Seasons Greetings!
There is one word to encapsulate 2021: perseverance.
We all face an ongoing pandemic and a lot of uncertainty. Through determination, faith, and our ability to RISE UP and SHOW UP for those in need we delivered life-changing services to the Caribbean, once again, together.
We are so grateful to each of you who showed up for Great Shape!, by courageously volunteering in such unpredictable times, donating your hard-earned dollars to keep our non-profit afloat, and sharing good vibes.
The year certainly presented us with new challenges, setbacks, and hurdles... we persevered, together, with a whole lot of patience and flexibility!
Together we:
- Delivered life-changing eye care services in St. Lucia for the first time
- Launched the 1000 Smiles Project on a brand new Island: Turks & Caicos
- Saving smiles, relieving pain, educating the youth!
- Provided greatly needed dental care in St. Lucia after a long 27 months
- Uplifted and educated hundreds of children in Jamaica whose literacy has been disrupted by the pandemic
- Supported educators in Jamaica with professional development, offering tools to help reach as many students as possible in this new world of online teaching and learning
You continue to inspire us. We are blessed to call you members of the Great Shape! family.
Despite an abbreviated project season, you made a tremendous impact. Read the stories below!
Now Great Shape! sets its sights on 2022! We're envisioning a full project season in the coming year!
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My wish for the New Year is healing and health for all. The whole world is suffering from this pandemic and everyone yearns for a healthier, brighter tomorrow. So for 2022, I wish for global health; spiritual health; mental health; physical health; healthy forests, rivers & oceans. I wish for healing between nations, between adversaries & between families torn apart by war, politics and poverty. May 2022 be the year of healing and good health, and may we all get back to what we all love so much - serving those in need.
One Love!
~ Papa Joe
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Great Shape! Inc. is thrilled to announce a brand new partnership with Henry Schein Cares.
Henry Schein Cares donated disposable supplies and PPE; instrumental to our 1000 Smiles dental project in both St. Lucia and Turks and Caicos. Gloves, face shields, coveralls, sterilization pouches, toothbrushes, floss, gauze, isolation gowns, suction tips, surgical burs, restorative burs, wedges, suture gut... the list goes on!
Papa Joe, Executive Director says, "Dentists have told me, year after year, that the #1 reason they decline to volunteer with Great Shape! is the time and cost of gathering the needed disposable supplies to do their work. Henry Schein Cares' donation means more dentists will say YES, and the dentists who do say yes, can concentrate on what they do best, providing world-class care to those in great need."
Special thanks to Lexi and Jen with Henry Schein Cares for hearing our story and responding to the need. Big up to longtime volunteer, Michael Carabash, for helping to facilitate this partnership and to Dr. Marty Rutt for his assistance as well.
We used ever supply on our 2021 1000 Smiles dental projects. We donated anything left at the end to the Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health.
This partnership is a total game changer for our 1000 Smiles dental project and we are so thankful to see this dream realized.
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For nearly a decade, volunteers Tracy and Walt Mason have supported our SuperKids project. Every year they enlist friends and family to gather substantial donations of books, school supplies, sports equipment, and more that make such a huge impact. This year, they learned our SuperKids container (which houses our literacy supplies and equipment all year) needs to be repaired or it will perish. They stepped up in a remarkable way. Tracy and Walt donated $4K to purchase a brand new container for our SuperKids project!
We're so grateful for the Masons and wanted to shine a spotlight on all the kindness and dedication they show to Great Shape! Inc.
Click here to read our interview with the Masons on our blog.
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For the first time, our vision project landed in St. Lucia! The need for eye care was even greater than anticipated.
Record breaking crowds arrived... some patients showed up at 4am to wait in line.
A team of 39 Americans and Canadians served the Castries community with full eye exams, glasses, medications, SLT laser procedures for glaucoma, PRP laser
procedures for diabetic retinopathy, and hypertension/diabetes screening.
2021 iCARE Highlights:
- 12 years serving the Caribbean!
- Laser procedures to prevent blindness (more details in annual report)
- 1800+ pairs of sunglasses and 870 reading glasses
- 27% of patients (553) received custom prescription glasses in October
- Steven Stern, iCARE Director and volunteers, Dr. Gary and Rose Knowles, returned to St. Lucia to dispense them
- Nurses performed 1000+ diabetes and hypertension screenings
- These patients were educated on how to improve their health, and received referrals to local doctors
Since 2009, iCARE has provided 24 weeks of clinics, 5 weeks of cataract surgeries, and served more than 45,600 with free eye care services, blood pressure, and blood sugar screenings!
