For Miss Universe 2002, concern and compassion for children in need comes naturally. On March 9th at 8:30 a.m. at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, runners, walkers, friends and children will join Justine to raise funds for school supplies.

Feb. 19, 2013 – “When we nurture our children and see them grow successfully, we realize the importance of helping other children who desperately need it.” Justine, a proud new mother, explains her passion for helping children. “It’s not very difficult for us to ensure that our children are healthy and happy and that they receive the education they need to grow into responsible adults. However, there are many parents in other parts of the world, who have the same dreams and aspirations for their children but lack the means to make their dreams a reality.”

The Every Child Matters 5K Run/Walk is a major fundraiser of Children of the Caribbean Foundation. The proceeds fund the charity’s Education Initiative that benefits children in Los Angeles and across the Caribbean. The association of Children of the Caribbean Foundation, Justine Pasek and ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water for the 3rd Annual Run/Walk is the ideal collaboration where “all things work together for good.” ZICO, according to the company “climbed the coconut tree for you” and brings to the run/walk the natural hydration with 5 electrolytes and as much potassium as a banana. The coconut and its many uses is a part of the culture of the Caribbean people. Justine, originally from Panama shares a similar history, culture and ethnicity with the people of the Caribbean.

On March 9th, 2013, Children of the Caribbean Foundation, Justine Pasek and ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, will create a transnational community that will embrace the Caribbean diaspora overseas, and provide a fun and healthy way to change the lives of generations of young children in poverty. School shoes, backpacks filled with dictionaries, calculators, notebooks and other essential supplies will be purchased with the funds from the Every Child Matters Run/Walk. Over the Summer, these supplies will be distributed to children who otherwise would go without.

To Register for the 2013 Every Child Matters 5K Run/Walk, go to www.caribbeanchild.com or you may register online with Active at www.active.com and enter “Every Child Matters 5K Los Angeles” in the Search.

FOR THE CHILDREN: American actress Victoria Rowell (second right), is here with Children Of The Caribbean Foundation founders Julian Adams (right) and Rosie Hodge-Adams (second left), along with board member Barbadian Anne Coppin.

FORMER star of the YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Victoria Rowell, is in Barbados as part of a project to assist the children of the Caribbean.

Rowell, 53, who spent several seasons on the popular CBS daytime drama, is the celebrity guest for the Children Of The Caribbean Foundation, an organization established to help and guide children in foster care.

When she was 16 days old, Rowell, and with her two sisters Sheree and Lori, were surrendered to Child Services, so the African American actress was pleased to continue what she has been doing around the world for the last few years.

“I am here to offer my expertise not only in foster care, adoption child welfare, [but] as a global advocate because I have offered my skills on the west coast of Africa, South Africa, India, Russia and throughout the Caribbean,” she said.

Rowell, who recently signed up for the fast rising American television series Single Ladies, said there were millions of lost children in the world.

“I have met with the child care leadership here, and the foundation has discussed ways in which we can collaborate. We have a half-million children in foster care in the United States, and we need a tremendous amount of help, as our system is broken.

“Everywhere I have been to in the world, there is need for improvement, so all we can is to try to help each other,” she added.

Children Of The Caribbean Foundation was founded by the husband and wife team of Julian Adams and Rosie Hodge-Adams, who were among the visiting group.

“The concept behind the foundation is trying to give back to the children that we believe have been lost to society. We have developed programmes in certain areas such as education and health care,” Julian said.

In Barbados, the foundation has this week donated backpacks and school supplies to the children of Sterling and Farrs Children’s Homes in St Philip and St Peter, respectively. The Sterling Home also received a stove and a dining room set.

Adams, who hails from St Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands, said the foundation’s ultimate goal was to try to meet specific needs of children “all across the Caribbean, not just Barbados”.

The Children Of The Caribbean Foundation team also includes Barbadian Anne Coppin, who is a board member of the two-year-old organization.

Coppin, who resides in California, is originally from St Patrick’s, Christ Church.

