Although Hurricane Melissa made landfall nearly 1,700 miles away in Jamaica, it induced fear and inspired advocacy within the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) community. Many students at MVRHS have family in Jamaica, and think of the country as home. The interwoven, diverse nature of the school community led students to band together to support their classmates and those affected by Hurricane Melissa through fund-raising efforts and clothing donations.
“My entire family’s in Jamaica, except for my mom and grandma, who are [here] with me,” said Senior Xeandre Miller. Xeandre moved to Martha’s Vineyard when he was 10, and has lived apart from his four siblings, father, cousins, and aunts since then: “Luckily my family didn’t get hit by any lasting effects …my family’s pretty strong, so I knew they would be OK.”
Sophomore Fahima Williams, who moved to the Island in her freshman year, views Jamaica as her home. “I’m scared because that’s my country — that’s where I was born and that’s where I grew up,” she said. “I don’t really know how to explain it, but Jamaica is not going to be the same as it was.”
In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, students worked together to determine the most effective way to respond to the natural disaster. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Student Alliance (BSA) club advisor Sheryl Taylor said, “We have so many students who have been touched by this. Everybody wants to help, but nobody knows what to do or where to do it.”
Some students chose to channel their desire to help into volunteering at the Dine, Dance, and Donate event, a fundraiser held at the Island Inn on Nov. 23. The fundraiser featured Caribbean-inspired food donated by local chefs and restaurants, music, and dancing — with all proceeds going to various nonprofit organizations carrying out relief work in Jamaica. Student volunteers helped the event organizers by collecting tickets, helping to manage the food area, and assisting with setup and cleanup.
Senior and BSA co-leader Soraya Randolph viewed volunteering at the fundraiser as a form of advocacy. “I feel like food and shelter are human rights that everybody should have access to; I think it’s important to advocate for those rights,” she said.
Senior and BSA member Leelyn Thompson was grateful for the opportunity to provide both emotional and tangible support. “Being able to support friends, co-workers, family, and just people island-wide is really fantastic,” she said.
Ms. Taylor, who helped oversee MVRHS volunteers at the fundraiser, agreed about the communal nature of the event. “It was really great to see how many folks did show up … particularly in this time of year, when things start to shut down and it’s dark,” she said. “We had one of the elders who was 92 from the Polar Bears [morning swim club] leading the conga line — it was really a little bit of everybody!”
In addition to volunteering at the fundraiser, students also brought in clothes and other supplies to be shipped to Jamaica, since MVRHS was one of the donation sites for hurricane relief supplies.
Leelyn said, “It really just shows that sense of community that you get from the Island and the school as a whole … it’s very inspiring.”