For the full story click the video below to view our slideshow or the button below to read our annual report.
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SuperKids returns to Negril in 2021!
"Our Plan B": a hybrid program served 45 students a day from both Mount Airy and Broughton Primary School.
39 volunteers from the US, Canada, and Jamaica collaborated each week to boost reading comprehension, academic success, and share love!
Big Impact, Smaller Teams:
- Covid restrictions allowed just half of our normal number of volunteers
- 8000 children and families served thru distributions:
- 5500 books
- 225 computers
- 5000 lbs of school supplies, art supplies & sports equipment
Volunteers focused on smaller, strategic groups of students and worked from two off-campus locations: Negril Environmental and & Education Trust Resource Center (NEET)/Travellers Beach Resort in Negril and Broughton Church of God in Broughton, Westmoreland.
Volunteers continue to: model positive classroom strategies, focus on those students who need extra prep for their Grade 4 Literacy test, utilize Pull Out groups for remedial instruction, as well as Whole Classroom instruction in reading comp, writing, and vocabulary.
The "Book in a Bag/Book on the Shelves" program served 10 schools with books. Built four sets of shelves in four classrooms at Mt. Airy Primary.
Our computer team installed and refurbished computers at 22 locations providing priceless access to thousands of Jamaican children.
Crew retired 50 computers from school sites, replaced with new computers, and sent the retired computers home with Jamaican educators.
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Teach the Teachers successfully returned to Godfrey Stewart High School in Westmoreland, operating within all Covid protocols and restrictions.
We're celebrating ten years for computer skills workshops... and six years for Language Arts and Behavior Management.
35 volunteers from the US, Canada and Jamaica provided 2900 total teaching hours.
76 Jamaican teachers and others interested in education attended the two-week workshops.
Week 1: Language Arts: three workshops with three instructional teams.
Week 2: Behavior Management in the classroom. Five instructional units:
- Discipline by Design
- Meeting the Needs of the Learner
- Joyfully Controlled Classrooms
- Community Support and Engagement
- Conflict Resolution
Both Weeks: Computer Training with focus on online instruction and tools
New in 2021: Breakout sessions to help teachers with challenges caused of online teaching and learning
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Turks & Caicos
1000 Smiles launched its first-ever dental project in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos!
This is the 4th island ever to receive service from the world's largest international humanitarian dental project.
103 volunteers from the US and Canada provided life-saving dental care to thousands of patients in Turks over the course of two weeks.
- More than 3500 served (nearly 10% of the population)
- More than 5400 procedures: cleanings, fillings, extractions, sealants, fluoride, dentures (thanks to Dr. Myron Henrickson), and root canals (thanks to endo-expert Dr. Darren Machule)
- Our Oral Health Education team visited nearly every school in Providenciales with education, toothbrushes, floss and paste for 2244 children
The logistical challenges of delivering supplies and equipment to the island nearly derailed our project. Thanks to our incredible leadership team and their creativity and hustle we launched our clinics just in time...equipment arrived just 2 days before our first day!
We set up one "mega-clinic" with 22 dental operatories at the Church of God of Prophesy in the 5
Cays community. The clinic ran seamlessly with Covid protocols and social distancing.
At the start of the project patients steadily trickled, as word spread the lines grew each day. Patients are already asking when we're coming back in 2022.
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For more photos and the full scope of the project you can click on our slideshow or annual report below |
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St. Lucia
1000 Smiles returned to St. Lucia after a covid-hiatus of 27 months. The need was great.
For added Covid-safety, we implemented an "appointment-only" clinic, a dedicated appointment phone line, WhatsApp, and online appointment system promoted over social media.
Within 72 hours, we received a remarkable 1000 requests for appointments!
The system worked. We eliminated large crowds around the clinic and we limited the number of patients inside to 30 at any given time.
Success by the Stats:
- 65 volunteers (our largest team ever in St. Lucia) over 2 weeks
- 869 patients
- 2713 procedures
- 6750 toothbrushes, paste, and floss
To ensure a safer experience in light of Covid-19, we used one large clinic site (16 chairs) @ Entrepot Human Resource Center, near the community of Marchand, Castries.
