Hurricane Beryl Recovery, Grenada

The journey to Grenada was no small feat—five to six days of travel through connections and ferry rides, battling ice storms on the return and navigating the unpredictability of island travel. But what awaited our team on the other side made every exhausting mile worth it.

Our combined team of Build Up and Builders for Christ volunteers, all veterans of Kingdom Workers projects, spent their days under the Caribbean sun doing what many would consider difficult work. Starting at 7:00 AM with breakfast and working until nearly 5:00 PM each day, we carried concrete blocks, sand, and water up stairs and mountainsides.

We consumed two cases of water daily in the relentless 86-degree humid heat; our bodies pushed to their limits—yet our spirits soared.

Five Families, Five Stories of Resilience

Meshach and Marica

Perched on the side of a mountain, Meshach and Marica’s home sits elevated about eight feet on a hurricane-resistant platform. When we arrived, they had no safe way to enter their own house.

Over three days, we built them a wheelchair ramp. Yes, it’s steeper than typical standards—the mountainside doesn’t offer the luxury of space—but it’s infinitely better than the unsafe, missing steps they had before.

Inside, we studded out the interior, hung drywall, applied mud, and even built access to their makeshift outhouse. Working in their home was a powerful reminder of how much we often take for granted.

Gemma

Living directly on the ocean has its beauty and its dangers. When the hurricane hit, Gemma’s home on stilts took the full force of the storm surge.

We spent a day replacing her doors and windows, tiling her floor, and repairing concrete damage. The lower area of her home, ravaged by flooding, now has a chance to be whole again.

Jude

Jude works at a local hotel where our team stayed. She offered to do our laundry in exchange for help rebuilding her home—a home she lost completely in the hurricane.

Now a single mother living in an apartment with her pre-teen daughter, Jude is using her personal savings combined with government assistance to start over.

In just under a week, we built all the exterior and interior concrete block walls of her new home, constructing it on a 10-foot-high platform for hurricane protection. Every block, bag of sand, bucket of cement, and gallon of water had to be carried up the stairs by hand.

Our project manager Randy Baker, a trained mason, led the effort. When we discovered a wall that was dangerously unstable—leaning 1.5 inches at just six feet high—we made the difficult decision to tear it down and rebuild it properly.

Jude’s home still needs lintels above the windows, a roof, plaster, plumbing, and electrical work—but the foundation of her new life is taking shape.

Nyron

When the hurricane destroyed half of Nyron’s concrete slab home, he didn’t wait. By the time our team arrived, he had already rebuilt about 80% of his house himself.

Plans drawn during a previous trip helped guide the work he completed before our arrival.

This trip, we focused on plumbing and electrical work on both the lower and upper levels. Nyron has an autistic pre-teen son who desperately wanted to help. Balancing safety with his desire to contribute was emotionally challenging—and deeply moving.

Lydia and Kenny

Lydia and Kenny’s concrete home was still standing—but without a roof. The family was living underneath the house, which sits on stilts on a hillside, doing their best to stay dry and safe.

We built a patio-style shed dormer roof to protect their lower living space and helped clear the interior so Kenny could continue working on the upper level.

With temporary 2x4 supports installed and plans for concrete piers later, we watched Kenny’s confidence grow as the structure took shape above his family’s heads.

The Bigger Picture

In Grenada, only about 50% of homes have been rebuilt since the hurricanes, even though more than a year has passed. Concrete construction is strongly preferred—it’s the only type of structure that consistently survives storms—but even concrete homes lost roofs and windows.

New government-issued rafters are larger and spaced closer together, requiring homeowners to break out concrete pockets to fit new framing. Without consistent permitting or enforced building codes, rebuilding relies heavily on determination and shared knowledge.

The People Who Made It Possible

This trip would not have been possible without Randy Baker, our project manager and masonry lead. His expertise guided every decision.

Rodd Rosenthall, Kingdom Workers’ Chief Operating Officer, served as our taxi driver—making multiple trips daily due to limited vehicle space.

Many volunteers donated personal tools to local workers, with some tools stored in Grenada for future trips. We even gifted a grinder to a local mason—an investment that will serve him and his community for years to come.

Why We Go Back

“The best part was seeing how you impacted and changed lives on the island. You actually witnessed people using the wheelchair ramp. You saw the results of your labor—not months later, but right away. It was amazing to watch the transformation that took place.”

— Jeff Ulman, Director of Kingdom Workers Construction

Interested in being part of future Kingdom Workers Construction projects? The need is great, and the impact is immeasurable.

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