The Tribune

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

THOUSANDS of families will be fed this holiday season thanks to an initiative spearheaded by the Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) in conjunction with AML Foods Limited and Aliv.

Through their campaign, over 1,000 families in New Providence and over 1,000 families in Grand Bahama will receive parcels which include a picnic ham, whole chicken, five-pound bag of rice, two cans of peas, two cans of vegetables and a box of stuffing.

The Nassau packages were distributed yesterday at Solomon's in Yamacraw, and the same exercise will be taking place in Grand Bahama from the Solomon's Queen's Highway location, according to Renea Bastian, vice president of marketing & communications at AML.

BFN Executive Director Philip Smith said although the campaign is named "Feed 5,000," each parcel "can feed four persons in a family for a few days. So really its 8,000-- 8,000 people will be fed from what we're going to distribute over the next two days."

To explain how the parcels are allocated, Mr Smith said, "(BFN has) a group of members that has existed since we started…in December 2013. We selected a group of almost 100 churches, soup kitchens and feeding organisations, and they are from everywhere in Nassau, Grand Bahama and some of the Family Islands."

These organisations "can now go into their various communities and distribute these (parcels)."

Ms Bastian, provided background on the event: "The Feed 5000 programme is an initiative that we started last year. The goal was basically to help those families in need…have a good Christmas dinner."

"We put together a package that includes everything that a family would need to have Christmas dinner. Last year we were able to raise $63,000. This year we actually beat our goal, and were successful in raising (over) $80,000. And that equates to feeding over 2,000 families."

"To launch the programme, AML donated $20,000. We then collected over $30,000 from our registers through donations from our customers and then we also had some donations come in from corporate sponsors.

"And we are so grateful to everyone who supported us and made this initiative such a huge success. It's going to go a long way to help families that are hungry…We take for granted that everybody (eats three meals a day), and that's just not the case. So we're so happy that we're able to put a smile on some families' faces once again this year and you know we're looking forward to this being even bigger and better in 2018."

Also present at yesterday's event were the recipients of the packages. The Tribune spoke with Janice Mackey, a human resources administrator & logistics officer at Red Cross Bahamas. Ms Mackey said, "We are here today just to receive a donation from (BFN). And the food of course we will use to distribute to the persons who participate in our programmes. I've been told (the Red Cross will receive) 40 (parcels)."

When asked who her organisation will distribute the packages to, Ms Mackey replied, "We have an ongoing list of persons we provide assistance for during the year, and it will no doubt be some of those persons, and any walk-ins who we assess that would need urgent assistance."

The Salvation Army was also present at the event. Andrew Sears, who works in the thrift shop, said, "We distribute the items through an event that's happening on Thursday. We host it every year, (where) we feed the elderly people. They come in through the month of November, they register, then we tell when the event is. Then they come…we have the police band and everything. And they also get to take home the items we received here."

The Rotary Club of Old Fort was one of the contributors to the event. Dr Petra Forbes was a representative of this organisation, saying, "We are out here today to support the Bahamas Feeding Network and make a donation. Rotary is a service group and we try to give back to the community: we raise funds for BFN (and) organisations like Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre. Anything to help the community and give back, Rotary is apart of.