Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS sent $100,000 in emergency humanitarian support to World Central Kitchen and World Food Program USA which are providing on-the-ground relief to those in Jamaica and across the Caribbean affected by the historic devastation of Hurricane Melissa.

 One of the most devastating  Category 5 storms in history, Hurricane Melissa particularly battered Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba with torrential rain, destructive winds and catastrophic flooding in late October 2025. Entire communities were submerged, with homes, schools, hospitals and agricultural fields severely damaged or destroyed. Widespread power outages and impassable roads hampered relief efforts, leaving thousands displaced across the Caribbean.

The emergency grants are being awarded to two organizations that already have established histories of providing emergency aid in the region.

World Central Kitchen, founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, is first to the frontlines, providing millions of fresh meals around the world during natural disasters, humanitarian crises and other emergencies. The organization was on the ground before Hurricane Melissa hit, ready to deliver meals, fresh fruit and water to communities across Jamaica and Haiti. By partnering with local chefs and restaurants, World Central Kitchen not only feeds those in crisis but also helps revive local economies. Its teams are also building two large-scale field kitchens capable of preparing up to 60,000 meals a day and air dropping food to remote locations.

World Food Program USA is the U.S.-based charitable partner of the UN’s World Food Programme, which pre-positioned mobile warehouses in Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti. Now, after the storm, they are providing emergency food kits, generators and other supplies for rapid response in the hardest hit areas. In Cuba alone, the program is delivering emergency food to support 275,000 people for up to two months.

“In moments of profound uncertainty, whether it’s families losing access to food because of reduced SNAP benefits or communities devastated by natural disasters, Broadway steps forward with action,” said Robert E. Wankel, president of the Broadway Cares Board of Trustees and chairman and CEO of The Shubert Organization. “The theater community has always met crises with care, ensuring hope reaches those who need it most.”

In the face of disaster or emergency need, Broadway Cares, on behalf of the entire theater community, consistently steps up to provide support to organizations providing on-the-ground help. Previous emergency grants have supported recovery efforts after natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires; helped ensure access to critical reproductive health care and provided humanitarian and pandemic relief across the country and around the world.