SEASONHOOD – JOURNAL NO. 02
When the Storm Hit Home: Why Rebuilding Jamaica Became My Responsibility
By Chef Christopher Callender
November 30th 2025
When Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, it didn’t just damage roads, villages, and homes — it shook something inside of me. Jamaica is more than where my family comes from. It’s the foundation of my story, my identity, my food, my discipline, and my courage.
Seeing the aftermath felt like watching a piece of my soul struggle to breathe. And right in the middle of that heartbreak, something unexpected happened:
Our 501(c)(3) approval came through.
The GALA Legacy Foundation was officially born — at the exact moment Jamaica needed us most.
I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in callings.
Why Rebuilding Jamaica Matters More Than Ever
People outside the Caribbean don’t always understand how devastating a storm can be to an island where community is the infrastructure. When a roof goes, a family loses safety. When a farm floods, a family loses income. When a neighborhood is destroyed, a child loses a sense of normalcy, and a student might lose the chance to dream past survival.
My family is from Trelawny — farmers, storytellers, workers who grow from the earth because the earth raised us too. That resilience is in my blood. So when Hurricane Melissa hit, it felt personal. It felt like my ancestors tapping me on the shoulder saying:
“You’ve built all of this. Now use it to give back.”
Why the Scholarship Was Never Just About Tuition
A lot of people think the Culinary Futures Scholarship is simply about helping someone go to culinary school. But that was never the heart of it.
Here’s the truth:
How can a student focus on school when their home isn’t safe?
How can a young creative dream when their family is struggling to rebuild walls and replace beds?
How can we raise the next generation of chefs, creators, and cultural leaders if they don’t have the foundation to even feel stable?
This scholarship is not just a check.
It’s mentorship.
It’s resources.
It’s emotional support.
It’s a lifeline.
And now — because of Hurricane Melissa — it’s also about recovery.
The GALA Legacy Foundation was created so that no underrepresented creative has to navigate life’s challenges alone, especially when disasters hit their homes.
Why We Built the GALA Legacy Foundation
Growing up, my family supported me with love — heavy love — even when they didn’t fully understand the creative world I wanted to enter. They encouraged me, but they couldn’t always guide me. They didn’t know the industries I was stepping into. They couldn’t show me how to navigate rooms I wasn’t raised to be in.
I didn’t have a mentor.
I didn’t have an industry blueprint.
I didn’t have someone who looked like me saying,
“Here’s how you survive. Here’s how you win.”
I built the GALA Legacy Foundation to become exactly what I needed when I was younger — and what so many brilliant young creatives still need today.
More seats at the table.
More guidance.
More opportunity.
More community.
More representation.
Because talent lives everywhere.
Access does not.
The Rebuild Jamaica Hoodie — A Symbol of Hope, Culture, and Action
When we designed the Rebuild Jamaica Hoodie, it wasn’t merch — it was a message.
A message that says:
“Jamaica, we see you. We love you. We’re not waiting for someone else to save us — we are doing it ourselves.”
100% of profits go directly toward rebuilding efforts.
Every hoodie sold helps us support families, students, and communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
Every purchase is a vote for the future of Jamaica.
Every share is a reminder that Jamaican culture is not just strong — it’s unstoppable.
We say “Family is Flavor™” because everything I do traces back to where my family taught me to stand tall, cook with intention, and move with heart.
Supporting this hoodie means supporting:
• students who lost stability in the storm
• families who need help rebuilding their homes
• future creatives who deserve a real chance
• a foundation dedicated to long-term Caribbean empowerment
Jerk Reserve’s Mission Is Bigger Than Spice
Jerk Reserve has always been about more than food — it’s about bigging up Jamaican people and Caribbean culture at the highest level.
We are an island of:
• world-class flavor,
• world-changing music,
• global influence, and
• unbreakable talent.
But we can’t celebrate culture while ignoring the communities who shaped it.
Rebuilding Jamaica isn’t charity.
It’s responsibility.
It’s gratitude.
It’s legacy.
Let’s Rebuild Home Together
Our mission is simple:
Honor the ancestors.
Support the present.
Empower the future.
If you believe in Jamaica…
If you love Caribbean culture…
If you’ve ever tasted our flavor, heard our music, or felt our presence…
Then join me in this movement.
Grab a Rebuild Jamaica Hoodie.
Share this story.
Help us rebuild, restore, and rise.
My family is from Trelawny. They are farmers. And farmers believe in planting seeds for a stronger future.
Let’s grow together.