Two small teams served Bordelais Correctional Facility; 33 inmates received much needed care.
For the first time ever we designated a follow-up care week. One dentist and 3 support volunteers fielded questions and concerns and helped resolve issues.
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Narda grew up in Jamaica, and attended university in the U.S. She volunteered in Latin America and Africa, then worked for a couple of years in community development in Jamaica. She trained as a lawyer in the UK and worked as a corporate and commercial attorney in Jamaica for a decade. She's married with 2 children and currently lives Canada.
Why did you join the Great Shape! Inc. board of directors?
Serving on the Great Shape! board is an honor and privilege. Great Shape! does such amazing work with such amazing people. If I can be a small part of what Great Shape! does and help facilitate the organization’s work then it will be a most worthwhile endeavor. We all want to make a difference, from board members to each volunteer of Great Shape!
What skills or perspective do you hope to bring to the board?
My knowledge of Jamaican law, and firsthand experience of Jamaican life, including its educational and health systems.
What do you hope for Great Shape! Inc. in the future?
In addition to continuing and growing its current programs, I would like to see Great Shape! provid year-round educational assistance to students that need help, and possibly a summer program that lasts at least one month. I would also like to add even more local volunteers to both health and education.
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We are optimistic and looking forward to a more full project season in 2022!
Please join us in 2022 as the need will be even greater. We can't wait to see you!
Registration to begin Feb./Mar. '22
Stay tuned to our website and your email for future announcements.
Email us if you'd like to add to the announcement list.
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Last chance for One One Coco 2021 |
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During this hallowed season of giving, please consider a gift to Great Shape prior to the end of the year.
2021 is one of most challenging years that Great Shape! has ever faced.
We need your help now more than ever!
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As always "every likkle bit" helps! We're so grateful for those that have already joined this esteemed "group of givers".
For the donation to count for 2021, please donate by Friday, December 31st.
93% of every dollar goes straight to our humanitarian projects in the Caribbean.
If you'd like to donate prescription glasses, school supplies, dental equipment, etc. email our office.
Our official 2022 One One Coco campaign will kick-off January 17th.
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BIG UP to our #1 Partner & Sponsor The Sandals Foundation & Sandals and Beaches Resorts International!!
Click view entire message below to see the rest of our newsletter
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- Jamaican Ministries of Health and Education
- Ministry of Education Youth & Information (MOEY)
- National Education Trust
- Negril Environmental & Education Trust (NEET)
- Travellers Resort in Negril
- Soles4Souls
- Sunday Afternoons
- JUTA
- The Health for Life and Wellness Foundation, Ltd.
- St. Lucia Ministry of Health and Wellness
- St. Lucia Medical and Dental Council
- St. Lucia – Allied Health Council
- Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Health, Agriculture, and Human Services
- Turks and Caicos Islands Health Professions Authority
- Henry Schein Cares
- DMC and Michael Carabash
- International College of Dentistry
- DCI
- OraQuick
- Pulpdent
- Rotary International
- Valplast
- Seaboard Marine
- Seacor
- Caribtrans
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- Action Shipping
- Let it Shine Media
- Spokane Valley Screen Printing
- Peter Dalson, Port Express Custom Brokerage Service
- Wesley Gordon, Gordon’s Agencies (JA) LTD
- Coree Robinson, Air and Sea Shipping
- Michael Andres, Condor Customs Broker
- Colgate
- Illinois College of Optometry
- Sight is a Right
- Dr. Dan Brown and Oregon Eye Specialists
- Dr. Brian Haugen and Northridge Eye Care
- Michael Walach & Quest Vision Care Specialty Lab
- Mary Seguiti and the team from HCC School of Opticianry
- Yvonne Pelkey and the team from JSRCC
- Drs. Jenna and Travis Zigler, Eye Love Cares Foundation
- Dr. Tim Lynch and Interviz, LLC
- Essilor Vision Foundation
- Americares
- VOSH & SVOSH International
- Alcon
- Allergan
- National Vision
- RestoringVision
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As always, thank you for doing your part to support our mission to provide access to free health care and education to children and families throughout the Caribbean. |
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