Sav La Mar Hospital received a donation 13 Stretcher beds, new mattresses and equipment donated in September 2016. The Accident and Emergency Department gave thanks for the donation.

Unlocking doors by opening eyes

An amazing team of volunteers embarked on the Vision Mission to impact the lives of the children in health and education. This has been one of the most fulfilling experiences to watch the incredible gift of the volunteers, and teachers showing genuine sense of compassion and love. The team spent two days at the Ocho Rios Primary School, one day at the Oracabessa High School and Free Hill Primary School. In 4 days, the team provided 1, 505 eye exams, 293 glasses were dispensed in addition to 17 referrals at no cost.

Celebrating our 10th Year Anniversary! Thank you to all of our partners, volunteers and friends for your support!

View “Celebrating 10 Years of Giving Back” commemorative online brochure on the Jamaica Gleaner Website

We are excited to announce The Issa Trust Foundation’s 12th mission in partnership with the North East Regional Health Authority.

Annually, the Issa Trust Foundation sponsors a free pediatric medical mission in Jamaica. The 2016 team of 41 volunteers includes pediatric cardiologists, neonatologist, general pediatric nurses, physicians, and pharmacists are excited to serve the parish of St. Mary and St. Ann The team will be providing complete medical exams, laboratory testing, fluoride treatment and medications. In addition, children will be provided cardiology exam with an echocardiogram in the clinic if needed. As in past years, all children will receive free eye exams and receive their glasses immediately after their exam, provided by the Michigan Lions.  

From the Jamaica Gleaner

Tuesday | November 10, 2015 | Adrian Frater

Paediatric care at the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland, got a major boost last week when the Issa Trust Foundation, in collaboration with US-based Heart to Heart Foundation, presented the institution with state-of-the art equipment valued at US$190,000.

The items donated included incubators, warmers for newborns, diagnostic equipment, operating lights and ventilators, among other much-needed equipment.

In expressing gratitude for the equipment, Dr Kerri Ann McKenzie, the hospital’s paediatrician, said the equipment, donated specifically to fully outfit a new Level 2 Special Care Nursery, will ensure advanced respiratory support of newborns.

“It will allow us to offer much better care, particularly to our newborns but also to the general department, ” said Dr McKenzie

Camile Lewin, acting chief executive officer at the hospital, expressed profound gratitude to the Issa Trust Foundation, saying the organisation had come to the institution’s assistance at a most opportune time.

“I want to express my deep appreciation to the Issa Trust Foundation for coming on board and assisting us where we’ve fallen short,” said Lewin, noting that while the hospital’s needs were great, the support they were getting was proving to be quite helpful.

Diane Pollard, president and chief executive officer, the Issa Trust Foundation, who was present for the hand over, assembling and installation of the equipment, expressed much delight at being able to assist the hospital.

“We’re excited at the opportunity to partner with the Western Regional Heath Authority and the hospital to bring acute neonate services to enhance what they already have,” said Pollard, whose team included technical experts, who assembled the equipment and advise senior staff on how to use them.

“We bring the equipment down, we make sure it is working,” Pollard said. “The foundation also paid for piped oxygen for the ward and, in January, we’re going to come back with our neonate specialist. We’re going to set up the ventilator and train staff to give these babies some comfort.”

The Issa Trust Foundation is a non-profit organisation created by Paul Issa’s Couples Resort to focus on supporting paediatric health initiatives. Heart to Heart is a US non-profit body that provides volunteers around the world and helps in disaster recoveries.

Direct Relief’s collaboration with the Issa Trust Foundation began in 2015 with the delivery of essential respiratory medications, including 792 inhalers, oral corticosteroids, and sodium chloride for use with nebulizers. Diagnostic and respiratory supplies and equipment, such as infant and neonate blood pressure cuffs, a pulse oximeter, and a nebulizer compressor, were also included.

