From Los Angeles With Love: Lexi Chow & Partners Lead Major Jamaica Relief Drive

Jamaican entrepreneur Lexi Chow teamed up with the Consulate General of Jamaica in Los Angeles and leading diaspora partners to rally support and send relief barrels to Jamaica.

Lexi Chow, leads a major Jamaica Relief effort, "From L.A. With Love"

CODA Network founder and CEO, entrepreneur Lexi Chow, together with the Consulate General of Jamaica in Los Angeles, mobilized a powerful coalition of partners to support families in Jamaica affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Hosted at Delicious Pizza and Boomyard, the one-day drive gathered essential supplies that filled the first 40 barrels bound for Jamaica. Donations included toiletries, batteries, flashlights, clothing, shoes, baby diapers and wipes, and feminine care products.

With contributions still coming in, organizers are now preparing a second shipment, which will fill a 20-foot container scheduled for departure in the coming week.

Reggae artiste Blvk H3ro with British singer Mahalia

The Los Angeles initiative partnered with organizations closely tied to Jamaica, including Boomyard (Leslie Cooney), Strike Star Entertainment (Ricky Lee), Big Wave (Tahir “G33zy” Garcia), REPJA, and TheAshe.org, founded by TV producer Dion Fearon, a longtime advocate for community empowerment and diaspora connection.

Hoopbus, led by Founder and Creative Director Nick Ansom, also joined the effort, strengthening awareness through its Buckets 4 Jamaica campaign and pledging to match donations up to $1,000. Delicious Pizza further supported by donating a portion of sales toward the relief efforts.

The seven-hour event drew an overwhelming community response, with members of the Jamaican entertainment industry stepping in to help on the ground. Reggae artists Blvk H3ro, Tess Vibes, Belizean artist Kaylan Arnold, and British R&B singer Mahalia were among those who stopped by to show support, alongside comedian Dale Elliott, local DJs, and other industry figures.

“Our goal was to give the diaspora - especially Jamaicans and Caribbean-Americans in L.A. - an immediate way to help and feel connected to home”

“Once I saw the catastrophic devastation, I knew we had to act fast to help our people,” said Lexi Chow, CEO and Founder of CODA Network. “Our goal was to give the diaspora - especially Jamaicans and Caribbean-Americans in L.A. - an immediate way to help and feel connected to home. - It’s almost a rite of passage. “Sending a barrel” has been part of Jamaican life for generations, especially since migration waves in the 1950s–70s. It represents the unbroken bond between home and the diaspora - a way of staying rooted” she added.

The second phase of With Love From L.A: Jamaica Relief is now focused on completing shipment logistics. On-the-ground distribution in Jamaica will be managed by CODA Network, with Ricky Lee of Strike Star Entertainment serving as strategic local partner to ensure supplies reach affected communities across Black River (St. Elizabeth), Manchester, and neighboring parishes.

From L.A. With Love will continue its mission through sustained community engagement and ongoing support between Los Angeles and Jamaica.