Jamaican workers stranded in US amid hurricane crisis at home

For 20 years, Aunja Williams and Winston Frater, both Jamaican agricultural workers, have been an essential part of Antrim’s Tenney Farm.

“They are part of our family and part of this community,” said Christa Salamy, who runs Tenney Farm with her family.

When Hurricane Melissa slammed the western side of Jamaica last week, Williams and Frater were completely cut off from their families and had to wait days to find out if their loved ones were safe.

The two men have been trying to get home to Jamaica for several days to deliver medical and emergency supplies, but their flights have been canceled multiple times.

“They were supposed to leave today at 5 a.m., but their flights have been canceled and rescheduled four times, and now it’s not happening,” Salamy said Monday morning.

Salamy said she called the New England Apple Council, which sponsors the Jamaican migrant worker program, and “begged and pleaded” to get Frater and Williams on a flight to Kingston, Jamaica. They are now scheduled to fly home on Sunday, Nov. 9.

“They had a flight to Montego Bay, but there is absolutely no way for them to get from Montego Bay to their side of the island. It is completely cut off,” Salamy said. “Now they have a flight to Kingston where they can stay with family and figure out how to get rides to the western part of the island.”

Salamy said she knows some airlines have waived baggage fees for Jamaicans returning to the island with emergency supplies, and she hopes Winston and Frater’s flight will do the same.

“What we have learned is that no aid has come into the region at all,” she said. “There have been no food packets dropped, and there is no way for any aid to get in. After Mandeville, the roads are cut off, and the only way to get to people is to walk.”

According to Salamy, Frater’s family survived Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, when he was a teenager. As a result, Frater fortified his family home to be hurricane-proof.

“Winston’s house is the only house standing in his neighborhood, and there are 12 or 14 people staying there,” Salamy said. “He built a 14 by 14 foot water cistern. He has barrels of water and they have 75 meat chickens that they were about to process, so they will be able to eat those if they need to. He was ready.”

Salamy said Frater and Williams have “been in shock” at the outpouring of generosity of the community after their situation became known.

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She has been updating customers and friends on social media.

“People have been coming by the farm, dropping things off, giving checks, and it has just been absolutely amazing. These guys have been here for 20 years, and people really care about them,” she said.

Salamy said so far, donations have funded the purchase of solar-powered Starlink bases, which will enable Fraser and Williams’ families to communicate with the outside world.

“Right now, their wives are walking three miles through the mud each day to get phone service,” Salamy said. “It is going to take forever for them to get power back, but once they are able to get in there, they can use Starlink to stay in touch.”

Williams and Frater are collecting solar-powered lights and chargers, medical supplies and water filters.

Tenney Farm is hosting a raffle to raise funds for Frater’s and William’s communities and will be selling bumper stickers and T-shirts designed by Ann Avery, owner of Personalize It! as part of the fundraising effort.

“We’ve just been truly overwhelmed by people’s kindness,” Salamy said.

Anyone wishing to donate to is asked to drop off or mail checks to Tenney Farm.

More information about the raffle, which includes items donated by local businesses, is available at facebook.com/farminlocal.

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