The group is scheduled to return to the United States today. (MK)

 BEVERLY HILLS, CA, U.S.A. — When Rosie Hodge-Adams (Founder of Children of the Caribbean Foundation) traveled to the island of Barbados last summer to simply deliver back packs and school supplies to the children at the Farr’s Children Home, she met with Director of the Child Care Board – Ms. Joan Crawford.

The two discussed the orphanage system on the island and Ms. Hodge-Adams inquired of the need for assistance on the islands. Since that visit, the Farr’s Children Home on Barbados has been closed for renovation and the children from that home were moved to the Sterling Children’s Home in St. Phillip. That home needed a new 6 burner gas stove and oven and a dining room set for 6.

Children of the Caribbean Foundation, a 501c 3 non-profit organization located in Los Angeles, CA exists to give assistance and relief to disadvantaged children across the Caribbean. The charity launched its Project ASPIRE (an educational and cross-cultural exchange program) on the island of Barbados this week.

Taking advantage of the time on the island, Rosie kept her promise to the orphans at Sterling and Children of the Caribbean Foundation provided them with a 6 burner gas stove and oven and a dining room set for 6 while participating in Project ASPIRE.

Children of the Caribbean Foundation, Inc. (“COTC”) is pleased to announce that Grammy Award ® Winner, Musician Dr. Nancy Wilson is now a supporter of Children of the Caribbean Foundation.

Dr. Nancy Wilson was among the honored and celebrity guests at the Children of the Caribbean Foundation’s “Every Child Matters 5K Run/Walk” Pre-Race Reception which was held in Beverly Hills on June 15, 2012.  During an on-camera interview with the Foundation’s Executive Director, Rosie Hodge-Adams, Ms. Wilson expressed her support for the work the Foundation is doing. “I am very proud of the work that you are doing with children across the Caribbean and in Los Angeles”, she said.  “The Children of the Caribbean Foundation has my support.”  Ms. Wilson also pledged to lend assistance whenever possible.

In addition to receiving three Grammy Awards ®, Dr. Nancy Wilson has also received three NAACP Image Awards, the UNCF Trumpet Award, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Dr. Wilson also received the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Masters Fellowships Award (2004), the highest honors that the United States Government bestows upon jazz musicians. On May 25, 2012, the prestigious Juilliard School of Music bestowed an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree on Dr. Wilson.

It is no surprise that Dr. Wilson supports Julien Adams and Rosie Hodge-Adams and the work that they do across the Caribbean with Children of the Caribbean Foundation, because Dr. Wilson is also a humanitarian at heart!  She is the co-founder of the Nancy Wilson Foundation, an organization that introduces inner city children to life in the countryside.

ABOUT Children of the Caribbean
COTC is a registered non-profit organization. Although COTC’s primary mandate is to give assistance to youth in the Caribbean in the areas of education (supplies and scholarships), health and development, the foundation has realized that there is a great need in many other areas. Accordingly, since then the foundation decided to extend its reach and provided food and support to homeless children in the Los Angeles area. The Foundation recently hosted its 2nd Annual fundraising event, the “EVERY CHILD MATTERS 5K Run-Walk” at Loyola Marymount University on June 16, 2012. The funds raised at that event will fund programs that support and nurture the lives of underprivileged youth in the Caribbean in the area of education (supplies and scholarships), health and development.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blKdYTkmsUg

Join Elise Neal June 16th, 2012 at LMU University for Children of The Caribbean’s second annual “Every Child Matters” 5K Run/Walk. Elise will be hosting this years event! Proceeds from the event go towards helping children across the Caribbean to have the education, shelter, food, healthcare, and LOVE they deserve!

Register now at http://caribbeanchild.com/how-to-get-involved/register-for-this-years-5k

We would like to extend a warm thank you to the kind support of actress and producer Lorraine Toussaint. She has not only signed up to attend our 5k Run/Walk this year, but was gracious enough to offer her personal endorsement of our cause in the Caribbean!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvFroq_cey0

Want to help out? It’s easy!  Just share this video on your Facebook page and help us get the word out!

Thank you for your support,

Children of The Caribbean Foundation

Randy Jackson with wife Erika Jackson

American Idol Judge – Randy Jackson, continues to support Children of the Caribbean Foundation by his generous sponsorship of the EVERY CHILD MATTERS 5K Run/Walk. His wife Erika Jackson is a member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation.

