Central Florida hurricane relief team returns from Jamaica

Central Florida hurricane relief team returns from Jamaica

BY Bryanna Howard Orlando

PUBLISHED 6:30 PM ET Nov. 17, 2025

ORLANDO, Fla. — A group of Central Florida residents is back home after stepping in to help families in Jamaica who are still recovering after Hurricane Melissa. For days, volunteers packed suitcases with hygiene kits, medical supplies, food and other essentials before flying out of Orlando on their four-day relief trip.

What You Need To Know

• A team called the Orlando Relief Team provided aid to Hurricane Melissa victims in Jamaica

• Volunteers packed more than 250 to 300 hygiene and medical kits

• Plans are in place for continued support as recovery efforts proceed

The work began long before the airport goodbyes, with the team calling themselves the Orlando Relief Team. Sandra Fatmi Hall, founder of United Foundation Central Florida, says they packed around 250 to 300 hygiene and medical kits hoping to impact at least 1,500 to 2,000 people.

Fatmi Hall says seeing photos of the damage and waiting to hear from some of her own relatives in Jamaica pushed her to take action.

“Be the change that you want to see,” she said. “There’s always hope.”

The group partnered with local organizations and business owners who helped collect and organize supplies that would be directly delivered to the hardest hit areas.

“I wanted to give back to the community,” said Dr. Sara Sambamdam, owner of Synapse Neurology. “So I was excited about, you know, helping out (and) getting my group involved.”

Also helping lead the effort is Zorida Pritipal, founder of The Vida Foundation and co-owner of the Golden Krust restaurants in Orlando and Clermont. Her restaurants quickly became donation drop-off sites where members of the community brought in bags of clothing, food and toiletries.

“Through my efforts, our stores were able to collect four pallets of food, clothing, and supplies that were shipped off to Jamaica yesterday,” Pritipal said.

Fatmi Hall, Pritipal and several others visited St. Elizabeth, Trelawny, Westmoreland and Montego Bay during their trip.

“I have to thank our partners and donors that came together to make this happen,” Fatmi Hall said.

They say this trip is only the beginning, and they expect to return as recovery continues across the island.

To See Photos from the Jamaica Relief Trip Click Here.