When Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, the destruction it left behind was felt deeply by a community that has been repeatedly hit by natural disasters including major hurricanes, flooding, landslides, earthquakes and drought. The category five hurricane brought sustained hurricane-force winds and torrential rain, resulting in major destruction, flooding and displacement of residents.

For Jeanne Crump, an International Services staff member with the American Red Cross, that reality became clear the moment she began traveling throughout the island with her team following the storm. Trees that once stood tall lay uprooted across roads and bridges, power lines dangled from broken poles, and debris that once made up people’s homes was scattered across hillsides and open fields.

Yet in some places, the destruction was harder to see. Concrete structures still stood strong, giving the illusion that the damage had been minimal.

But Jeanne and her team heard a different story, one repeated again and again by the locals they spoke to. Many houses had been completely destroyed and were no longer visible at all. For Jeanne, witnessing this kind of loss reinforced a calling she had felt for most of her life.

“I’ve always had this deep sense of injustice in the world and felt the responsibility to help others and do something about it,” she shared.

That sense of responsibility led her to humanitarian work more than a decade ago. Before joining the Red Cross four years ago, Jeanne lived and worked in Cambodia, focusing on poverty alleviation, human rights and development aid. Today, as part of the Red Cross International Services team, her work takes her where the need is greatest – most recently – to the island of Jamaica.

In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, Jeanne was part of a relief team, deployed in conjunction with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), providing emergency supplies and cash assistance to communities across the island. Alongside her team, they distributed items such as tarpaulins, shelter kits, hygiene kits, jerry cans and water buckets. For families who had lost their roofs or their entire homes, these supplies were essential to survival.

“For some families, the Red Cross tarpaulins were the only shelter they had to sleep under for the night,” Jeanne said.

What stayed with her most was not just the scale of need, but the gratitude she encountered everywhere she went. People were thankful that someone had shown up to help them navigate their new reality.

“People were incredibly grateful to have the support to help alleviate some of their suffering and the new daily inconveniences they were facing,” Jeanne said. “It was clear our support truly mattered.”

Alongside relief supplies, the Red Cross launched a cash assistance program in partnership with the Jamaica Red Cross, allowing families to further meet their most urgent needs. Using the AccessRC mobile app, community members could register for Red Cross assistance and receive updates directly on their phones, with approved funds available for pickup through MoneyGram.

The program launched quickly and successfully, but not without challenges.

With mobile networks severely disrupted by the hurricane, Jeanne and her colleagues often relied on Starlink terminals to create temporary Wi-Fi connections. They carried the equipment everywhere, setting it up in clinics, community centers, and open spaces just so people could download the app and begin the registration process.

Even when providers reported that service had been restored, connectivity on the ground was unreliable.

“The app can only work with mobile connectivity, including data or Wi-Fi, so that was a huge challenge for us in general. Sometimes we’d arrive at locations and find the networks were still down,” Jeanne said.

One of Jeanne’s most meaningful experiences took place in Darliston, in the parish of Westmoreland, during the first AccessRC assisted registration event. By coordinating with the Red Cross Health Emergency Response Unit at a local clinic, the team was able to reach families already seeking care.

That day, a mother arrived with her three children, including an infant in her arms and two young daughters by her side. After their medical appointment, they were guided down the hall to learn about the cash assistance program. Jeanne sat with the mother and carefully walked her through the AccessRC registration process.

Though, connectivity issues slowed them down. The concrete walls, which were strong enough to withstand the hurricane, made it difficult for the StarLink signal to reach inside. The application had to be restarted more than once, requiring the mother to retake selfies with each child, an important step of the registration process.

Eventually, the application was successfully submitted.

As the Red Cross team packed up their vans to leave, the two young girls followed Jeanne outside. They asked her questions, including where she lived and how long she would be in Jamaica. They shared how terrifying the hurricane sounded, how much damage their home had suffered, and how they were now afraid to go to sleep alone.

Suddenly, they hugged her tightly and told her they didn’t want her to leave Jamaica.

“I told them the Red Cross would still be here,” Jeanne said. “At the clinic, in their community, and now even a text message away through the AccessRC app, even after I returned home to Washington, D.C.”

For Jeanne, that promise captured the essence of what humanitarian work truly means. Hurricane Melissa may have left behind fallen trees, shattered homes, and disrupted lives, but it also revealed resilience, community, and the impact of teamwork. Through the collective efforts of Red Cross teams, families across Jamaica were reminded that they were not alone and that help, even in the hardest moments, can still reach them.

In total, the American Red Cross has deployed 20 disaster response specialists to the Hurricane Melissa operation to support cash grants, planning and reporting, communications, and operational coordination, and is also leading an Emergency Response Unit, which is supporting the Jamaica Red Cross in delivering relief supplies and cash grants.

The American Red Cross is also contributing $5 million to the IFRC Emergency Appeal for Jamaica to assist the Jamaica Red Cross with providing cash grants, and an additional $2 million to the IFRC Emergency Appeal for Cuba to assist the Cuban Red Cross with providing shelter and health supplies to people impacted by the storm.