, executive director of the Seprod Foundation, said recovery is about more than replacing what was lost, describing it as restoring stability, dignity and hope.

Angostura chairman Gary Hunt said helping communities in difficult times is central to the company’s values, while chief executive Ian Forbes said seeing a family move from temporary shelter into a safe home shows what recovery looks like in practice.

What It Means for Rebuilding Communities

Nine months after Hurricane Melissa, families like the Simpson-Whytes show how long the road back can be. Corporate foundations are one source of help alongside government programmes, particularly for families who cannot rebuild on their own.

The inclusion of small shops and bars in the programme is also significant for rural communities. In small districts, a village shop or bar is often a gathering point as well as a business, so getting those premises reopened can help the wider community, not just the owners.

For families still waiting for assistance, the partnership offers a reminder that private-sector and charitable programmes are running in parallel with state support, and it can be worth asking community groups and local councillors which schemes are active in their area.