From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
CIBC First Caribbean staff ‘Reach Out’ to Grand Bahama Youth
By Chauntez A Wilson
Jul 2, 2015 - 3:40:14 PM
CIBC FirstCaribbean Volunteers and members of Reach Out Grand Bahama in front of the community centre.
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Nassau, Bahamas – The staff of the Freeport Branch of
CIBC FirstCaribbean recently donated their time and talent to assist the
Reach Out Community Centre in Grand Bahama. The eager bunch of
volunteers dedicated a weekend to spend time with the boys at the centre
and to repair and renovate the space. The bank also provided the
organisation with a donation toward supplies for the daily operations
and renovation project.
The volunteers painted the
interior and exterior of the community centre building, rebuilt the
centre’s stage and tidied and organized the library with the assistance
of the centre’s students. To Ms. Patrice Russell, Wealth Associate at
CIBC FirstCaribbean and organizer of the initiative, this interactive
component set the volunteering experience apart.
“Staff
interaction with the boys at the centre was really the highlight,” she
said. “The hands-on approach to completing each task provided the CIBC
FirstCaribbean volunteers with the opportunity to share a particular
skill and to work with a young man who was eager to learn.”
She
said the CIBC FirstCaribbean staff decided to give back to Reach Out
Grand Bahama because they felt that the positive impact that the
organization makes perfectly reflects the bank’s philanthropic goals and
their own.
“The staff chose to support Reach Out Grand
Bahama based on the significant influence the organization has on the
male youth in the community. Their focus and goals directly contribute
to improvements in juvenile delinquency and we believe in the social and
economic impact that brings. Reach Out Grand Bahama is making the
community stronger and setting an example for other at-risk boys to
follow, and we want to be a part of that.”
She continued
“Our members appreciated the fact that Mr. Seide by way of practice
ensures that the boys learned how and what to do, and we were just as
proud to share our knowledge. It was an overall good experience, and we
hope to return in the future.”
Reach Out Grand Bahama is a
non-profit organization established by Mr. Dudley Seide to assist
at-risk male youth. The organization offers after school programs, back
to school drives, annual prison visits and their banner program is the
annual basketball camp and tournament.
Additionally, the
centre facilitates community service via the Magistrates’ Courts by
assisting first time offenders with counselling and opportunities for
community service. The centre “students” are pushed academically and
athletically to develop the skills needed to complete high school,
pursue college and eventually attain gainful employment.
Mr.
Seide, stated that the organisation was very grateful for the
assistance from CIBC FirstCaribbean and also hoped that the relationship
was one that continues to grow.
“We would like to say
thank you to the volunteers from CIBC FirstCaribbean who took time out
to give back to us,” he said. “We also thank them for their generous
donation that will go a long way in assisting us with purchasing
supplies for our building project. The kids really enjoyed working
along with you all and we look forward to your group coming back! We are
able to continue our work thanks to the donations and volunteer
assistance from corporate sponsors like CIBC FirstCaribbean.”
A Reach Out Grand Bahama member assists a CIBC FirstCaribbean volunteer with rebuilding the community centre’s stage.
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A CIBC FirstCaribbean volunteers paints the outer wall of the Reach Out Grand Bahama Community Centre
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