The Rotary Clubs of Grand Bahama delivered the second round of building and roofing materials to residents of Free Town to assist them in helping to get their lives back to some normalcy after Hurricane Dorian devastated the area.

Freeport, Bahamas – The Rotary Clubs on Grand Bahama headed back to the east, this time making good on their promise to take building materials into Free Town for residents there to begin rebuilding their lives after their homes were ravaged by Hurricane Dorian on September 1.

It was the second such delivery to residents of East Grand Bahama in as many weeks. The 40-foot trailer was offloaded on the grounds of the St. Cleveland Baptist Church.

Rotary 6990 District Governor Ray Williams flew in from Florida to take part in the special delivery and obtain a better understanding of the magnitude of the task Rotarians on Grand Bahama have undertaken.

“You all got hit so hard here. We had to be a part of helping you come through this,” Williams said, while adding how impressed he is with the partnerships the five clubs have forged and the traction they have managed to gain on the ground to-date.  “I am so proud of you all.”

Rotary International District 6990 escorted this 40-foot trailer laden with roofing materials into Free Town, one of the areas badly hit by Hurricane Dorian, for residents there to begin the process of repairing their homes.

Member of Parliament for the area, Deputy Prime Minister K. Peter Turnquest, joined his fellow Rotarians for the handover and thanked Rotary District 6990, which is inclusive of Grand Bahama, the Florida Cays, Miami-Dade and Broward County, on behalf of the government and the people of East Grand Bahama for the generous donation.

“It’s been a fantastic response. I’m so proud to be a Rotarian and to be among such wonderful support of people. We are very very grateful for this very generous donation to the people of this area. Rotary has been doing a fantastic job here on Grand Bahama ever since immediate days after the storm providing emergency food and clothing relief and now transitioning into this building materials phase,” Turnquest said.

Cognizant of the massive undertaking, Turnquest stressed that the government cannot do it alone.

“So when organizations like District 6990 and Rotary Clubs of Grand Bahama come to offer this kind of assistance, this is immeasurable,” he said. “We cannot put a value, even in terms of the cost of the materials because we know without it, it would take a very much extended period of time for people to get the materials and to get back into their homes as [soon] as possible.”

Pastor of St. Cleveland Baptist Church Preston Cooper, Jr. said the residents are extremely grateful to Rotary for providing water, setting up the feeding center, assisting with the sanctuary, which now serves as a shelter, and now providing building materials which will allow them to be able to move out from relatives, vacate the shelters and relocate back home.