A $50,000 donation from the Lyford Cay Club Charitable Trust helped to jumpstart a new food distribution collaboration on Grand Bahama with the international humanitarian organization GlobalMedic and the entire Rotary organisation based on Grand Bahama Island.

With the financial contribution from the Lyford Cay Club Charitable Trust, the five Rotary Clubs of Grand Bahama and GlobalMedic were able to expand their support to vulnerable families impacted by Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic with the distribution of 2,400 initial food kits. Distribution started on October 5 and will be ongoing in the community.

“Given the challenges families are facing now, we are providing ongoing financial support to organizations that are making an impact in the community. Just in a the past few months, we donated to Lend a Hand Bahamas, Every Child Counts, and now Rotary and GlobalMedic, which are distributing nutritious and culturally appropriate meals to vulnerable communities in Grand Bahama and filling an important need,” said Katherine Elza of the Lyford Cay Club Charitable Trust.

The Rotary Clubs in Grand Bahama have a variety of methods for food distribution, including door to door and collaborations with other organizations to reach the neediest. The food kits include pantry staples such as grits, kidney beans, pigeon peas, pasta and rice. They also contain sources of protein including cans of tuna, sardines and corn beef.

“We liked the fact that GlobalMedic and Rotary have structured their operations to be as cost-efficient as possible. Minimizing operational costs maximizes the number of vulnerable families we can cover. The two organizations use a large volunteer base to help with the packing of the food, purchasing in bulk, and receive deals on the shipping components of this program,” said Bruno Roberts of the Lyford Cay Club Charitable Trust.

Although the donation from the Lyford Cay Club Charitable Trust helped to jumpstart the food distribution initiative, Rotary has a target of 4,000 emergency food kits, and continues to raise additional funds.