In a gathering peppered with passion and seasoned with spontaneous standing ovations, the Bahamas National Feeding Network made another dent in the fight against hunger, donating $55,000 in food vouchers to 105 churches, soup kitchens and feeding centres during a presentation at Melia Nassau Beach Resort June 14.
“This is by far the largest number of members we have ever gathered together and the sheer numbers show how great the need to feed is,” said philanthropist and businessman Frank Crothers, patron of the Feeding Network that has donated more than $350,000 since its founding in December 2013.
“None of us shall ever sit down to a meal and feast without pausing to think about those who have nothing to eat, who wake up hungry and all too often go to bed hungry,” said Crothers, who is also Ambassador from Malta to The Bahamas, a territory that includes the Holy See.
“There are people who ask me, 'Why do you do this, Frank? Why do you give so much to people who could just go out and get a job and feed themselves or ask family for help?'
“If only it were that simple. The reality is that there are thousands and thousands who fall through the cracks and in a nation of strained resources there is no net wide enough to catch them. Some did work and lost their job or don't make enough to feed everyone in their family. Others may be ill or suffer from a debilitating disease or condition.”
Crothers conceded there are some who bear responsibility for their condition because they abused drugs, but far more are caught in circumstances not of their making. “Many are elderly -- too proud to beg for help when their National Insurance payment has run out for the month. There are those who share food with others in their family and go without themselves.
“For every person who isn’t trying hard enough, there are 10 more who are or who aim to try and still can’t make it. For every person who is hungry, there is a story that will break your heart. And so it is all we can do --each of us who has something to give and to share -- to help one who has less than we do.
According to government statistics, nearly one in seven persons in The Bahamas currently lives at or below the poverty level of $11 per day. And that number is likely to grow with unemployment at record levels.
For Executive Director Philip Smith whose decade-long dedication to feeding the hungry that started long before the National Feeding Network was born drew the audience to its feet, there is never a day off. “But with the unbelievable generosity of Frank Crothers and others, we will eradicate hunger. We will, together, all of us, we will,” he pledged.
Sean Moree, an attorney and one of the civic leaders serving as directors of the non-profit, implored people from across The Bahamas to give.
“How do you help? How do we give back some of the good fortune the good Lord has given us?” Moree asked. “Take off our jackets, roll up our sleeve, address the problem.”
As more praise was lavished on Crothers, he declined to accept the honour.
“It is not I who deserves the credit but all of you here today. I donate money, yes, and I care deeply. I am proud to have committed myself to eradicating the pain of hunger. But you, the volunteers who fill this room -- you give so much more. You give of yourself.
Every day or every week, you volunteer, you are God's unpaid angels, helping those in need, stirring huge pots of soup or rice or stew, serving up hope along with lunch. God bless you and thank you for all you do.”
H.E. Frank Crothers, Ambassador from Malta to The Bahamas, and founder and patron of the Bahamas National Feeding Network, told more than 120 volunteers from soup kitchens and feeding centres that for every one person who faces hunger because they went astray, there are another 10 who try to make it and just can’t. They are the ones who fall through the cracks and in a nation with strained resources, the safety net cannot catch them all.
Former businessman Philip Smith has dedicated a decade to feeding the hungry, for the past two and a half years as Executive Director of the Bahamas National Feeding Network that now lends financial and best practices support to more than 105 programs working to eradicate hunger.
Volunteers and supporters of soup kitchens and feeding centres came together June 14 at the invitation of the Bahamas National Feeding Network for a lunch and fellowship at Melia Nassau Beach Resort. The BNFN served hope and emotional support along with $55,000 toward the fight against hunger.
Bahamas National Feeding Network Directors l-r Lester Ferguson, H.E. Frank Crothers, patron, Elaine Pinder, Philip Smith, Executive Director, Peter Whitehead, Pastor Timothy Stewart and Sean Moree help fight hunger with the organization’s fourth major presentation, $55,000 in food vouchers and certificates to 105 churches, soup kitchens and feeding centres throughout The Bahamas. One in seven persons in The Bahamas is said to live at or below the poverty level and the Feeding Network aims to eradicate the pain of hunger by supporting the hundreds who feed many thousands every week.
