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Global Empowerment Mission, a Miami-based disaster relief nonprofit, has been distributing aid in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 storm that devastated much of the island. Volunteers have been packing boxes of donated items at the nonprofit's Miami warehouse, which is still accepting donations. By Global Empowerment Mission

Funds will be distributed through the NCB. Foundation in collaboration with key partners including the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), Food for the Poor Jamaica, UNICEF Jamaica, and the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM). These organisations will help ensure that assistance reaches families and communities most in need.

At least one aid organisation, Global Empowerment Mission, rolled out from Kingston on Saturday with a seven-truck convoy heading to Black River, the badly damaged town in western Jamaica, carrying packs of humanitarian assistance put together by volunteers from the Jamaican diaspora community in Florida. Help is also coming in from other aid groups and foreign governments via helicopter.

Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) is a non-profit focused on disaster relief and sustainable development. (GEM)

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (right), examines food supplies donated by nonprofit organisation, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM). The supplies, handed over on Friday (October 31), will support 50 residents at the Desmond McKenzie Transitional Centre for the Homeless in downtown Kingston. Looking on are Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby (left), and Founder/President of GEM, Michael Caponi

At the Global Empowerment Mission, a nonprofit aid organization headquartered near Miami, Shanna Ford, who is from Jamaica, is one of dozens of volunteers packing up basic supplies for survival, including food, water and tarps for protection from the elements. "It was just really nerve-wracking for me to see that happening to the island that I know and love," Ford said.

The relief fund works in partnership with the Global Empowerment Mission, a nonprofit organization. The groups also assisted Jamaica after Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 storm, swiped the island last year. Mr. Hill said he expects to have volunteers working in shifts through Saturday to continue gathering and sorting donations. Several donation sites have been opened, including in police and fire stations in Miramar and Lauderhill, two cities in Broward County with robust Jamaican communities.

Michael Capponi, founder and president of Global Empowerment Mission, shares the most immediate concerns for Jamaica following the devastating hurricane.

Global Empowerment Mission, headquartered in Doral, specializes in this, as they gather, sort and box items needed after a hurricane passes. Founder Michael Capponi said they’ve learned over the years. "In the Haiti earthquake, for example, there was 21,000 registered organizations, the first six months of that, none communicating with each other, each doing their own thing," he said.

Global Empowerment Mission, a U.S.-based nonprofit that has a history of responding to storms in the Caribbean, has a team based in Jamaica’s capital Kingston. It is seeking donations through the purchase of supplies in its Amazon Wishlist.

Amazon is working closely with UN agencies and other first responders to ensure communities in Jamaica and the Caribbean have the emergency supplies and technological resources they’ll need to recover as quickly as possible from Hurricane Melissa, a slow-moving storm with record-breaking strength.

Good360 is working with partner Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) and other relief agencies after the Category 5 storm made landfall this week to “assess needs on the ground and deploy pre-positioned supplies, generators, shelter materials and other essentials,” according to a release.

Good360 is currently coordinating with its partner, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) and other international relief agencies to assess needs on the ground and deploy pre-positioned supplies, generators, shelter materials, and other essentials. Good360’s disaster recovery model is a four-phase approach that focuses on long-term recovery through preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience. Leveraging its strategic partnerships, including its partnership with AccuWeather for advanced weather forecasting, Good360 is able to anticipate needs, pre-position essential goods and respond with precision and speed.

South Florida Caribbean Strong, in partnership with the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) and The Miami Foundation, urges the community to donate, volunteer, and help deliver essential relief supplies.

While Melissa won't hit the United States, other hurricanes have this year. Hurricane Erin caused hazardous rip tides and swimming conditions along the East Coast, with several states, like New Jersey, declaring states of emergency. The storm also caused minor coastal flooding. Hurricane Humberto brought heavy rain to Puerto Rico, causing flooding and a landslide.

Melissa is considered one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record Melissa is considered among the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. It currently ranks third based on minimum barometric pressure, behind Gilbert in 1988 (888 millibars) and Wilma in 2005 (882 millibars), according to The Washington Post.