Read more on Direct Relief’s website »

BE A CORPORATE PARTNER

Corporations and corporate foundations can make a real difference in the lives of our future the children

The Issa Trust Foundation a US 501(c)3 nonprofit working in Jamaica dedicated to delivering the most basic of human needs, we are an excellent choice to project an image of corporate social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility programs strengthen public relations and marketing objectives, while involvement in charitable activities provides a great opportunity to motivate staff and improve morale.

Looking for a unique and creative way to engage your employees? The Issa Trust Foundation would like to partner with you to help raise awareness and funding. We hope your organization might be able to engage employees for a year-round engagement with the Issa Trust Foundation. The Issa Trust Foundation was created by the all inclusive Couples Resorts (www.couples.com ).

Your business benefits as well from teambuilding and opportunities for skills development and serves as a great way to increase involvement by senior management within your company. In a challenging economic climate, engaging employees in this way provides a low-budget way to service both your strategic philanthropy goals as well as your bottom line. When developing an engagement plan for your staff, you can:

* Foster Teambuilding
* Encourage Volunteerism
* Plan Some Special Events

Foster Teambuilding
Connecting a group of employees around a common goal is a great way to promote team building and engage participation.

You can foster some friendly competition among different employee groups by pitting them against each other in a fact-finding scavenger hunt, which incorporates information about the issues surrounding the children in Jamaica.

Encourage Volunteerism
Organizing volunteer opportunities is a wonderful way to make the whole experience come alive for your coworkers.

Your company could provide a gateway to engagement for likeminded coworkers.

Contact Diane Pollard, President & CEO to learn more!

Diane Pollard, President & CEO
Issa Trust Foundation
email: Diane.Pollard@issatrustfoundation.com
cell: 515-480-1683
Jamaica cell (when in country) 876-503-5903

Recently named as Goodwill Ambassadors of the Issa Trust Foundation, an organization focused on pediatric healthcare and education for children and families in Jamaica, Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply (www.airsupplymusic.com) traveled on February 2 to the parish of St. Mary to witness first-hand the struggles of thousands of the island nation’s children.

The duo’s ambassadorship was announced in early February by Issa Trust Foundation Chairman Paul Issa.


The veteran hit-making duo toured Annotto Bay Hospital, St. Ann’s Bay Hospital and Free Hill Primary and Infant School. Diane Pollard, President and CEO of the Issa Trust Foundation, says, “Their award winning song ‘All Out of Love’ has a new meaning for us now. Air Supply performs 130 concerts a year and it’s wonderful that they still have time to show their love for our future, the children.”

Air Supply¹s Goodwill Ambassadors, Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, traveled to Jamaica and immersed themselves into the culture and spent time touring Annotto Bay Hospital, St. Ann’s Bay Hospital and Free Hill Primary and Infant School in St. Mary Jamaica. We know the power of music can be healing and impact a person’s life. To have award-winning artists bring awareness and partner with the Issa Trust Foundation¹s sustainable and measurable programs is heartwarming and lifesaving. The healing power of music enriches our lives, and Air Supply has been providing the world with The Power of Health & Love for 40 years!

From BroadwayWorld.com. Read full article on BroadwayWorld.com article here »

So many of us take the simplest of things for granted; we lack the acknowledgment of what a blessing the simplest things are. Take breathing for example. It’s likely most of us have never thought for one second about breathing, except for maybe when performing a hard work out or running a marathon. The cost of inhalers is beyond the means for many parents in Jamaica with children suffering from asthma. The demand is great and after day 3 of our recent medical mission we ran out of our supply. One of our returning Issa Trust Foundation volunteers, Monica Keleher with her brother’s assistance, wanted to do something when she saw the tremendous need to treat asthma during our medical mission. In order to fulfill the need for our July and September 2015 missions, we are trying our hand at an online fundraising campaign to help a child breathe by raising enough money to purchase 700 inhalers. We urge you to both support this effort and spread the word to your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your consideration and support. The mission of the Issa Trust 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.