I need DENTISTS AND HYGIENISTS for Session 2 in Montego Bay.. Week 3 only: Arrive Oct. 15 or 16 and depart Oct. 23 Week 4 only: Arrive Oct. 23 and depart Oct. 31 or Nov. 1 Week 3 & 4: Arrive Oct. 15 or 16 and depart Oct. 31 or Nov. 1 PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, OR PASS IT ON IF YOU THINK SOMEONE ELSE MAY BE :D

Sharing the LOVE

Wa' Gwan good people and GreatShapers! I am so please that our group is coming together and really looking forward to the time that we are all going to be spending in JA later this year.

I am going to be working on the project state-side from now until mid. October, and then will be on my way to Jamaica.

The time to donate is *NOW* As my friends and family know, I have to raise around $1200 total to cover my project fee and expenses. Such being the case you will get donation reminders frequently because I love you and I know how much you love to help!

I have posted more info on this amazing project, and of course there is a link below to donate via PayPal

ONE LOVE!

Holly

Great Shape! Inc.

Great Shape! Inc. is service in action. In Jamaica, we facilitate a humanitarian dental project, a literacy empowerment program, and an eye-care vision project. The Sandals Foundation and Jamaican Ministries of Health and Education are our lead partners. 1000 Smiles... and Counting! the world's largest, international, humanitarian dental project! The Problem: in rural Jamaica, there is just one dentist for every 100,000 people! The Solution: Great Shape! Inc.'s 1000 Smiles. 2009 estimates are in: Over six weeks, more than 200 volunteers served about 4,500 people in temporary dental clinics. The dental education teams served about 15,000 children in the local schools. As they do each fall, teams serve in rural areas of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril. Volunteers provide free dental care and dental hygeine education, including cleanings, extractions, sealants, tooth brushes and paste.Crews come from around the world; in 2009 folks even proudly represented Jamaica, Africa and Norway. Thanks to you all! SuperKids Literacy Project Skills to read... Power to lead The Problem: the schools that partner with Great Shape! Inc. report a 40% literacy rate. The Solution: Great Shape's SuperKids 2009 Rocked! About 70 volunteers from across the U.S., Canada, and Jamaica served about 16,000 children in the rural schools around Ocho Rios. Volunteers improve literacy through a curriculum and resources in reading, computers, art, music and sports. Teams partnered with teachrs in seven different schools, while a total of eleven schools received books and computer labs. We love our volunteers! iCare Vision Project Seeing is Believing The Problem: in Western Jamaica, there are NO public health eye care providers The Solution: Great Shape's iCare program Great Shape! Inc., in partnership with Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity - Northwest, wrapped up its pilot vision project, iCare, in 2009. Teams facilitated the project in Western Jamaica where the cost of a pair of glasses is over a month's pay for the average Jamaican. Over four days, twenty-two iCare volunteers provided 1850 eye exams, 125 surgery referrals, and over 2300 pairs of eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Wa Gwan 2010 People??!

It's a new year, and the new dates have been announced for the 2010 GreatShape! Inc. projects. All ov my friends know that I am involved with the 1000 Smiles portion of the program, but there are other areas of the communities that we serve that involve eye care, literacy, and school based computer programs. Here is a little info on the SuperKids Literacy Program:

GREAT SHAPE! SuperKids

Great Shape! Inc. expanded its literacy-empowerment program in the fall of 2008. Volunteers partnered with several schools; implementing curriculum to improve programs in literacy, computers, art, music and sports.

Great Shape! SuperKids is the evolution of our Book in a Bag project. In 2006 Great Shape! partnered with First Book (based on the East Coast) to get books into the hands of Jamaican children. We first supplied 5,000 books to Jamaican schools and created the lending program. Students fill their bag with books, take them home, bring them back and trade for others. At the pilot school in Grange Hill, the excitement about reading has already improved ten-fold, including reading contests and performances.

In the schools that team up with Great Shape! Inc. six out of ten children do NOT read at a basic level. Plus, Jamaica does not have a printing industry; all books are imported onto the Island. This makes books expensive and rare.

Great Shape! SuperKids will use several programs to continue improving the reading levels of Jamaica's children. We partner with the Jamaican Ministry of Education and Sandals Resorts International.

In the next coming days I am going to put together my information packet for how to get involved and make the trek as a volunteer, and also how you can help without leaving the comfort of your own home -- but believe me: going on the trip to Negril, Ocho Rios, or Montego Bay is an experience you will never forget, I can not say enough great things about the program!

Ok, more to come soon.. Get ready to get involved!