Programme Description: To accelerate the relief or recovery efforts, the Government of Jamaica has committed, as part of the National Clean-up Programme, funds in the amount of JMD$75 million to support the restoration of churches. Specifically, the funds will be available to support/assist the sixteen constituencies across the most severely impacted parishes of: St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny, and St. James.

The programme seeks to provide targeted, transparent, and accountable financial assistance to churches damaged by Hurricane Melissa, enabling them to safely resume worship and community-support functions and to contribute meaningfully to local recovery efforts.

The funds will be made available in the form of grants for the following purposes: clean-up of churches and minor repairs to partially damaged churches (repair/replacement of windows, doors, partially damaged roofs). Minor repairs are defined as works that are not structural in nature and which are intended to help churches return to functionality as quickly as possible.

The scope of works for these minor repairs includes repairs to or replacement of windows; repairs to or replacement of doors; repairs to or replacement of roof guttering; repairs to or replacement of roof sheeting; repairs to roof frame; sealing or waterproofing of roofs; and sealing of wall cracks.

NOTE: 

• Accumulated waste and debris from clean-up and repair activities for each church must be trucked to an approved dumping site, and proof of removal of garbage must be secured via a ticketing system. 
• The Municipal Corporation will provide guidelines for minor repairs.

Grant Amounts: To ensure equity and consistency with existing Government of Jamaica disaster-recovery mechanisms, funds will be made available to eleven (11) churches in each of the sixteen constituencies across the five most affected parishes. Funds will be made available to churches for use as follows: 

• clean-up only: a maximum of $200,000.00
• clean-up and minor repairs, a maximum of JMD $400,000.00.

Eligible churches must apply for access to the funds using the Standard application form. All applications will go through an evaluation process to be activated by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

Grant Application and Assessment Process: 

• Applications are to be submitted online via the Social Development Commission (SDC) website (www.sdc.gov.jm), with telephone support available to assist applicants. 
• Applicants unable to apply online may visit any SDC office for in-person assistance. 
• All submissions will be electronically acknowledged and logged.