FALMOUTH, Trelawny – Eighteen children with special needs in and around Bounty Hall, Trelawny, can now look forward to continued support from the charity Global Hands. Operated by Carleen Coates-Russell, who is originally from the area but now lives and works in the United States, the charity expanded the eighth staging of its annual community fair to include the 18 children, after area residents made the request.

“[One] family has been reaching out,” Coates-Russell told the Jamaica Observer, adding that once the first family received help, other requests quickly followed.

During the most recent community fair, held at Bounty Hall Primary School last Saturday, the 18 children received specialised supplies including diapers and pull-ups for those with incontinence; bedding; skin-care creams to prevent breakdown; and adaptive toys for non-verbal, blind, or hearing-impaired children. Russell said there are plans for follow-up care, including psychiatric services for families.

She noted that some beneficiaries are older adolescents and young adults, including individuals aged 18, 22, and 25, who still require specialised pull-ups.

Coates-Russell said the support is critical for families struggling to afford such items.

“One lady… is asking me for a leg brace for a child whose leg can’t stretch right out,” she said, adding that she has committed to shipping the item.

The special needs programme is expected to continue as further requests arise.

Last weekend’s fair also supported 257 students with school bags as they prepare for the new school year.

Carleen Coates-Russell (centre), operator of Global Hands charity, shares a moment with children during the charity’s annual community treat at Bounty Hall Primary School in Trelawny last Saturday.

Coates-Russell said the packages were tailored for Jamaica’s unusually hot weather this year. In addition to the usual school supplies, students received water bottles, lunch bags, and other items.

“We know the heat in Jamaica is very excessive,” she said, adding that lunch bags also help families manage food expenses.

An additional 30 school bags have been reserved for Negril, Westmoreland, where Global Hands will distribute supplies this week.

Students at Saturday’s fair also received hot meals, refreshments, and free medical checks.

Doctors and other health professionals took part, ensuring basic assessments before the school term.

Householders were also assisted, particularly those affected by Hurricane Melissa. Global Hands distributed tarpaulins for temporary roofing, as well as beds, hot plates, lamps, and lanterns. Hot plates replaced damaged stoves, while lighting supplies supported homes still without electricity.

Food and household items distribution was increased this year, in response to greater needs in the aftermath of last year’s storm.

Coates-Russell said relief efforts will extend beyond Trelawny, with supplies also going to Negril.

The eighth annual fair brought together a team of psychotherapists, social workers, psychiatrists, medical doctors, and an emergency trauma specialist.

Volunteers with Global Hands charity pose during a community fair at Bounty Hall Primary School in Trelawny last Saturday.

Coates-Russell, a licensed psychiatrist who runs a home-care company in the United States called Many Hands, said she covers accommodation for visiting professionals while they fund their own travel. Despite the scale of the initiative, Russell said she has largely funded the programme herself, working two jobs to support the effort. She has also raised funds in New Jersey through Jamaican-themed T-shirts and food platters.

“I do not get funding at the moment,” she told the Observer.

She plans to seek external funding next year.

“It’s starting to wear me because I have to work two jobs to supply this funding because I want to help people… but that’s my calling,” Coates-Russell said.

“I give from my heart. I just don’t like people to know,” she added.

This year’s beneficiaries also include two students who received laptop computers.

One of the recipients, paralegal student Yonique Smith, expressed her gratitude.

“I needed it because my laptop broke down in the middle of class. So I need it for IT class, legal research class, methodology classes and communication studies, so it is very much helpful,” Smith told the Observer.