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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Community
Feeding Program Resumes after Summer Break Nearly 70 fully vaccinated volunteers and their spouses will board Adventure of the Seas August 7 for a complimentary seven-day cruise through The Bahamas and Mexico, thanks to Royal Caribbean International. “We wanted to do something special for our volunteers who have been working the front line of hunger tirelessly, many of them for eight years since we first started, and worked even harder during the last 18 months of the pandemic,” said Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) Executive Director Philip Smith. “Royal Caribbean came along and offered all 65 volunteers plus their spouses a free cruise. It was amazing how God works to make a gift like this possible.” Royal Caribbean has been a primary sponsor of the charitable organization for the past four years, pouring more than $1 million into feeding programs, first through the provision of hot meals and after the pandemic protocols prohibited gatherings, through the distribution of food parcels that would last a family of four for two weeks. With BFN responsible for a large section of New Providence and 17 islands, the distribution process has added extra challenges, but a massive donation of 40-foot containers packed floor to ceiling with $1.5 million worth of frozen meats, chicken and fish in June. Bahamas Food Services, Super Value and Arawak Port Development all pitched in to keep the containers plugged in and preserve contents. “Feeding the hungry in our country, which was about one in every seven persons even before the pandemic, is a need so powerful that it brings all sorts of good people and corporations together, bringing out the best in everyone,” said Smith. “I am just so happy that Royal Caribbean recognized how hard these volunteers have worked and came through with the gift of a lifetime. There are no words to express how excited everyone is or how appreciative we all are.” Adventure of the Seas, which began homeporting in Nassau in June, will depart Nassau Saturday evening, and guests will experience the culture of Costa Maya, Mexico, the ecological bounty of Grand Bahama and the favourite destination of Royal Caribbean cruise guests, Perfect Day@CocoCay in the Berry Islands. BFN will resume regular food distribution on September 6.
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