CIBC Caribbean commits US$500 000 to Jamaica’s relief and restoration efforts

CIBC Caribbean has mobilised its partners to respond to the call for relief for the people of Jamaica, following the shocking devastation left by Hurricane Melissa.

Through CIBC Caribbean’s ComTrust Foundation, and in association with the CIBC Foundation, the bank has committed the funds towards projects on several levels: assisting its employees in Jamaica affected by Melissa with immediate relief supplies through Food for the Poor, and funding the deployment of a Field Hospital Unit by the Barbados Defence Force; which will be set up in Savanna-La-Mar, one of the hardest hit regions of Jamaica.

The bank’s chief executive officer, Mark St Hill, who also chairs the Caribbean bank’s charitable foundation, noted: “Viewing the photos of the hard-hit areas of the western part of the island has caused us distress because we can empathise with the sense of despair the people of Jamaica are feeling, because we all know that any Caribbean country is but a heartbeat away from the same experience every hurricane season.”

The bank began its relief efforts by ensuring the safety of its 670 employees and providing those who needed with food and assistance repairing their homes; simultaneously turning its attention to assistance for hurricane survivors through a cash donation to Food for the Poor.

Head of Country, Annique Dawkins, praised her team in Kingston for its efforts, which started as soon as the “All Clear” was given for the country. “Our colleagues in Kingston, too, sprang into action to help their fellow Jamaicans by distributing food and other necessities, and in even risking their safety to salvage some access to banking services that will provide for our clients what is often so critical after a crisis like this – cash – when we brought the ATM in Savanna-la-Mar back online.”

Chief Country Management Officer, Donna Wellington, noted the bank has “provided short term relief, but helping Jamaica is a long-term project and CIBC Caribbean is up to the task,” as she outlined the bank’s package of relief in the following details:

• US$100 000, which has already gone to Food for the Poor, for the purchase of relief supplies ranging from sanitation equipment, tarpaulins, feminine and baby care supplies, first aid kits, burner stoves, solar fans, etc.
• We have provided funding to the Barbados Defence Force’s Emergency Medical Team (BDF EMT) and a Type 2 Field Hospital’s deployment to Savanna-La Mar Regional Hospital in Westmoreland, Jamaica as part of the
• Hurricane Melissa response. The facility will be staffed by personnel from the Barbados Defence Force, and volunteers from across Barbados and the eastern Caribbean, coming from the public health sector and private medical clinics. This is the first time the facility is being fully deployed after a disaster, with CIBC Caribbean being the major donor, committing US$250 000 to outfit the facility, so it will be a self-managing unit when it arrives in Jamaica.
• Our Jamaica CMC will use funds in the local CIBC Caribbean ComTrust account to provide care packages for persons in communities who have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
• Our Cards and Payments team are also stepping up, offering US$150 000 in donations to be disbursed as the Country Management team deems fit. Pre-paid cards are being made available to provide funding to impacted individuals where they are able to use these to help them buy essentials.
• We’ve also agreed with the University of the West Indies to donate unused funds from our scholarship programme for this year and last year to their Student Hardship Fund, to assist Jamaican students who are trying to recover from the effects of the hurricane.

Additionally, the bank has put together a package of assistance for clients needing extra support during this difficult period. These include:
Payment moratoriums on existing loans, mortgages and credit cards.

Temporary revolving or working capital financing options for our Corporate Banking and Business Banking clients.

Additional financing facilities to support rebuilding efforts pending insurance settlements.

Other special credit relief or waiver considerations to address specific client requests.

St Hill added: “We have more than 670 team members in Jamaica, and each one of them has family, friends and other stakeholders as part of their circles. Our response to the appeal for assistance to Jamaica is because we are part of one Caribbean region, which is susceptible to natural disasters each year. We must be our brother’s keeper.”

(PR)