VM Group President and CEO Courtney Campbell has issued a stirring call for Jamaicans to stand together in the rebuilding effort following Hurricane Melissa, declaring that “we are the recovery” during a thanksgiving service at Saxthorpe Methodist Church on Sunday.

Campbell delivered this message of resilience and mutual upliftment as the VM Group marked its 147th anniversary, emphasising that the organisation’s founding principles of service and community support are more vital now than ever.

Addressing church leaders, community members and VM team members, Campbell acknowledged the severe impact of the storm, particularly in western Jamaica. He noted that while many families are still coping with loss and uncertainty, the strength of the Jamaican spirit remains unwavering.

“We are hard-pressed, but not crushed. Struck down, but not destroyed,” he said, referencing 2 Corinthians 4. “The hurricane broke many things, yet it did not break the Jamaican spirit.”

Campbell detailed VM’s ongoing recovery support efforts, including the reopening of the majority of its branches and ABMs, the return to standard operating hours, and on-the-ground community support through the VM Foundation. He also confirmed financial relief for VM members significantly affected by the hurricane, such as loan moratoria and fee adjustments, along with grants and emotional support services for VM team members who experienced personal loss.

He underscored that VM’s mission of mutual upliftment is not theoretical. It is active, lived, and urgent.

“This is not simply about reopening branches. It is about restoring confidence,” Campbell stated. “We are not waiting for the recovery to begin. We are the recovery. We are here to serve. We are here to restore. We are here to walk with our people through the valley.”

Campbell also reaffirmed the Group’s long-standing role as a community-centred financial institution.

“For 147 years, VM has been a movement built by Jamaicans for Jamaicans,” he continued. “We rise by lifting each other up. That commitment is our foundation, and it is our future.”

In closing, Campbell encouraged the nation to hold firm to hope. “Storms come. Winds attack. Waters rise. God is still God,” he said. “We will rebuild. We will restore. We will rise together. May our actions speak louder than the howling winds that visited us. May we continue to choose service, compassion and community in this moment.”