Fort Myers Cafe Owner Collects Supplies for Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa

Andrew Henry owns Irie-A Jamaican American Cafe in Fort Myers. He launched a donation drive after Hurricane Melissa tore through western Jamaica in late October. All nonperishable items are accepted at his cafe, including water, tissues, diapers, baby food, toothbrushes, and shoes.

Henry will haul the collected goods to a Fort Lauderdale company that ships to Jamaica. The drive runs for several weeks, and he'll send items as boxes fill up.

"Out of many, we are one people," Henry said, according to Fox 4 News. "It doesn't matter how small or too big you think what you have is. You give from the heart."

Henry grew up in Clarendon, Jamaica. Hurricane Gilbert hit when he was a child back in the late 1980s.

This storm dwarfs Gilbert in destruction. "Comparing Melissa to Hurricane Gilbert, these are two different hurricanes, two different eras," he said. "This one is very, very dangerous."

Reaching his family back home has been tough. Aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides remain scattered across the island, and the internet keeps cutting out. "Because of communication issues in terms of internet and so forth, it's kind of slow until everything comes back up," he said.

Azim Salmon lives in Cape Coral and stops by the restaurant. Salmon hails from Kingston and has family on the eastern side of the island who dodged the worst of Melissa's wrath.

"It's about being a humanitarian," Salmon said. "It's not about what's in it for me, but what can I give back — a pay it forward concept."

Henry believes Jamaica will bounce back. "We're a very strong nation. We're very resilient," Henry said. "We like coming together, especially at times like this."

Donations can be dropped off at Irie-A Jamaican American Cafe at 3559 Fowler St. in Fort Myers.