As Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica in October, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) members quickly mobilized to provide aid. Operation BBQ Relief, a U.S. disaster non-profit, recognized the critical need for meals and sought volunteers in Florida to pack and ship thousands of meals to families facing hunger and food insecurity in Jamaica.
Joava Good, Deputy National Director of the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response (CSDR), offered the assistance of CSDR volunteers to Operation BBQ Relief executives. Volunteers, including CSDR Volunteer Ministers from the Clearwater, Florida area, teamed up with other volunteers from local government agencies and schools. Together, they prepared thousands of boxes of non-perishable food at a large warehouse in Pinellas Park, equipped with forklifts, pallet jacks, and special tables provided by Amazon.
The food was packed in two box sizes: one containing enough for a family of four for three days (36 meals) and the other for six days (72 meals). Over hundreds of man-hours, the volunteers labeled, assembled, taped, and filled boxes with food, then sealed and loaded them onto pallets for transport. Some boxes were taken directly to the airport for small plane transport, while the majority were trucked to Miami for cargo aircraft shipment.
Doyle Mills, CSDR national executive who coordinated the Scientology volunteers, described the operation: "An operation like this may look simple but it is not. An amazing amount of logistical planning and work went into the operation these past few weeks, much of it behind the scenes. Working with Operation BBQ Relief was a joy and a wonderful experience knowing that the end result would be helping those devastated by Hurricane Melissa."
Mills added that the volunteers worked in a fast-paced environment, handling tasks from assembling boxes to cleaning up. "We transported some of the boxes straight to the airport and loaded them into small planes for quick transport, while the larger portion was loaded onto trucks and driven to Miami to be transported by large cargo aircraft. It was a challenge but we did it and over 270,000 meals were shipped out."
The success of the effort, Mills noted, came from collaboration. "What made the overall operation successful was collaboration – working together side-by-side to get the product. Hard work, yes, but we had fun knowing we were helping those in need. It was an honor to work with the Operation BBQ's team."
While immediate disaster response to Jamaica is winding down, hundreds more volunteers will be needed for the next phase of recovery and rebuilding. CSDR, a U.S.-based non-profit with over 25 offices nationwide, coordinates responses with government agencies and other NVOAD organizations.