Volunteers assemble relief packages for Hurricane Melissa at the Global Empowerment Mission headquarters in Miami, on Oct. 27, 2025. Hurricane Melissa threatened Jamaica with potentially deadly rains after rapidly intensifying into a top-level Category 5 storm, as residents scrambled for shelter from what could be the island's most violent weather on record.

Michael Capponi, the founder of the charity Global Empowerment Mission, has organised the donation drive in Miami - see our 4.13pm post for more on that.

“Here we are, not waiting to hear that our help is needed,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava at a press conference at the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) headquarters in Doral. “We are already organized, galvanized and ready to help.” Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article312674092.html#storylink=cpy

Two containers packed with family care packages organised by charitable organisations are standing by in Florida, ready to be shipped to Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm expected to pound the island for more than a day.

As the Caribbean braces for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, communities across South Florida are answering the call for help, collecting donations and preparing shipments for those in Jamaica and surrounding islands expected to be hardest hit. At Global Empowerment Mission in Doral, volunteers are already hard at work. The organization will serve as the main hub where supplies gathered across South Florida will be packed, palletized, and shipped to Jamaica as soon as it's safe to do so.

One major effort is being led by South Florida Caribbean Strong, in partnership with the Global Empowerment Mission and The Miami Foundation. They are urging the community to immediately donate, volunteer, and procure critical relief supplies for the recovery phase once the storm passes.

MIAMI — As Hurricane Melissa approaches Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 storm, South Florida organizations are mobilizing immediate relief efforts to support recovery once the storm passes. The rapidly strengthening storm is forecasted to bring life-threatening flash floods, landslides, and widespread infrastructure damage, potentially displacing thousands and cutting off vital access to affected communities.Jamaican Culture Products

As countries in the Caribbean are going to face the brunt of Hurricane Melissa, South Florida organizations are doing what they can to help. In Doral, the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) is currently preparing to ship hundreds of boxes to those in need.

MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) - As residents of Jamaica brace for Hurricane Melissa’s powerful winds, South Florida cities and organizations are getting ready to send support in the form of much-needed food and other necessities.

..trusted regional and global partnerships, including with European Union Humanitarian Aid and organisations like the Global Empowerment Mission and CORE, are enabling us to move rapidly and will help us reach those who need help most, in the soonest possible time.

FLORIDA, USA — As Hurricane Melissa travels through the Caribbean, people in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba are bracing for its impact. With the storm strengthening, families in Florida are already concerned about communities that will be impacted. How can you help or donate?

The city of Homestead, in partnership with Global Empowerment Mission, is also collecting relief supplies for families impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Beginning Tuesday, October 28, donations can be dropped off Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. – 5p.m. at City Hall, the Homestead Police Department, or the Phichol Williams Community Center (also open Saturdays 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.).

Volunteers from South Florida Caribbean Strong and the Caribbean Bar Association have been packing boxes of supplies at the Global Empowerment Mission HQ in Doral. Global Empowerment Mission, a nonprofit, will distribute the donations to communities in Jamaica impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Courtesy of Caribbean Bar Association

DORAL, Fla. — Global Empowerment Mission is one of several organizations that jumps into action when a natural disaster is on the way. Hurricane Melissa is expected to strengthen to a Category 5 hurricane this week that could bring serious risk to those in Jamaica.

DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - As fears grow in the Caribbean on Tropical Storm Melissa’s potential impact, a South Florida organization is taking action before the storm strikes. Volunteers with the Global Empowerment Mission gathered in Doral on Friday to pack aid boxes filled with much-needed supplies to send to Caribbean islands such as Jamaica and Haiti. “We’re always there, we’re always there to support the people and we don’t leave until the need is over,” said GEM Global Operations Vice President Jeff Popovich.

The new Housing Specialists team is managed by a community-based organization and existing member of the DCMP team, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM). The Housing Specialists team will develop permanent housing plans in collaboration with clients and will engage across programs including the Hawaiʻi Interim Housing Program (HIHP), FEMA Direct Lease (DL), Continued Temporary Housing Assistance (CTHA), as well as working closely with Maui Relief TANF Program (MRTP).