An article in the local Tribune newspaper on the plight of a single mother who had been evicted from her home, just weeks before Christmas, has sparked a wave of charity donations that will impact hundreds of lives.
The paper reports that as much as $20,000 could be donated to the Bahamas Salvation Army this holiday season after the story of Theresa Gibson was highlighted by the paper.
Gibson, a freelance legal assistant, was forced out of her home last week by landlords after she could not afford to pay her rent.
The financial hardship endured by Ms Gibson and her 17-year old daughter followed the death of Gibson’s partner, human rights activist Eliezer Regnier, who died of a heart attack in February.
Within hours of the story being published in the Tribune last Friday, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president of sales, Richard English, offered to pay for Ms Gibson and her daughter to move into a new home.
English, a selfless father of three from Winter Park, Florida, told his wife the donation was all he wanted for Christmas this year, and he only decided to publicise his act of charity because he hoped it would inspire simialr acts.
Indeed, it did!
When Baha Mar chairman Sarkis Izmirlian saw the headline story in the Tribuine, he was touched enough to do something on behalf of his entire company.
The result is the launch of The Baha Mar Challenge, a pledge by the hotel development corporation to match up to $10,000 in donations made to The Salvation Army in the run-up to Christmas.
The challenge creates an opportunity for each of us to double our donations to the Salvation Army and spread a little Christmas cheer to those less fortunate.
Donations to the Baha Mar Challenge can be made in cash or by cheque payable to the Salvation Army at the Salvation Army kettles in the Baha Mar hotel lobbies, or at the Salvation Army’s Nassau office, 31 Mackey Street, PO Box N-205, Nassau.
Alternatively you can make a wire transfer by the following instructions.
Destination: CHASUS33
(IBK) JP Morgan Chase Bank, New York
ABA: 021000021
Pay to Bank: 0011188448
(BBK) ROYCBSNS
Beneficiary Account Number: 057451575034
Account Name: The Salvation Army.
