Blue Mountains mobilizes massive support for Jamaican Hurricane Relief

Goldsmith’s Farm Market & Bakery would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the public at the end of its week-long Jamaica campaign to collect essential supplies for hurricane relief —an initiative that began with a single urgent request and grew into a massively impactful community-driven relief effort. 

When Hurricane Melissa devastated large parts of Jamaica, the Jamaican Liaison Service asked Goldsmith’s to act as one of three official drop-off sites in Ontario. With no blueprint and very little time, we turned to the community. What followed was extraordinary. In just seven days: 

• 15 apple bins of essential supplies were collected, as well as 4 skids of water and 2 skids of oversized tools
• Tools, bedding, batteries, hygiene products, medical supplies, boots, flashlights, and more were donated in huge volume
• Businesses from across Southern Georgian Bay and Ontario brought bulk contributions
• Hundreds of hours were poured into spreading the word, collecting, sorting, packing, and loading
• People arrived in the cold and rain, early before work, late after work, and many drove in from outside the region
• Local store shelves were cleared as residents stepped up to fill urgent needs

Each year, more than 600 Jamaican seasonal agricultural workers travel to Southern Georgian Bay to prune our orchards, harvest our apples, and keep our farms thriving. Many of these workers have spent decades here—forming deep ties to the farms, families, and communities of our region.   

Their hometowns and families were among the hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa. This relief effort was our community’s way of standing with them. While the supplies collected here are now on their way through official channels, the situation in Jamaica remains critical, and we continue to receive many questions about how people can still help.

For those who wish to support ongoing recovery efforts, we recommend donating to the Georgian Bay Fruit Growers Association GoFundMe, which is dedicated to supporting the 600+ Jamaican seasonal workers who were affected. https://www.gofundme.com/f/hurricane-relief-for-jamaican-farm-workers-in-georgian-bay 

To every resident, volunteer, business, and family who showed up, often in the pouring rain, to donate and to work - thank you. Your compassion moved fast, reached far, and will directly support communities rebuilding from catastrophe. 

Sincerely, Goldsmith’s Farm Market and Bakery

www.goldsmithsmarket.com