“The old way doesn’t work.” This quote comes up multiple times in conversation with Jamaica-born Andrea Hall, who heads up South Florida-based Shak’s Hope Foundation, along with son Kishi Martin, husband Paul Brown, and invaluable board members Rain Jarett and Eric Schroeder.
It’s become a mantra for the sickle-cell awareness non-profit. It’s something Shakira Martin, Shak’s Hope’s founder, and Hall’s late daughter, would often say when describing how outreach programs often fail those suffering from the same conditions they mean to assist with. “We do events that really lift spirits, because that mental part of how sickle cell affects people was very important to Shakira. She often talked about how the small things we take for granted are really big things in the life of somebody who lives in pain,” Hall explains.
In typical Shak’s Hope fashion, the foundation’s latest event, the Islands of Hope Brunch held on Sunday, September 18 in Davie, bypassed the vibe that usually accompanies functions designed to promote sickle cell awareness. The brunch was a true festivity that included a menu packed with Caribbean favorites from seven different islands. Curried goat, roti, jerk pork, and green banana salad made up just a handful of the offerings. Hall wanted attendees to get a taste of travel again, something most of us have not done in the wake of the pandemic.
The brunch was food and a show. The show included an improvised runway with models of all sizes strutting in the latest from Caribbean fashion houses Mijan Inherited, Tamia Carey and TnT Fashion. There was a silent auction of gift baskets containing hotel stays, exquisite alcohol, and much more. Warriors, the term Shak’s Hope uses for sickle cell patients, also made their way to the stage to talk about their condition. Attendees were tested before and after these Warrior presentations to see how much they’ve learned.
“You didn’t want it to end,” Hall laughs.
Through the event, Shak’s Hope raised US$5000 after expenses and collected dozens of toys for its upcoming children’s drive this Christmas season. “You have to create different things to get different results,” Hall explains.
It all goes to show that maybe the old way truly does not work. Based on the fruit of the foundation’s labor, the fun approach to awareness-building and outreach may be a model to be explored by other non-profits, regardless of the cause.
