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By Sheri-kae McLeod / Caribbean National Weekly

 

Jamaican-owned hospitality group Couples Resorts has announced the launch of the Couples Resorts Community Disaster Relief Fund to assist employees and nearby communities recovering from the destruction left by Hurricane Melissa.

Although the company’s properties avoided major damage and are set to reopen on December 1, many of its team members suffered severe personal losses. The fund—established through the Issa Trust Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Couples Resorts—has already raised more than US$300,000, including a US$100,000 contribution from the company itself.

“For more than 45 years, this has been a proudly Jamaican, family-run brand. When our community is hurting, we feel it deeply,” said Abe Issa, Deputy Chairman of Couples Resorts. “While we’re grateful our resorts were spared major damage, many of the incredible people who make them special have experienced real hardship. Through the Issa Trust Foundation, we’re committed to helping them recover and rebuild their lives.”

Although the company’s properties avoided major damage and are set to reopen on December 1, many of its team members suffered severe personal losses. The fund—established through the Issa Trust Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Couples Resorts—has already raised more than US$300,000, including a US$100,000 contribution from the company itself.

“For more than 45 years, this has been a proudly Jamaican, family-run brand. When our community is hurting, we feel it deeply,” said Abe Issa, Deputy Chairman of Couples Resorts. “While we’re grateful our resorts were spared major damage, many of the incredible people who make them special have experienced real hardship. Through the Issa Trust Foundation, we’re committed to helping them recover and rebuild their lives.”

 

The fund will directly support staff and families with housing assistance, essential supplies, and rebuilding efforts. Current relief measures include:

  • Distributing care packages with food, water, and other essentials
  • Providing temporary housing for more than 100 displaced employees
  • Guaranteeing payment of wages for at least the next four weeks
  • Offering repair and rebuilding assistance for damaged homes
  • Partnering with World Central Kitchen, local suppliers, and water providers to deliver critical resources

“We’ve been deeply moved by the compassion shown by so many,” said Diane Pollard, President & CEO of The Issa Trust Foundation. “It’s a reminder of how much Couples Resorts means to people who want to give back. This is just the beginning—we still have a long way to go, and every contribution helps a family get back on their feet.”

Donations can be made at IssaTrustFoundation.com, with 100% of proceeds directed toward relief and recovery efforts.

While final damage assessments continue, Couples Resorts has temporarily paused guest arrivals to prioritize safety. The company plans to resume full operations on December 1, 2025.

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We’re deeply saddened by the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa and want to assure our employees, guests, and the broader community that we’re committed to supporting relief and recovery efforts.

Here’s what the Issa Trust Foundation and Couples Resorts are doing:

  1. Distributing care packages with essentials like food, water, and batteries to all staff members affected
  2. Providing temporary housing for over 100 employees who’ve lost their homes
  3. As we anticipate that the island will not be able to receive visitors over the next two to three weeks, we will ensure that all staff wages are met during this period
  4. Establishing a relief fund — already at US $223,500 and growing, thanks to your donations — in addition to a US $100,000 contribution from Couples Resorts, to aid employees with varying degrees of damage, categorized for fair distribution
  5. Assisting employees with home repairs and rebuilding
  6. Partnering with local suppliers, World Central Kitchen, and water suppliers to provide critical resources

We’re working tirelessly to overcome challenges and ensure transparent, equitable aid distribution. As more donations come in, the greater the support we can extend to our employees and their families as they rebuild their lives.

Thank you for your donations, compassion, generosity, and continued support during this difficult time. Together, we are making a difference.

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After Melissa’s devastation the Couples Communities need your help. DONATE HERE

Hurricane Melissa has left a deep mark on Jamaica, homes destroyed, communities displaced, and livelihoods interrupted. Among those hardest hit are the incredible people who bring the Couples Resorts experience to life every single day, our employees, their families, and the communities they call home.

Together, We Can Help Rebuild Lives

The Couples Resorts Community Disaster Relief Fund has been created to provide direct assistance to those employees most affected by Hurricane Melissa. Every dollar donated goes 100% to help our Couples Resorts team members and their families rebuild their homes, replace essentials, and restore their lives with dignity.

These are the same warm, welcoming individuals who make Jamaica feel like home for guests from around the world. Supporting them now is more than a gesture of kindness, it’s a way to stand in solidarity with the heart of our Jamaican family.

Every Contribution Restores Hope

Your generosity will help bring back stability, security, and strength to those who have lost so much. Together, we can help our communities recover, one home, one family, one act of love at a time.

Donate Today

Donate to Couples Communities

In Times Of Hardship,Our Unity Becomes Our Greatest Strength…

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An evening with Michael Bolton, the Issa Trust Foundation for the Children Charity Concert, ended on a high raising more than $US350,000 — surpassing the original US$300,000 goal for the construction of the Mary Issa Health Centre near Richmond, St Ann. Read the full article here.
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Please review the outstanding silent auction items or donation options available to help us raise critical funds for our amazing cause. This year, the event proceeds will directly support the Issa Trust Foundation’s latest project – the construction of the Mary Issa Pediatric and Adolescent Health Centre in St Ann to provide top-notch pediatric and adolescent primary healthcare to the children of Jamaica on an ongoing basis. Construction will begin this summer.

The online auction will close on 27th of May at midnight.

