I serve as a Director and the Secretary of Great Worx, and my connection to the people of Jamaica has grown stronger with every one of the last eighteen years. I still remember my first mission trip. I went expecting to help with basic needs, but I didn’t expect to form the kind of friendships that stay with you long after you fly home. Those relationships have kept me returning year after year, and they are the reason Jamaica feels less like a destination and more like a second home.

Alongside my work with Great Worx, I continue to run my business and work as a private investigator. My background as a Marine, combined with years in business and investigative work, shapes the way I approach service. I’m straightforward, driven, and used to solving problems under pressure. But at the same time, I genuinely enjoy getting to know people. Whether I’m sharing a laugh with a shopkeeper, listening to a farmer talk about his land, or hearing a child’s dreams for the future, those conversations stay with me. They remind me why this mission matters.

Within Great Worx, I handle logistics, grant writing, and many of our community relationships. I like the challenge of pulling everything together and making sure the support we bring reaches the families who truly need it. Problem solving gives me energy, but serving people gives me purpose.

Hurricane Melissa tested all of us. Walking through neighborhoods we’ve worked in for years and seeing homes washed away, crops destroyed, and parents trying to stay strong for their children is painful. These are people I care about. Watching them face that kind of loss hits hard, and it left no doubt in my mind that we had to move quickly and stand with them once again. Moments like that sharpen your sense of responsibility and remind you why slowing down simply isn’t an option.

At home, my wife Flora and our two sons keep me grounded. They know how deeply Jamaica has become part of my life, and they’ve supported every long trip, every late-night call, and every plan drawn up at the kitchen table. And when I’m working, whether it’s case files or logistics for our next mission, there’s usually roots reggae playing. It keeps my heart pointed toward the island and the people who’ve welcomed me in.

My hope for Jamaica is steady, not naïve. I’ve seen the hardships, but I’ve also seen incredible resilience, courage, and kindness. These families have opened their lives to me, and that trust means something. I feel a real responsibility to stand with them through the highs and the lows. This work is more than charity. It’s partnership. It’s friendship. And it’s a commitment I intend to honor for as long as I’m able.

Paddy Shannon

Email: Paddy@GreatWorksInc.org             

Phone: 360-319-0547