Seven weeks after the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, particularly in the western section of the island, Restaurants of Jamaica has continued to strengthen its ongoing relief support for those negatively affected by the disaster.

The company’s KFC Black River restaurant location recently resumed full operations to the community, this after operating solely as a production hub churning out thousands of free meals for those impacted by the storm, in the first weeks after the hurricane. Even with full operations at the restaurant having resumed, KFC has continued to donate, through the Black River location, an additional 1,000 meals a day to ongoing relief efforts, supporting families, shelters, and essential workers during this recovery period.

Since the hurricane’s passage, Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ), operators of KFC and Pizza Hut, has kept its national feeding initiative active across multiple parishes, donating more than 75,000 meals towards hurricane relief to date. With the Black River restaurant now back in operation, KFC has been able to continue servicing one of the country’s hardest hit regions, providing much-needed meal support during this time.

Alongside its own team’s efforts, ROJ has extended its reach through coordinated work with organisations such as ODPEM, Samaritan’s Purse, Food for the Poor, Kevin Downswell Ministries, and World Central Kitchen, as well as relief collaborations with beverage partners Pepsi Jamaica and poultry partners Jamaica Broilers, among others.

Within the parish of St Elizabeth, the team led by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth Southwestern, Floyd Green, has supported the movement of meals from the kitchens into communities across St Elizabeth, strengthening daily distribution as the Black River location has proved to be critical to the wider relief operations.

During a visit to the KFC Black River restaurant last Saturday, Minister Green met with the team on the ground, observed meal preparation in progress, and heard firsthand from team members, many of whom were impacted, as they continued to support families and vulnerable groups despite their own circumstances.

“Having this level of support coming directly from within St. Elizabeth makes a real difference on the ground. Most of the meals prepared here each day are made by KFC team members who were impacted themselves, yet they continue to show up to support families, shelters and vulnerable groups who rely on this assistance,” he said.

He continued, “We appreciate KFC’s commitment and their willingness to anchor part of this programme right here in Black River. It strengthens our ability to reach the people who need it most and reinforces the support systems communities are relying on as rebuilding continues.”

Marketing Director Tina Matalon said the reopening represents an important moment for both the team and the community, especially as the location takes on its dual role of serving customers while maintaining daily meal production.

“Reopening KFC Black River has brought a renewed sense of energy for our team and for the community. While we are glad to welcome customers again, our commitment to providing daily meals has remained unchanged. For the past month, our teams have shown tremendous dedication, and that same spirit continues here as we balance regular operations with the responsibility of supporting those who still need us. As we move forward, our focus is continuing to provide ongoing support for the members of our ROJ family who have been negatively impacted, helping them to get back to some sense of normalcy. We began with monetary support and care package distribution, and will continue with the next phase of support, which is helping them to rebuild the lives that they once knew.”

Gaylen Skervin, Restaurant Manager for KFC Black River, expressed how proud she was of the resilience, dedication, and tireless work ethic of the members of her team, many of whom, she indicated, endured severe trauma, both during and since the storm.

“I am so proud of my team. They have all been through so much. Several of them have lost their roofs, even their entire homes. Some of them went through traumatic, life-threatening situations during the storm, and yet they have all shown up nearly every day since the hurricane to get us back up and running. For many members of this team, our Black River location is like a safe haven, a sanctuary, and sort of an escape from the realities of the devastation that they have faced.”

She added, “We are also extremely grateful for the support that we have received from ROJ. It has been overwhelming and really came when we needed it most.”

As operations resume for the KFC Black River team, ROJ says it remains closely connected to community needs and committed to supporting St Elizabeth and other affected regions throughout this period of rebuilding.