( L - R ) Jarrett, Thomas

Residents of St. Thomas who were affected by Hurricane Dean are being encouraged to come out this afternoon to discuss their experiences and find solutions, as the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Foundation will be hosting a forum in the parish to discuss the impact of the storm.

The forum will be held at the Anglican Church Hall in Morant Bay from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. It will feature participation from agencies such as the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR), the Adventist Disaster Relief Agency (ADRA), the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Public Service, National Water Commission and Cable & Wireless Jamaica.

The panellists will include Kingsley Thomas, newly-appointed director of the ONR, and Desmond Robinson, director of the ADRA.

One of the hardest hit

St. Thomas was one of the parishes hardest hit during the passage of the hurricane, with reports of flooding, dismantled homes and damaged infrastructure. A 15-year-old girl was also killed during the storm.

Earl Jarrett, director of the JNBS Foundation, said the forum will explore the status of services and issues impacting on communities in St. Thomas since the hurricane; and provide a context in which representatives of government agencies, social services, the Church and other entities can provide solutions.

This meeting is one in a series that are scheduled to be held in parishes affected by the Category Four hurricane. The other parishes are Clarendon on Monday, Manchester on Wednesday and St. Elizabeth on Friday. The time and venues are yet to be announced.

The meetings, including the one today, will be carried live by Power 106 FM and will be streamed live on The Gleaner's website, Go- Jamaica.com.