Port Loyola Family Receives New Home Thanks to Public Private Partnership

The four hundred and ninety-fifth home built by Hand in Hand Ministries went to a deserving family in Port Loyola. Melissa Jones and her two children lost their home last year. She has been seeking assistance to build a new home for family, but she lost hope after some time. That is until Heritage Bank and Hand in Hand Ministries partnered to build a house for the family. The keys were handed over today. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

A mother and her children will be sleeping in a brand new home tonight, after living in a cramped space with some relatives for almost a year. In November 2022, Melissa Jones lost her home to Hurricane Lisa.  The strong winds battered her second floor wooden structure and made it uninhabitable. We spoke with her mother, Cynthia Anderson, a day after the hurricane.

Cynthia Anderson

Cynthia Anderson, Hurricane Lisa Victim

“When deh feel the house the shake suh the hurry run down with the baby my grandson that is ten months old, run down with he and thing and start to scramble lee thing and bring down. The first half ah the house gone. Weh actually happen the sink blow off my grandson roof first. Then the wind pick up the half of the top and gone with that and afterwards the next half gone, and after that everything start to shatter apart.”

The family is now singing a new song, one of gratitude and second chances, thanks to assistance from Hand in Hand Ministries and Heritage Bank.

Rashida Bethran

Rashida Bethran, Director, Hand in Hand Ministries

“Melissa came to us about two years ago. She was in need from the first day I saw where she was living. It was right in this spot in an upstairs house in a dilapidated condition. We wanted to help her but she didn’t have land or land space. We told her sorry we can’t help until you get proper land. She went a year later came back and still didn’t have land. But last year November after the hurricane hit that house fell and that gave her a little bit more hope where she could have cleared up the back here, did her filling, and then be available to just ready to build a home.”

Steven Duncan

Steven Duncan, Managing Director, Heritage Bank

“As it relates to Heritage Bank this is our eighteenth house that we have sponsored for eighteen families. I thought she could really do with it. It was a good choice. I must confess all that we have done seems to have been good choices. I think there are so many people out there that could use help and need help, so the work is never finished. So I have no doubt that next year we will find another deserving person. We have this program where the employees contribute monthly to a fund. It is not a big amount but we appreciate that they feel a part of what we are doing and the bank foot the rest of the bill. As part of it they volunteer their time to come and actually help to build.”

Steven Duncan, the Managing Director at Heritage Bank, handed over the keys to Jones during a brief house warming ceremony this afternoon. She told us that her new home is a blessing.

Melissa Jones

Melissa Jones, House Recipient

“I feel blessed, I feel good. Me and my kids are going to have a home now. I thank God for everything and the Heritage Bank crew.”

Paul Lopez

“What were some of the challenges that came with the destruction of the upstairs structure by Hurricane Lisa?”

Melissa Jones

“Well, it became more challenging because the kids are getting bigger and the house fall and we had to stay over there with my mom. So, it has been challenging, so I was just working forward and working hard for the house. It is a blessing, all of them are nice people. The first day they came they started working and introduced themselves to me. And, id did the same. Day three I thank them, because they feel like my family as well. I want to invite them over but it is good.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.