Travelers departing from Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) now have the opportunity to give from the heart for the collective good.

In a socially conscious move, the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) recently placed donation boxes in two strategic locations in airport. It is the hope that a passenger's decision to give loose change, unused Bahamian currency or any form of cash, will go a long way in helping to change Bahamian lives for the better.

The see-through boxes, branded with the slogan "Give. Change" are placed in highly visible areas in the United States departures and domestic/international departures terminals at LPIA. Every quarter, two local charities will benefit from the generosity of strangers. The initial funds will be split between two worthwhile causes -- the Children's Emergency Hostel and the National Museum of the Bahamas, through its agency Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC).

"It's encouraging to see our passengers from throughout The Bahamas and around the world give with the express purpose of changing lives," said Vernice Walkine, president and CEO of NAD. "No change is too small. The donation of coins, bills, unused currency, will go a long way to enriching everyday Bahamians."

The drop boxes are designed to attract travellers' attention and inspire them to give. The airport expects to alternate causes on a quarterly basis and raise much-needed funds for their programs and initiatives

"We chose our first two organizations for different reasons," said Walkine. "The Bahamas Children's Emergency Hostel is changing the lives of children who find themselves alone in the world. Meanwhile, the work done by AMMC-- the nation's principal heritage conservation agency-- goes largely unnoticed."

The Bahamas Children's Emergency Hostel provides temporary accommodation, food, clothing, medical care and other necessities to residents ranging from birth to age 11. The home was incorporated in April 1970 by the Kiwanis Club of Nassau.

"To hear that we were chosen to be one of the first recipients was a pleasant surprise as we are always in need of money to purchase supplies for our children," said Marita Ferguson, administrator at the hostel.

AMMC is tasked with the preservation and promotion of monuments, sites and artifacts of national historical importance.

"We're pleased to be a benefactor of NAD's generosity," said AMMC's director Dr. Keith Tinker. "When you think about it, there's a unique synergy between our mandates. Tourists want to travel to a destination steeped in heritage and culture. Our work provides them with that experience."

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