Hundreds of cars swarmed Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium yesterday as drivers and passengers attempted to secure one of 5,000 boxes with food and other goods which was being given away by Island Luck.
The chaotic scene resulted in traffic congestion in the areas surrounding the University of The Bahamas and Government High School.
People showed up on bicycles, on foot, and in cars with their neighbors and family members.
One person, who was driving a brick-colored Hyundai SVU, was towed to and from the giveaway by a red Ford F-150.
The giveaway was slated to start at noon but individuals started showing up at 5 a.m., when the curfew ends daily, according to Island Luck CEO Sebas Bastian.
It officially started at 8 a.m.
Jocelyn Roxbury, who said she is employed in the tourism sector, heard about the event and decided to pass by around 10:30 a.m.
She was given a box of goods.
“It’s a help, but to see how many people in this country right now are really hurting for the amount of cars that are out here, it’s very painful,” Roxbury said.
“I hope the situation soon gets better.”
She said she isn’t one of those individuals who is hurting.
“I haven’t worked since March 21, but I give God thanks for life every day and whatever he provides for me, because a lot of people have passed from COVID,” Roxbury said.
When asked how she has been making ends meet since March, Roxbury replied, “I do a little cooking and selling at the home for myself. That’s how I help myself. It keeps my head above the water a bit.”
She said she can’t go on “too much longer”.
“I’ll have to do it if I have no other choice,” Roxbury said.
Nicky Deal, an unemployed mother-of-five, caught a ride with a friend to the giveaway.
They drove from Fox Hill to University Drive.
“The two of us are gamblers,” she said.
“I caught a ride with her and they only gave us one box. I told them there’s two of us and they put one box in the car. I live in a different home.”
Deal said she feels like she wasted her time going there yesterday.
She said she was looking forward to securing a box.
When asked about the issue, Bastian replied, “Some [cars] that had multiple people, we put two in but it was just one parcel per car because we wanted to make sure that everyone got an opportunity to get some of these givebacks.”
The Bahamas has been grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic since it confirmed its first case on March 15.
More than 7,500 cases were confirmed since then.
The last seven months have pushed thousands of Bahamians into unemployment due to restrictions — such as the forced closure of non-essential businesses – implemented by the prime minister and a halt in global tourism.
In September, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) noted that the pandemic had pushed more Bahamians closer to the poverty line.
It said nearly 50 percent of households reported having income below minimum wage at the time of the survey in April.
Last week, Director of Labour John Pinder said that he believes the national unemployment rate is still somewhere around 40 percent despite the partial reopening of the economy.
The increased unemployment and rising poverty were among the reasons Island Luck held its giveaway.
“We thought it would be prudent of us, given all the crises that is going on around our nation, to do our part and give back,” Bastian told The Nassau Guardian.
“With our foundation, we get these requests every day. With the hardships that a lot of families are going through, we decided to execute our food drive that we’ve been planning for a very long time.”
He said it brought “a lot more awareness” to the need and suffering that many people are going through.
“A lot of us think that the vaccine is going to fix all of our problems, but there is so much damage that has already begun,” Bastian said.
“For many of these people, the worst is just beginning. We just wanted to do our part and give back as [much] as we can.”
As The Guardian left the stadium, it encountered Shari Styles, who said she is unemployed.
She had just left her friend’s car in search of a box after having an experience similar to Deal’s.
“I’m hoping they can fix that because some people don’t have a car and they have to catch a ride with people,” Styles said.
“I’m hoping they can fix that and ask for identification or something so people can still get a package.”
Before walking away, she told The Guardian that she would be disappointed if her attempt to get a box was unsuccessful.
“But, God always has another lamb in the bush. Another door will be opened somehow,” Styles said.
It is unclear whether she was able to get that box, which included canned and dry goods, masks and hand sanitizer.
Island Luck intends to hold a giveaway every Thursday until Christmas.
The post Massive turnout for Island Luck food giveaway appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/massive-turnout-for-island-luck-food-giveaway/
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