Steinbach Steps Up — A Community Racing Against Time to Help Jamaica
- IRAL Music & Arts Festival
- Nov 27
- 2 min read
When a nation cries, the world feels the echo — and right now, Jamaica is crying.
In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, thousands of families are displaced, entire communities are struggling to access food, clean water, sanitation supplies, and safe shelter. Mothers are sleeping on concrete floors. Children are going to bed hungry. Elders sit beside the ruins of their homes with no certainty about what tomorrow holds.
And from Steinbach, Manitoba — thousands of kilometers away — a small but powerful light is rising.
A Container of Hope Is Now Open in Steinbach
IRAL Creatives Steinbach Youth Group, led by CEO Neville Hamilton, in partnership with the United Church of Steinbach, has secured a 40-foot shipping container to send urgent relief supplies directly to Jamaica.
The container is already on-site at the United Church of Steinbach, and the goal is simple:
Fill it to the brim. Fill it with love. Fill it with life.
But with the deadline fast approaching — Sunday, November 30 — we are still far from our target.
What Jamaica Needs Most Right Now
We are asking Steinbach and the surrounding region to donate specifically needed emergency items, including:
Non-perishable food items
Sanitary and sanitation packages (soap, wipes, toothpaste, deodorant, pads, diapers, etc.)
Sleeping bags, blankets, and light bedding
Kids’ supplies (school items, hygiene kits, small toys for emotional comfort)
This is not just charity — this is survival.
Every item placed into that container is a direct lifeline to a family who has lost everything.
Why This Matters — And Why Steinbach Can Lead
Steinbach has always been a city that shows up. When floods hit, when fires spread, when families are in need — this community responds with heart, unity, and action.
We believe Steinbach can be a leader again.
IRAL Creatives Steinbach Youth Group is comprised of young people committed to service, cultural unity, and international compassion. Many of our members have family in Jamaica. Many have watched footage of the destruction with tears and helplessness. But today, helplessness becomes action.
This is our chance — as a community — to stand together across cultures and oceans.
Media and Community Partners — We Need You Now!
We are calling on local media, radio stations, newspapers, churches, community organizations, and businesses:
Help us amplify this message.
Share it loudly.
Share it often.
Share it urgently.
The container must be filled before November 30.
Every day counts.
Every hour matters.
Coverage from CBC News and Steinbach Online has already helped raise awareness, but we need Steinbach’s full support to get across the finish line.
How to Donate
Drop-off location: United Church of Steinbach
(Front entrance or designated donation area)
Donation window:
Now until Sunday, November 30
Financial contributions toward shipping costs are also welcome and deeply appreciated.
Steinbach, It’s Your Time to Lift Jamaica Up
One city can change the outcome for thousands of lives.
One container can carry hope further than we can imagine.
One community can rewrite the story of recovery.
Let Steinbach be that community.
Let this be our legacy — compassion in action.
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