Trelawny Police Division and Global Hands Foundation hosts sixth annual Mental Health fair and Back-to-School treat

Trelawny Police Division, in cooperation with the non-governmental organization based in the United States of America, the Global Hands Foundation, hosted the sixth annual Mental Health Fair and Back-to-School treat on August 11, 2024.

This significant community activity was held in Bounty Hall Primary School, where teachers, parents, students, and other significant stakeholders who have a vested interest in the well-being of students and their education participated.

For six successive years, it has been spearheaded by the Global Hands Foundation which is guided by Dr Carlene Coates Russell. This ceremony is aimed at ensuring that various needy folks get assistance, and this event explains that the organization has not relented in assisting Trelawny.

At the ceremony, Dr Russell, who has been very supportive in the organisation of the event, thanked the Trelawny Police Division for the support received from them as well as all the local and international volunteers who showed interest in volunteering for the organisation.

The event was attended by approximately twenty doctors and nurses of the Global Hands Foundation to provide their services. These healthcare professionals underwent all sorts of physical examination, which made sure every attendee got the proper examination and guidance on health practices.

Stress and mental health were marked as the key themes of the event with theoretical and practical assistance by therapists, who are a part of the community. Usually based in Falmouth, Dr Patrick Harris was very instrumental in the event through offering free back to school medicals to the students.

These medicals are very helpful in preparation for children to be organized for school, to meet with all the health needs of the new school year. Dr Harris’s participation also pointed to the commitment of the local community of healthcare to the young people’s educational process in Trelawny.

Besides medical service another support for the event were members of the Minister’s fraternal, Justice of the Peace Association and several officers from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). They also showed the role, different leaders within the community and other organizations took in ensuring that the youth of Trelawny benefited from a favourable environment.

The other activity that children eagerly awaited was giving out of back-to-school supplies. The number in turn was above a hundred and the items distributed included bags, books, pencils, pencil sharpeners among several others. These supplies are very important in helping families to ease the costs that they undertake as they prepare for the new school year, hence giving every child success chances within their studies.

There were also fun and enjoyable activities for the children in the form of games, making the feeling and environment lighter in spite of the mental health and medical services offered. Hence, integrating health checks, educational assistance, and community engagement provided a complete package of experience to all the participants of the event.

The sixth annual Mental Health Fair and Back-to-school Treat is an excellent example of how community partnerships will address both emergent and community residents’ enduring needs.

Through the promotion of mental health sessions, health and fitness, and education support, the Trelawny Police Division and Global Hands Foundation have again shown their care for the improvement and well-being of the entire society.