Students assist with hurricane recovery during Jamaican alternative break trip

Hurricane preparation and recovery are a part of life for residents of eastern North Carolina. Every June through November, the Atlantic hurricane season typically has 14 named storms and three major hurricanes, which are classified as Category 3, 4 or 5 storms, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Mason Hancock paints a wall as part of the service component of the alternative break experience in Jamaica. (Contributed photos)

While many college students have seen recovery efforts in North Carolina and neighboring states, 12 students from East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina – Wilmington saw firsthand the impact a Category 5 storm can have on an island when they traveled to Jamaica for an alternative break experience (ABE).

“This year was particularly poignant because of the Category 5 hurricane, Melissa, that came through Jamaica in October and hit this particular parish of Jamaica significantly,” said Dennis McCunney, associate director of student success and trip organizer. “That community was hit hard, and they received some emergency relief and funds immediately, but this was the first group that was able to come and serve with the rebuilding.”

ECU has partnered with the Petersfield Galloway Benevolent Society (PGBS) and AllPeopleBeHappy for the last five years. Students travel to Jamaica in late May to participate in the volunteerism program. This year’s trip looked vastly different from previous years. Part of the experience involved a homestay, where participants stayed in the homes of residents instead of in hotels or other accommodations.

“A lot of the homes there — almost all of them — their roofs were damaged,” McCunney said. “Many blue tarps were still all over the community and covering the roofs. Resources are tight, roofing materials and construction materials are tight. They were worried if they would be able to host us adequately and thankfully, they were able to.”

Although students didn’t assist with major renovations, they were able to help with painting reconstructed buildings in traditional Caribbean colors such as coral, bright yellow and blue.

For ECU student and health information management major Sandro Addo, participating in the Jamaican ABE gave her the chance to serve and learn in a global environment. Previously, she had completed other ABE experiences within the United States.

“ABEs give students a chance to travel and engage in experiences that they would not normally be exposed to,” she said. “For example, the Jamaica ABE gave me a local experience separate from the flashy tourist spots. It was humbling, and I am inspired by the resourcefulness and mindfulness of that community.”

Another major difference between this year’s trip and previous ones was the collaboration with UNCW. McCunney reached out to UNCW’s Center for Student Involvement after learning about its interest in global service-learning experiences. Jaime Russell, director of student community engagement, and Mandy Vitale, coordinator for student community engagement, served as the UNCW staff representatives on the trip.

Steven Asby learns the art of preparing a traditional Jamaican dish during a cultural cooking lesson, one of several immersive experiences offered through the Jamaican alternative break program.

“ECU’s long-standing partnership with Petersfield Galloway Benevolent Society was evident throughout every stage of the experience,” Vitale said. “Although this was a new experience for us, we felt reassured knowing we were participating alongside a program with such deep and meaningful relationships. The ECU students and staff made the trip more insightful, relational and enjoyable. We truly could not have imagined our first immersive service trip to Jamaica any other way.”

In addition to the service component of the trip, students were experienced different facets of life in Jamaica, including culinary presentations and history lessons, which shed light on the different cultures that influence Jamaica. Students also reflected on their own connection to food and how natural disasters can directly impact food production and supply chains.

“Most things in Jamaica are connected to the land and produced locally,” McCunney said. “Because of the storm, so many of the fruit trees were badly damaged or totally died off. … To get those fruits and vegetables became much more expensive because they had to import them from other parts of the island or other countries.”

One of the most striking moments for Steven Asby, ECU’s senior director of academic advising and support, was the duality of Jamaica as a country. The group flew into Montego Bay, in the north of the country, and traveled southwest to their destination of Petersfield and Galloway. Along the way, they were able to see a few locations designed for tourists and noted stark contrasts.

“I expected it, but once you’re immersed in something, it can hit you harder than you were expecting,” Asby said. “The trip did show both sides of it — these are the people who live here, these are the places people come to visit — and how drastic it was between the two.”

The trip was funded by the Center for Student Success, the Honors College and the Truist Leadership Center.

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