Sat | Jan 24, 2026

More families receive container houses

Published:Saturday | January 3, 2026 | 9:19 AM
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Custos of Clarendon Edith Chin (second right) speaks with Ashella Baker (second left) from Middle Quarters in St Elizabeth, while in the community recently to hand over a container house to the mother of six. Sharing in the discussion is representative of
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Custos of Clarendon Edith Chin (second right) speaks with Ashella Baker (second left) from Middle Quarters in St Elizabeth, while in the community recently to hand over a container house to the mother of six. Sharing in the discussion is representative of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), Shelly-Ann James (right), while three of Baker’s children look on.
Volunteers install a container house for mother of six, Ashella Baker, in Middle Quarters, St Elizabeth.
Contributed
Volunteers install a container house for mother of six, Ashella Baker, in Middle Quarters, St Elizabeth.
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Four additional families in hurricane-impacted parishes have received container houses through the Hurricane Melissa Relief Mission spearheaded by Custos of Clarendon Edith Chin.

Two of the units were handed over in Arlington, St Elizabeth, and one each in Kinloss, Trelawny, and Rocky Point in Clarendon, bringing to six, the number of housing beneficiaries under the programme, to date.

Mother of six, Ashella Baker from Middle Quarters, and Alludia Brown, a mother of two from the community of Parottee, both in St Elizabeth, were the first beneficiaries.

“I am grateful for Mrs Chin and her team coming all the way from Clarendon to do this, to make this possible for me and my family. I am grateful,” Baker said during the handover of her unit.

President of the Middle Quarters Community Development Committee, Stashauna Burnett, praised the efforts of the Hurricane Melissa Relief Mission, which includes the distribution of care packages, bringing food, water, beverages, and solar chargers.

She noted that she was happy for Baker, who “lost everything” during the hurricane.

Burnett said that after seeing the devastation, she reached out to Shelly-Ann James from non-profit organisation Community Organized Relief Effort, and together they sought assistance from the Hurricane Melissa Relief Mission.

“I am overjoyed, I am elated for this ... This is one that warms my heart. This is one that puts goose pimples on my body to know that there are persons out there who really care, persons who show upfor people that they don’t even know,” she said.

James, for her part, said she was happy to have played a part in assisting the young mother.

Meanwhile, the custos said the mission goes to areas where needs are identified, noting that community members also reach out for assistance.

Through the Hurricane Melissa Relief Mission, approximately 16,000 meals and care packages have been distributed in addition to 25,000 gallons of water, reaching residents across St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Manchester, Trelawny, Clarendon and St Ann.

Partners in the mission include Juici Patties, National Baking Company, the Clarendon Police and Clarendon justices of the eace, and Coldfield Manufacturing (Big Jo).