The Churches of Scientology Disaster Response collaborated with National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (www.nvoad.org) organizations to provide critical relief to survivors in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa's devastating impact on the island in October. As the hurricane approached, these organizations began coordinating efforts to address the immediate needs of affected families, particularly focusing on food insecurity among displaced populations.
Operation BBQ Relief (www.operationbbqrelief.org), a US-based disaster non-profit organization, recognized the urgent need for prepared meals and organized volunteer teams in Florida to pack and ship thousands of meals to Jamaica. Joava Good, Deputy National Director of Churches of Scientology Disaster Response (www.csdr-us.org), offered the assistance of her organization's volunteers to support this critical mission.
Volunteer Ministers (www.volunteerministers.org) from the Clearwater, Florida area joined Operation BBQ Relief executives and volunteers from across the country, working alongside local government agencies and school volunteers. The collaborative effort took place in a Pinellas Park warehouse equipped with forklifts, pallet jacks, and specialized tables provided by Amazon, where volunteers dedicated hundreds of hours to packing non-perishable food items.
The operation involved packing food into two different box sizes designed to sustain a family of four for either three days (36 meals) or six days (72 meals). Doyle Mills, CSDR national executive who coordinated the Scientology volunteers, emphasized the complexity behind what might appear as a simple operation. "An amazing amount of logistical planning and work went into the operation these past few weeks, much of it behind the scenes," Mills stated.
The warehouse operation functioned as a highly efficient assembly line with volunteers performing multiple tasks including labeling and assembling boxes, transporting food to assembly stations, packing boxes, sealing containers, loading pallets, and managing cleanup. Mills described the process as "a loud, fast-paced machine manned by all the volunteers" working in coordinated synchronization.
Distribution logistics involved transporting some boxes directly to airports for loading onto small planes for quick delivery, while the majority were trucked to Miami for transport via large cargo aircraft. The massive effort resulted in the shipment of over 270,000 meals to Jamaican families facing food insecurity in the hurricane's aftermath.
Mills highlighted the success of the collaborative approach, noting that "what made the overall operation successful was collaboration – working together side-by-side to get the product." He described the experience as both challenging and rewarding, adding that "it was an honor to work with the Operation BBQ's team" knowing the end result would help those devastated by the hurricane.
While immediate disaster response activities in Jamaica are concluding, the need for volunteers continues as recovery and rebuilding efforts enter their next phase. The Churches of Scientology Disaster Response (www.csdr-us.org), incorporated in Washington, DC, maintains over 25 offices across the United States and continues to coordinate responses with government agencies and other National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster organizations.
