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Last Updated: Jun 22, 2020 - 1:33:02 PM |
Eleuthera, Bahamas -- The One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) has partnered with the Government to coordinate the National Feeding Network’s Programme in Eleuthera. The twelve-week programme, announced by the Prime Minister, came into effect after weeks of planning. The One Eleuthera Foundation is a member of the National Task Force and is represented by CEO Shaun Ingraham and COO Jim Richard. The feeding programme is divided into zones, and OEF and its supporting agencies are responsible for locally implementation throughout Eleuthera.
Jim Richard, appointed in September 2019 as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of OEF, is responsible for daily operations and coordinating the work of the Foundation and will serve as the project’s lead. Richard shared that the programme is island-wide, including Harbour Island, Spanish Wells, and Current Island. “We are working with partner agencies in each settlement to set up the infrastructure that will allow the programme to run smoothly,” he noted.
OEF was already engaged with numerous outreach programmes during COVID-19. Ms. Maisie Thompson, the Outreach Coordinator for OEF, is familiar with relief work, having spearheaded outreach with the Cancer Society for several years. Currently, leading OEF’s Breast Cancer Outreach programme, Ms. Thompson managed OEF’s Hurricane Dorian Relief programme, where she implemented a feeding and housing scheme that assisted residents of Abaco and Grand Bahama who had relocated to Eleuthera following Hurricane Dorian.
A team of five staff from OEF will provide management and give oversight in coordinating the food distribution along with Richard and Thompson; as the programme gains momentum, additional staff, as needed, will be added to ensure effective management of community needs. Richard assured residents on the island that every legitimate need will be met with a pragmatic response. “We are working with partner agencies in each settlement, and we are also working with Social Services and NIB to ensure that help will be available for those in greatest need,” he said. To determine the applicant’s level of vulnerability, OEF will utilize the criteria established by the National Committee.
One Eleuthera will work with the already established Harbour Island Food Bank, which will service North Eleuthera as far south as Gregory Town. An integral component in this work will be OEF’s commitment to ensure that the Eleuthera settlements benefit from the project. Every effort will be made to purchase groceries locally, including the small grocery stores, usually referred to as ‘mom and pop’ stores. “We intend to spread the benefits to reach small and medium-size businesses as well as the larger grocery distributors on the island,” Richard noted.
A program of this scale calls for cooperation, sharing, and partnerships with every church, civic and community organization, every leader, and all concerned residents on the island. Speaking to One Eleuthera’s history of reaching across political, civic, religious and, social groups on the island, CEO Ingraham noted that the Foundation is committed to working with the Government and private enterprises to ensure the well-being of the people of Eleuthera, especially the elderly and the children. “We realize the seriousness of the COVID-19 crisis and how the weeks of lockdown and unemployment have rendered many families on the island, desperate for everyday basics like food and water. One Eleuthera has been helping throughout the lockdown, and now we are pleased that we can join hands and partner with the Government in this major feeding programme over the next twelve weeks.”
As the Zone Leader, One Eleuthera will coordinate the island-wide programme; the actual distribution of food parcels and food vouchers will be done with supporting partner organizations in each settlement. The Foundation is committed to transparency and integrity in the process and is encouraging all partners to join forces to help those experiencing considerable stress and vulnerability. “The next twelve weeks will call for an unprecedented commitment to the community and will call each of us to be ready to help our brothers and sisters.” Ingraham challenged, “these times will call for kindness and the will to build on the unity that has often been displayed between community partners. This is a time to move from the sidelines of inactivity to a place of participation, and I assure you there is a place for every one of us to help build a better island, a better country,” Ingraham said.
Ingraham commended the Government for moving quickly to appoint the Task Force and to provide the budget to implement such a wide-sweeping aid initiative. The programme has a robust biblical imperative in the Gospel mandate to feed the hungry and care for the hurting. Ingraham believes that is also our mandate and is committed to making sure the next twelve weeks is a time of relief for Eleuthera residents.
For further information or should you wish to communicate with the Zone coordinators of the Feeding Initiative on Eleuthera please contact Ms. Maisie Thompson, Outreach Coordinator for the One Eleuthera Foundation at feedeleuthera@oneeleuthera.org
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