Operation GRACE is the humanitarian outreach programme of the Northgate Youth and Family Development Initiatives (NYFDI). It was mobilised in response to the widespread effects of Hurricane Melissa to bring hope, practical assistance and longer-term recovery support to affected students, families and communities.
The programme was structured in four connected phases.
Phase 1 – KCN Jamaica Outreach was implemented from December 2025 to January 2026 and provided customised family care packages to KCN Jamaica members, their families and friends affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Phase 2 – School Outreach was carried out from January 29 to February 11, 2026. It supported affected students, families and school communities through care packages, school visits, peer encouragement, volunteer service and relationship-building.
Phase 3 – Community Outreach was implemented from March to August 2026 and extended the response to residents and vulnerable households in Cambridge. Support included food, clothing and hygiene supplies, health services, prayer and counselling, agricultural assistance and livelihood support.
Phase 4 – Community Outreach: Targeted Empowerment covers the period September 2026 to January 2027. This phase focuses on food security and strategic support for the farming community through the provision of specialised equipment, training and capacity-building support for the Cambridge Benevolent Society.
Across the four phases, Operation GRACE combined practical assistance with personal engagement, partnership, prayer and support for longer-term recovery. The programme provided immediate relief while also strengthening relationships, restoring hope and dignity, and helping individuals and the wider community build greater resilience.
| Central finding: Operation GRACE showed that meaningful recovery requires more than material relief. People also need to be heard, valued, encouraged and supported through genuine relationships. |
Distribution of customized family care packages to affected KCN Jamaica members, families and friends
Distribution of care packages, peer encouragement, school visits, volunteer service and relationship-building with affected students, families and school communities
Distribution of food, clothing and hygiene relief; health services; prayer and counselling; agricultural and livelihood support to residents and vulnerable households in Cambridge St. James.
A Food Security Initiative with a focus on strategic support for the farming community. Provision of Specialized Equipment, Training and Capacity Building Support for the Cambridge Benevolent Society
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