Chairman, Paul Issa and President & CEO, Diane Pollard, is pleased to announce the appointment of Her Excellency, the Most Honourable Lady Allen, as Patron. Lady Allen joins her husband, His Excellency, The Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica, who has acted in this capacity since 2011.

The Issa Trust Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by Couples Resorts in 2005 and headed by Chairman, Paul Issa and President & CEO, Diane Pollard, is pleased to announce the appointment of Her Excellency, the Most Honourable Lady Allen, as Patron. Lady Allen joins her husband, His Excellency, The Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica, who has acted in this capacity since 2011.

Lady Allen began nursing training at the Northern Caribbean University’s (NCU) Nursing Department while serving as the Institution’s Dean of Women. She migrated to the USA with her family and completed the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at the Andrews University, Berrien Spring, Michigan and later served in several senior positions at health care facilities in Michigan.

Between 2002 and 2007, she joined the faculty of NCU where she served as Lecturer in the Department of Nursing and later as the University’s Human Resource Director.

A passionate advocate for children and the elderly, Lady Allen now works with teens and young adults in several state-run juvenile facilities and children’s homes. Once per week, she visits the Bustamante Hospital for Children and reads for the children. She was also instrumental in the establishment of the play and learning stimulation room for patients at the Hospital. Diane Pollard, President & CEO of the Issa Trust Foundation, stated, “we are thankful for Her Excellency, Lady Allen’s acceptance as Patron of the Foundation. She is extremely driven and works tirelessly with compassion and commitment to make a difference for our youth. Over the years, Lady Allen has attended our Vision Missions and Medical Missions, spending time mentoring children and educators.”

Contact: Alexandra Ghisays (Couples Resorts)
Public Relations Officer, Issa Trust Foundation
Email: alex@couples.com
Cell: 361 4762

Taken from the Jamaica Observer

A total of 887 children received eye examinations over three days of free Vision Clinics in Westmoreland last month.

Of that number, 172 received glasses, a recent release from the Issa Trust Foundation said.

The foundation, the non-profit arm of Couples Resorts, in conjunction with the Lions of Michigan Vision Mission Team, held the clinics for students at Savanna-La-Mar Primary School from October 17-19, and provided comprehensive eye exams to test the health of each child’s eyes and whether they needed glasses to improve their vision.

The release said the glasses were provided by the Lions Club team free of cost.

The mission team consisted of four optometrists, two medical doctors, a licensed optician, and five volunteer technicians who assisted in vision testing and in fitting the glasses.

According to the foundation, all the glasses provided were previously used glasses that had been collected, sorted, cleaned, measured and shipped from the United States to Jamaica. The Lions Club team used a computer programme to search for the best glasses that they have in their supply, closest to the child’s prescription needs.

In addition to the students examined, the Issa Trust Foundation said a Vision Clinic was also held at Couples Swept Away for the adult staff of that hotel and Couples Negril, where 329 employees were seen and 220 received glasses.

Lions Clubs International is the largest service organisation in the world with 1.4 million male and female members from 210 countries, the release said.

From the Jamaica Observer October 9th, 2018

AS the top-performing school in St Mary and Region Two, Oracabessa Primary has to ensure it maintains its position, and the recent opening of a computer lab there is one way it plans to fulfil its mission of adequately catering to students.

The lab was donated by the Issa Trust Foundation and Oracabessa Foundation in collaboration with the NCB Foundation. It is equipped with 18 new computers and is expected to serve almost 1,000 students.

“This will go a far way in enhancing literacy and numeracy of our students. We now have [the] National Standards Curriculum which requires the use of technology and this will go a big way in enhancing that and promoting the Ministry of Education’s mission…” Principal Gregory Davis told the Jamaica Observer following the September 29 opening.

Davis, in expressing his gratitude at the opening ceremony, said he was really happy that the various foundations saw the need to partner with Oracabessa Primary.

“I’m really happy that the partners saw the need to partner with us. I am really proud to be the principal here to chart the new course,” Davis said.

The Issa Trust Foundation also renovated the toilet facilities at the school.

Davis said the renovated facilities will go a far way in enhancing hygienic conditions for the family.

Chairman of the Issa Trust Foundation Paul Issa explained that although the trust has been focused on paediatric health care, it also places value on helping in education and has plans to replicate the Oracabessa donation at other schools.

“We are happy to have the privilege of doing this,” Issa said.

Jonathan Gosse, director of the Oracabessa Foundation, described the donation of the computer lab as a celebration of the start, recognising that more is needed.

To that point, Principal Davis made an appeal for more support from the private sector.

“It is an excellent gesture working in partnership with the private sector, [but] we need a lot more, so we are asking for more support from our partners,” he said.

Member of Parliament for Western St Mary Robert Montague, who also highlighted some of the institution’s needs, called on the Ministry of Education to invest in Oracabessa Primary.

Montague pointed out that the school has been around for years and as a result, is in need of renovation. He pointed to the wooden flooring as an example of the improvements which are needed.

“This is a school that the ministry should invest in,” Montague argued, adding that the investment is even more necessary given the school’s reputation as the top-performing school in St Mary.

Montague and Minister of State in the Ministry of Education Floyd Green were taken on a tour of the institution to look at its needs.

On Friday, September 28th, a grand opening of the brand-new Computer Lab at the Oracabessa Primary School was held with much excitement. The Computer Lab was donated by Issa Trust Foundation and the Oracabessa Foundation in collaboration with the N.C.B. Foundation and the Ministry of Education. The fully air-conditioned room has 18 computers with new desks, chairs and a projector. In addition, the badly needed girls’ and boys’ restrooms were also remodeled. In total, the cost of the project was US$45,796.