Are you going come out and show your support on June 16th???

Get registered today and be entered to win a cruise!

http://caribbeanchild.com/how-to-get-involved/register-for-this-years-5k/

Rosie Hodge Adams, second from left, co-founder of the Caribbean Foundation Inc, cuts the ribbon to mark completion of the renovation of medical storage and dispensary facilities at the Cyril Ross Nursery in Tunupuna. Others in photo are, left, Clive Belgrave from St Vincent de Paul, Rose Lanam, Dr David John, Madonna Stewart, partly hidden and Keri Close.
Author: SUREASH CHOLAI

Children with HIV are living longer because medication is available but there remain gaps in services to satisfy other health needs. A doctor who treats children at the Cyril Ross Nursery is concerned that stigma is an obstacle to HIV Positive children getting treatment at dental clinics.

“The challenge today is not whether children will live or not, they will live fairly normal lives but, (whether they will have) access to other services,” said Dr David John, Medical Director Medical Affairs New York City Health and Hospitals, and volunteer doctor for the Cyril Ross Nursery, El Dorado Road, Tunapuna.

The nursery provides care for children infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), or have advanced to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or were orphaned because their parents died of AIDS. Antiretroviral therapy is provided to the children who reside at Cyril Ross and also for children who live with their parents.

In an interview following the blessing and dedication of the refurbished pharmacy and sick bay at Cyril Ross, John said the children at Cyril Ross do not have routine dental care like other children. When attempts are made to get them into dental clinics, staff of the nursery are told to call back in a month, and when this is done they are told there is no availability and to call back in six weeks.

“I am not convinced people are comfortable offering dental services to HIV positive children. I think there is fear and stigma, and our children are suffering because of that,” he said

He said mental health issues also have not been properly addressed due to inadequate staff. Social services for inpatients and outpatients to access services are required.

“You have to understand the problem and plan to fix, if you don’t understand or pretend not to understand you would not be able to fix. We have gaps, serious gaps.”

John said he is the only doctor for children resident at Cyril Ross and his team comprises local volunteer nurses and pharmacists. He said the service they provided was interim and there should be a fixed service with trained persons assigned to the nursery. John said he enjoyed providing medical care to the children but that the “powers that be” also had a responsibility to care for the children.

“We have to have a plan to move forward, to take care of the children you have to be trained,” he said.

John said treatment has enabled more than 92 percent of children to have HIV lives which were undetectable in their system. The results are attributed to “the dedication of staff, observation of the medication taken by children and compliance.”

Miss Universe 1998, Wendy Fitzwilliam, who is a member of the Children of the Caribbean Foundation, presented a plaque to John for his contribution to the Cyril Ross nursery. She told of John’s dedication to service saying he took the “red eye” flight from New York on Friday, engaged in all day clinics at the nursery on Saturday, sometimes ending at 10 pm, and then returned home yesterday.

One of the goals of Embrace the Struggle (ETS) is to shed light on causes and individuals, especially women, who are making a difference in communities throughout the world.  What better way to begin ETS’s interview series than by catching up with a compatriot who has not forgotten her roots!

Rosie Hodge-Adams is a fellow Kittitian-Nevisian now living in Los Angeles who, along with her husband, Julien, has spearheaded a nonprofit organization, Children of the Caribbean, that provides support in the areas of education, health care, and social development to causes throughout the Caribbean.

As Executive Director of COTC, Rosie has been able to secure endorsements for COTC from celebrities such as Nia Long, Stacey Dash, Blair Underwood, and Eric Close.  Her organization counts among its sponsors Ziggy Marley’s Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (URGE), the Conrad Hilton Foundation, and ONE Coconut Water.

I know that her heart for bringing lasting change to the lives of young people in the Caribbean will strike a chord with you!

You can listen to the entire interview on ETS’s blogtalkradio station, but check out some excerpts below.

