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As we reflect on the work of the past several months, one thing continues to stand out: meaningful impact only happens when people come together with compassion, purpose, and a shared commitment to helping others.
Throughout April, volunteers, partners, donors, healthcare leaders, and community supporters joined forces once again to help strengthen healthcare and support families across Jamaica. From volunteer construction efforts assisting communities still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, to the continued advancement of the Mary Issa Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center, to the delivery of critical medical equipment and supplies to Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital, every effort shared the same goal: creating hope and building a stronger future for Jamaica’s children and families.
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For more than 20 years, the Issa Trust Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Couples Resorts, has believed that sustainable change is built through partnerships, trust, and long-term commitment. Whether responding to urgent healthcare needs, helping strengthen communities after disaster, or working toward the completion of the Mary Issa Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center, our mission remains rooted in improving the lives of children and families throughout Jamaica.
This month’s stories highlight the power of collaboration and the importance of continuing to invest in healthcare, prevention, mental health, and community support. None of this work happens alone, and we remain deeply grateful to every donor, volunteer, partner, healthcare professional, and supporter helping make this work possible.
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For the children. Always.
Diane Pollard, President & CEO
Issa Trust Foundation
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| Our Work = Meaningful Impact | | | |
One of the greatest reminders throughout our work is that meaningful impact does not happen alone. It happens through partnerships, trust, and people coming together with a shared purpose.
When Mr. Eric “Busha” Clarke, Chairman of the Western Regional Health Authority, reached out following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa and shared the urgent needs facing Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital, we knew we had to respond.
Diane Pollard, President & CEO of the Issa Trust Foundation, shared how thankful the Foundation was to once again join forces with Partners for World Health, Build Health International, Airlink, the National Healthcare Enhancement Foundation, the Ministry of Health & Wellness, and many other dedicated partners to help make a difference for the people of western Jamaica.
“Partnerships have always been at the heart of the Issa Trust Foundation’s mission,” Pollard noted. “When organizations, healthcare leaders, donors, volunteers, and communities come together with compassion and purpose, lives can truly be changed.”
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Through these collaborative efforts, the Issa Trust Foundation facilitated the donation of more than US$100,000 in critical medical equipment and supplies, valued at approximately J$17 million, to Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital.
The donation included life-saving and essential equipment such as ventilators, CPAP machines, defibrillators, ECG machines, suction machines, pulse oximeters, and other critical-care supplies that will directly strengthen patient care.
“This was far more than a donation of equipment,” Pollard added. “It was a reminder of what can happen when people care enough to act. The needs were urgent, and together our partners responded with generosity, compassion, and a commitment to helping Jamaica rebuild stronger.”
The hospital, which serves as a major Type B facility for Westmoreland and surrounding parishes, continues to play a vital role in healthcare delivery across western Jamaica, especially as communities continue recovering from Hurricane Melissa.
| | Building More Than a Health Center | | | |
Today, donors want to know their support is creating meaningful, lasting change and helping build a stronger future for generations to come. That is exactly why the Mary Issa Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center is so important.
This is not just about constructing a building. It is about creating a healthcare model that will serve children and adolescents across Jamaica for years to come, bringing pediatric specialty care, vision services, prevention, education, and wellness closer to the communities that need it most.
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For more than 20 years, the Issa Trust Foundation has focused on building programs that are sustainable, measurable, accountable, and rooted in the needs of Jamaica’s children and families. The Mary Issa Health Center represents the next chapter of that commitment, and a long-term investment in the future of pediatric and adolescent healthcare in Jamaica.
As we continue raising the funds needed to complete the center, our focus remains not only on opening the doors, but on creating something that will make a difference for generations to come.
If you, your company, foundation, or network feel called to help complete this vital healthcare center, we would welcome the conversation. Together, we can help build a healthier future for the children of Jamaica.
| | Hurricane Victim Gets New Home from Issa Trust Foundation and Bartalozzi Homes | | |
Returning Once Again to Help Jamaica Rebuild
In April 2026, volunteer construction teams returned to Jamaica once again, joining forces with the Issa Trust Foundation and Bartolazzi Homes to continue helping families rebuild after the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
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Through the generosity of compassionate donors and partners, the teams worked tirelessly to build homes, install windows and doors, and help bring renewed hope to families still recovering months after the storm. What began as disaster relief has grown into something far greater, restoring safety, dignity, and stability for families working to rebuild their lives. | | |
These efforts reflect the power of partnership and the incredible impact that can happen when volunteers, donors, and communities come together with a shared purpose.
For the children. For the families. For Jamaica.
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TRANSFORM A CHILD'S LIFE
AND BE REMEMBERED FOR GENERATIONS
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ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
Issa Trust Foundation is a
non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, and the philanthropic arm of Couples Resorts.
The foundation's mission is to provide a system of prevention, health promotion and education, community health improvement, and other services to promote the well-being and development of the people of Jamaica.
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