BROWSE SILENT AUCTION
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Purchase your Tickets now! You are invited to take advantage of this very special offer as there are limited tickets available. As part of our ongoing fundraising efforts to provide life-saving resources to the children of Jamaica, the Issa Trust Foundation will host our third “For The Children” Charity Concert on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Couples Sans Souci in Ocho Rios. From “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “Soul Provider” to “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”, Michael Bolton’s timeless songs of love and tenderness have been integral to the soundtrack of our lives. The Grammy Award winner – beloved in Jamaica – performs for us, providing an evening of timeless hits and a musical journey through pop, rock, soul, standards and even classical genres. Ky-Mani Marley and Tarrus Riley, two outstanding Jamaican Reggae ambassadors, complete the extraordinary line-up for this all-inclusive evening of enchantment under the stars. Wayne and Tami Mitchell both seasoned performers in their own right, internet sensations and stars of their hit reality television show “Meet the Mitchells” will host the proceedings.

An Evening With Michael Bolton: For the Children Charity Concert 2023

Tickets available

V-VIP @ SOLD OUT VIP @ $250 PURCHASE TICKETS NOW
As part of our ongoing fundraising efforts to provide life-saving resources to the children of Jamaica, the Issa Trust Foundation will host our third “For The Children” Charity Concert on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at Couples Sans Souci in Ocho Rios. From “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “Soul Provider” to “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”, Michael Bolton’s timeless songs of love and tenderness have been integral to the soundtrack of our lives. The Grammy Award winner – beloved in Jamaica – performs for us, providing an evening of timeless hits and a musical journey through pop, rock, soul, standards and even classical genres. Ky-Mani Marley and Tarrus Riley, two outstanding Jamaican Reggae ambassadors, complete the extraordinary line-up for this all-inclusive evening of enchantment under the stars. Wayne and Tami Mitchell, both seasoned performers in their own right, internet sensations and stars of their hit reality television show “Meet the Mitchells” will host the proceedings.

THE EXPERIENCE:

Join us for this unforgettable experience which will unfold on the main lawn of Couples Sans Souci. All ticket categories are VIP, inclusive of a sumptuous menu by Couples Resorts’ Executive Corporate Chef Stefan Spath and his team and complimented by a premium bar service with top shelf wines and spirits. Event sponsors and V-VIP guests will enjoy a special private cocktail beach party at 6:30 p.m. Cocktails for our VIP guests begin at 7:00 p.m. All guests are invited to be seated at 7:30 p.m. Get settled in ahead of showtime promptly at 8:00 p.m. Gates open at 5:45 p.m.

THE BENEFICIARY:

This year, the event proceeds will directly support the Issa Trust Foundation’s latest project – the construction of the Mary Issa Children’s Health Centre in St Ann to provide top-notch pediatric and adolescent primary healthcare to the children of Jamaica on an ongoing basis. Construction will begin this summer. While enjoying all on offer, please consider participating in the evening’s Silent Auction and bidding on your preferred items. They will include fine works of art, luxurious vacation stays and other items of value. There is also the opportunity for our guests to pledge cash donations. Come May 27th – there is only one place to be!
While enjoying all on offer, please consider participating in the evening’s Silent Auction and bidding on your preferred items. They will include fine works of art, luxurious vacation stays and other items of value. There is also the opportunity for our guests to pledge cash donations. Come May 27th – there is only one place to be!
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CHARITY gala ‘For The Children’, hosted by the Issa Trust Foundation, far exceeded its lofty goal of US$200,000 by raising a whopping US$417,000. Read the full story here!
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The Issa Trust Foundation was established in 2005 by Couples Resorts as a nonprofit organization. The mission of the Foundation is to provide a system of prevention, health promotion and education, community health improvement and other services to promote well-being and development for the people of Jamaica.

The Foundation strives to provide an environment conducive to the educational needs of children in collaboration with other community resources. Together, through educational and professional programs, we will work with, and advocate for families to provide a safe, nurturing and permanent home for children.

Funds raised from this event will enable Issa Trust Foundation to start the construction of its own children and adolescent health center in the Ocho Rios area. We will be offering not only pediatric but adolescent services in addition to specialty clinics, mental health support, vision, hearing tests along with primary care. The center will also offer rotation programs for doctors to partner with local Jamaican doctors.

PURCHASE TICKETS SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION MAKE A DONATION SILENT ITEMS
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The Issa Trust Foundation’s 2022 “For the Children” Charity Gala in New York City

Dear Friends,

As part of our ongoing fundraising efforts to provide life-saving resources to the children of Jamaica, we are hosting our first event outside of Jamaica: Dinner, Dancing and a Show, featuring our goodwill reggae ambassadors, the legendary Third World, at New York’s fabulous Sony Hall in Manhattan’s theatre district, on November 12, 2022.

Third World is maybe the most enduring reggae band of all time (and one of Jamaica’s most consistently popular crossover acts internationally). There will also be a special surprise guest performer. Tickets are US$350 per person, inclusive of drinks, dinner, dancing, entertainment and more. The event will begin at 6:30pm, with cocktails, followed by dinner at 7:30pm. We expect to host 400 guests, seated at tables. Third World will perform from 9:30, and the evening will end by 11:30pm.

The funds raised from this event will enable the Issa Trust Foundation to start construction of its own children’s health centre in the Ocho Rios area, to provide top notch pediatric healthcare to Jamaica’s children on an ongoing basis.

We hope to attract many of Couples Resorts’ repeat guests from the Eastern states, and we will provide reduced rates for the night or the weekend at a choice of midtown hotels. We also expect good attendance from members of the Jamaican diaspora in the New York area, as well as Jamaicans who will come up for the event.

We have designed several sponsorship packages for your consideration and invite you to review the attached deck to learn more about this opportunity. Your sponsorship will help us in our ongoing mission to better the lives of the most vulnerable among us, particularly Jamaica’s children.

Please contact Diane at Pollard at 1-515-480-1683 or Paul Issa at 1-876-361-0707 for more information.

We look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Paul Issa
Chairman

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Couples Resorts and its charity arm, Issa Trust Foundation, on Monday donated medical equipment valued $40 million to Jamaica’s public health sector. Read Full Story Here
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