The Caribbean North Charities Foundation (CNCF) was first established in 1998 —under the name the Guyana Burn Care Unit — by Richmond Hill couple Harry and Pamela Harakh. At the time, their focus was on developing burn care units across local public hospitals in Guyana, bringing over medical supplies and surgeons to help with skin grafts and cases involving cleft lip and palate. Since then, the Harakhs have expanded their areas of need to cover poor and disabled communities across the Caribbean, with occasional help from York Regional Police, the York Region District School Board, Ryerson University and other community organizations. 

Recently, they came to the rescue of a hospital in St. Lucia that was burned to the ground. 

“That’s a work in progress, but we had discovered that the hospital needed an ambulance to transport patients to their tertiary care hospital,” said Harry Harakh. “We were successful in transporting an ambulance, donated by York Region. This has saved lives. I think there were a few births in there as well.”

On Aug. 25 at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, CNCF is throwing their seventh annual fundraising concert, showcasing local calypso and Caribbean performers.