Alison:  What is the main focus of COTC?  Is it education, is it health, or is it more a general well-roundedness of young people?
Rosie:  We focus on three areas:  education, health care, and social development.  We try to do as much as we can in each of those areas.  As the requests come up, we try to fulfill those requests as best we can.  I think there isn’t one area that we put more emphasis on than the next.

Alison:  One of the areas that interested me was the Cyril Ross Nursery.  Perhaps you can share a little bit about how you guys got involved there.

Rosie:  The Cyril Ross Nursery is our first major attempt at assisting children in our health care area.  Wendy Fitzwilliams  is a member of our board of directors, and she’s from Trinidad.  When she won the Miss Universe [title] in 1998, well, before she actually entered the show, Cyril Ross was one of those organizations that she, growing up in the church, she and her parents would always visit and volunteer at, so it was sort of natural after she had become a representative for Miss Universe and in fact won the title to take the home under her wing.  She was very instrumental in getting medication to the children.  And so the whole Cyril Ross notion was close to our hearts because of her.
When I visited them last summer, I was really, really saddened by the environment.  The children had beautiful smiles.  Girl, Ali, they were happy children!  Looking at them, you couldn’t tell that they were AIDS patients or HIV positive.  Lots of energy, they looked healthy, they looked really good!

But the home was very dilapidated.  It’s a private-run institution managed by the [Society of] St. Vincent de Paul, through the Catholic Church, and they do their best.  They do really, really well because all the money that they receive is put into these kids.  Now they’re getting assistance.  They have basically taken these kids on and made these children their own children.  And so they have done really, really well.

But the little things… I’m sure any parent would choose to feed their child rather than fix the roof, so that’s where we stepped in.  Versus buying sheets for the bed, they put shoes on their feet, and so the plan is to make their lives just a little bit more comfortable.  We decided to step up, and we got immense support from people here in Los Angeles and all over, as a matter of fact!

Alison:  Excellent!  Tell us a bit about that support.  Where do you find most of your support coming from?
Rosie:  Because we’re fundraising locally here in California, over 90 percent of the support comes from our local California communities, and organizations such as the Hilton Foundation.

You start something like this, Alison, and you have no idea who’s going to buy in and who’s going to help you and how far you’re going to be able to go.  And people start asking you for things and you want to tell everybody “yes,” but you have to be careful not to… you know?  But the support has been amazing!
One of our board members has a very close relationship with the previous owners of the Hilton Hotel group, and she contacted Mr. Hilton, and he was just “Yes, yes, yes, Marsha!” [Laughter.]
Alison:  That’s the beauty of it!
Rosie:  Yeah, Ziggy Marley just came on board and his wife Orly.  She’s lovely, she wants to be more involved.  She has an organization called URGE, but of course he’s super busy with doing the biography movie of his dad, Bob Marley, and he’ll be travelling.  He’s already started his tour and his new CD release, but he promised later in the year to be more involved and hands on with us and the work we do across the Caribbean.

Alison: You guys have something coming up in June, don’t you?  You have a fundraiser in June.
Rosie:  We’re having what we are trying to make our signature event, our 5K run/walk in June at Loyola Marymount University.  Last year the proceeds from the run/walk went to providing education supplies for children in the Caribbean.  This year we’re anticipating a larger crowd, more participants, more sponsors. There’s more buy-in, for sure, and so we want to do more with the monies that we raise.
There’s a hospital in Saint Lucia that was destroyed by fire, and we have committed to providing them things for their neonatal ward–incubators and things like that.  Of course, a brand new organization such as ours has extremely limited resources, and so we raise enough money through the run/walk so that we can provide incubators.
We have friends also on the medical side who have offered us equipment.  We have now become a friend of Medtronics, and hopefully we’re gonna tap them to see if we can get some beds for the pediatric wing.
So the run/walk is really a very important fundraiser for us this year.  Not only do we use it to spread the word about the foundation and what it does by having such a large gathering of people, but we’re going to use the funds to push our education/back-to-school drive and help other areas that really need help: child care, health care, and social development.
Listen to the full interview on ETS’s blogtalkradio station for more details on the genesis of Children of the Caribbean, its scholarship program, and how you can contribute/participate.