Rasta Barista, a new café serving Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee inside the Black Business Hub on Madison’s South Side, is accepting donations for Hurricane Melissa relief, as Jamaica’s worst-ever tropical storm has destroyed buildings, infrastructure, and agriculture.
The record-breaking Category 5 hurricane hit Jamaica on Oct. 28 with 185 mph winds. Hurricane Melissa ripped through Jamaica, leaving an estimated 77% of homes and businesses without power. By the following Monday, an estimated 50% or fewer had power restored, NBC reported. Recovery efforts are currently underway, but Rasta Barista, which sources its Blue Mountain coffee beans from Jamaica and its co-founder, Melissa Kidau, hails from there, is doing its part to help.
“Growing up, we used to have a saying in relation to hurricane season: ‘June too soon, July stand by, September remember, October all over,’” Kidau said. “For us to have a hurricane so late in the season is really unusual.”
(Photo by David Dahmer)
The relief drive aims to provide essential supplies to get people back on their feet in a dignified way, Kidau said. Rasta Barista is accepting donations of everything from hygiene products, clothing, shoes, batteries, non-perishable foods, water, flashlights and more.
Water purification systems are an item Kidau highlighted. Water post-disaster is largely considered a hazard to drink due to potential contaminations such as bacteria and or chemicals entering the water supply. With mixed availability of power, water filtration systems can help sterilize unsafe water without the need for electricity to boil it first on a stove.
An emphasis for its relief efforts will be on the elderly. Kidau wants people to donate goods like adult diapers for the elderly impacted by the hurricane.
“What’s forgotten a lot of times in situations like this is the elderly,” Kidau said. “We’re going to definitely be making a special donation to some old folks’ homes.”
Rasta Barista is currently eyeballing what organizations it will donate goods to for relief. Its current load of goods is planned to go out to Chicago soon. Kidau plans to organize additional shipments after.
Donations can be left in large bins located outside of Rasta Barista in the Black Business Hub, 2352 S. Park St.
