2024, A Year in Review

As we reflect on the past year, I am filled with gratitude for the incredible strides and new connections Smile A While Foundation has made as we work towards transforming the lives of children and families across Jamaica. Thanks to your unwavering support and partnership, we have been able to deliver on our mission of fostering a brighter future through access to education, therapy, and therapy supplies.

2024 has been a year of growth and new beginnings. Some of our proudest achievements include; sending a Stander wheelchair to Jamaica, creating our core ECHO Autism Jamaica team, coordinating our next cohort of students for January 2025, and launching our Occupational Therapy Bus fundraising campaign. Each of these initiatives embodies our commitment to breaking down barriers and ensuring that every child, regardless of location or circumstance, has the tools and support they need to thrive.

As we continue to move forward to continuing and expanding the ways we are able to support children with special needs In Jamaica, we know none of this would be possible without the generosity of you, our donors, volunteers, and supporters. Together, we are creating sustainable change, one smile at a time. 

A few highlights of 2024: 

• Prepare 2 Practice (P2P): Throughout 2024, we have built our ECHO Autism Jamaica Hub Team and are now in the final stages of planning out our program. We hope to have our first session in Spring 2025.

• The Sponsored Therapist: We have been working hard to coordinate our next Sponsored Therapist trip for Spring 2025. 

• Interdisciplinary Team Training Series (ITTS):

  • MICO Care Center’s Parent Coaching Workshop
  • Attended and presented the AOTA 2024 Conference in Orlando, Florida 

As we look ahead to 2025, we are inspired by the possibilities that lie before us. There is still much to be done, but with your continued support, we are confident we will meet these challenges with the same determination and compassion that has guided us thus far.

Thank you for being an integral part of our journey. Your belief in our mission fuels our work and gives hope to the communities we serve. Together, we are making a difference that will be felt for generations to come.