LEE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Beattyville woman who has deep ties to Jamaica is preparing to help the island nation recover from Hurricane Melissa.

Tonja Lesmeister adopted two of her children from Jamaica and created the nonprofit "Traveling with a Purpose" in 2020. The organization leads service trips to Jamaica and focuses on sustainability projects.

"It's challenging when you see a country that already has a fragile infrastructure, even on a good day. Then when they get something this catastrophic, it can be pretty devastating for the locals in Jamaica," Lesmeister said.

Her goddaughter also lives in Jamaica and is medically fragile. Given their connections to the country, they visit several times a year.

"Because we spent so much time on the island, the locals call us 'Jamarican,

See Full Page