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 | Press Release
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| Social Welfare and Urban Renewal treat West End Seniors
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| By Dudley Byfield
Bahamas Information Services
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| 08/17/2005
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SENIORS LUNCHEON – Senior citizens from West End, Grand Bahama, and their hosts are pictured after a luncheon Wednesday at the Bahamas Public Services Union Hall in Freeport. Standing in the raised back row are (L-R) Alleria Ferguson, Department of Social Services; Edwina Williamson, volunteer assistant; Patrice Johnson, Co-ordinator, Ministry of Social Welfare and Community Development; Linda Moxey, Urban Renewal; Jackie Rolle, Urban Renewal; and Tashina Jones-Smith, Urban Renewal. Denis Russell, Urban Renewal, stands at the extreme left in front. (BIS photo by Vandyke Hepburn)
FREEPORT – Continuing a programme of care and cheer for seniors, the Ministry of Social Services and Community Development in conjunction with Urban Renewal on Wednesday hosted senior citizens from West End to luncheon at the Bahamas Public Service Union Hall, Freeport. This was the second such event, the first was held for residents from East End, Grand Bahama, recently.
Patrice Johnson, Community Affairs Officer with the Ministry of Social Services, described Wednesday’s activity as a senior citizens’ field trip.
“We were mandated by Minister of Social Welfare and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie Griffin, to implement programmes in the community of Grand Bahama, and the luncheon on Wednesday was just one of the programmes, taking senior citizens from their constituency on a tour, and providing them with lunch, entertainment and a commemorative gift bag to take back home.
“Just giving them a fun-filled day,” she explained.
And she added, “We are working along with Urban Renewal, and today it is Urban Renewal for the West Grand Bahama area -- Eight Mile Rock and West End.
“Last week we did one for the High Rock sector. And it really turned out.
“For the Western area we got confirmation for 31 persons, however only 25 of them participated. The persons who are unable to walk or to get on or off the bus, we are receiving bags sent to them compliments of Ministry of Social Services and Community Development.”
What’s in the gift bags?
“All types of goodies,” said Ms. Johnson. “We have got their own personal face cloth and bathing cloth; a back scrub; the men have neck ties, handkerchiefs, their own shoe polish kit, a bag of candy and a men’s toiletry bag with cologne inside.
“The women have a pill box, handkerchiefs, bedroom slippers, a fan and a fingernail clipper.”
Ms. Johnson’s area of responsibility covers the community development side of social services for the Northern Bahamas.
For the West End field trip and luncheon she was able to work with Linda Moxey, the Ministry’s Office Manager in West End, who supplied the names of persons and the drop-off and pickup points that facilitated a smooth operation.
“We did the same thing with the East End area where we also worked with Urban Renewal. And it works, it works,” declared Ms. Johnson, “because they have the hands-on and they know who, what or where. And that’s what makes it easier for us out of the constituency.”
Ms. Johnson had high praise for Urban Renewal.
“Urban Renewal plays a really big part in Grand Bahama; if people could only stop and see what they are really doing.”
What was the Ministry trying to accomplish by the programme for seniors?
“Implementing programmes in the community,” Ms. Johnson said, “whereby the children, the grown-ups and the senior citizens are all affected in some way. We are always doing and the children are benefiting; but we are not going to forget the senior citizens. And so, our aim is to make them happy and to make them feel special but, moreover not to just do it one time; so we are trying to do things in the communities themselves, together with Urban Renewal, to make a better impact on the senior citizens.”
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