The Grand Fond community, through the ‘Pack a barrel’ initiative, raised and donated over $EC10,000 worth of food and clothing items to the people affected by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas.
The items were presented last week to the Universal Church of Kingdom of God in Dominica from where it will be distributed to other branches of the church in the Bahamas.
District Nurse of Grand Fond, Alicia James Emanuel, came up with this idea and brought it to her supervisor who gave her approval. The idea was later presented to her staff members, patients who visited the health centre, residents and school children of the community.
Emanuel expressed her gratitude to residents of her community, stating that within two weeks, from September the 4th, they came together and gave their donations.
“Post-Dorian, the devastation the people went through, it reminded me of ours with Maria, so a ‘pack a barrel’ initiative was done. I asked the community members to bring in whatever they can: water, unperishable items, anything, so we can send across to the people of Bahamas,” she said
The community came together and responded positively, according to the District Nurse, “because today, we presented the church with over ten thousand dollars’ worth of food items and clothing. I am very proud of them and it’s beyond words. They had that mentality ‘I don’t have nothing much, it’s just a little thing I have’ and I told them a little is never too little; a little goes a long way.”
Emanuel said even the School children came on board.
“From preschool, primary school, the adults, the elderly, everybody got involved so it made our contribution substantial,” she noted.
Emanuel added that at the latter stage of the project, the Catholic Church also started a drive for clothing.
She called on the other communities of Dominica to come on board to assist those affected in these trying times.
could someone please indicate where one should go to donate clothing and other items for the Bahamian people.
It’s great but let’s help the animals too they need our help too they have no voice so we need to speak for them too
Hi Nurse
Wonderful gesture! Wherever you are, if you care enough, you can mobilise people to do positive things. Look at what one little thought from you has achieved. Can you imagine what people of influence could do if only they had positive personalities and genuinely cared about people.
Hats off! Blessings upon you! Let us follow your example and do positive things for Dominica and others.
This is great that what we should hear more of not that political fight that’s going on we are forgetting where we come from 2 years ago when we were all begger,s with nothing and no one to turn to but Christ cheers to you all and showing what a village can do I wonder if we will comments on this like other issues