Parottee Residents benefit from JPS Community Connect Pop-up

(Kingston – May 13, 2026) Parottee Primary School was abuzz with activity last Thursday, May 7, as residents from surrounding communities turned out for the JPS Community Connect Pop-up.

Hosted by the energy company in partnership with several public and private sector entities, the initiative provided residents with convenient access to social services and support as communities continue to recover from the effects of Hurricane Melissa.

In bringing greetings, Member of Parliament for South West St. Elizabeth, Floyd Green, acknowledged the challenges residents have faced over the past few months. He also commended JPS for its ongoing support and intervention in the affected communities and encouraged residents to take full advantage of the services available at the event.

Marilyn McDonald, Manager for Community Renewal at JPS, explained the importance of the initiative.

“The reality is that while some of the lesser-affected eastern parishes have largely returned to normal, many families in western Jamaica are still experiencing tremendous difficulty recovering from the devastation caused by the hurricane,” she said.

McDonald noted that residents had expressed concerns about replacing important identification documents that were lost or damaged during the storm.

“We listened to the residents, and one of the major concerns raised was the challenge of renewing critical documents. In response, we reached out to the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), and the Tax Administration of Jamaica (TAJ), all of whom willingly came on board to support the effort,” she explained.

She added that JPS was particularly focused on reducing or eliminating the financial burden associated with the renewal process, whether through waived application fees or by removing the need for residents to travel long distances to access these services.

According to McDonald, one hundred residents benefited from waived document renewal fees, with JPS covering the associated costs to allow residents to begin the process of replacing birth, marriage, and death certificates.

Managing Director of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Omar Sweeney, also encouraged residents to register for house wiring assistance.

“JSIF is no stranger to Parottee, but we are back again to ensure that damage to electrical infrastructure, as well as minor damage to homes affecting proper house wiring, can be addressed,” Sweeney said.

He also urged attendees to spread the word to persons who may have missed the event.

“If you know someone who is not here and needs the service, please encourage them to make contact with us,” he added.

In addition to getting access to social services, a total of 300 care packages were distributed. Residents also benefited from potable water distributed by the National Water Commission (NWC) and several students of the Parottee Primary School received toys and school supplies courtesy of JSIF.

Other entities that contributed to the success of the event included Campari, Digicel Foundation, Food For The Poor Jamaica, Juici Patties, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Social Development Commission, Universal Service Fund, and Wray and Nephew.

The Community Connect Pop-up forms part of JPS’ continued commitment to standing with communities, especially in times of need, by helping residents access practical support as they rebuild and recover.