Through the Bahamas Forward Initiative Chicago’s Honorary Consul to the Bahamas partners with RainbowPUSH, Life Center Church, Loretto Hospital and other partners to continue the movement to provide relief and restoration to a beleaguered nation with a weekend of giving.
“Forward, Upward, Onward, Together” is the national mantra of the Bahamas and the guiding pulse of a people, a month after Hurricane Dorian made landfall on September 1st, obliterating the Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands, leaving over 70,000 homeless, hundreds still missing, and a projected $7 billion in rebuilding and restoration costs. One month later, Chicagoland Bahamians lead by Bahamian Honorary Consul Michael C. Fountain and civic leaders including Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., continue their combined efforts to bring awareness and resources from the U.S. to a nation and people still in dire need.
In a recent interview, Hon. Consul Fountain said, “I will work ardently to ensure the Bahamas is not forgotten, we will press forward until the last home is rebuilt.”
The Bahamas Forward Initiative was born with a commitment to bring real-time, long-term attention, advocacy and aid to the recovery of the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian. The first signficant steps towards achieving the mission’s purpose will come in a Weekend of Giving. Three different participating donation sites on Chicago’s south and west sides will allow people throughout Chicagoland to make easy donations of supplies requested by the Bahamian government. Donations can be dropped off beginning Friday, October 4th through Sunday, October 6th.
Additionally RainbowPUSH will serve as an information call center throughout the weekend as Rev. Jackson continues to convince the United States Government to grant waivers for visas to medical evacuees, the elderly, and students who seek entry to the U.S. to stay with relatives until the islands are functionally restored.
For a listing a donated items and condition; visit Consul Fountain’s social media pages: Twitter-@bahamaschicago; Facebook-@BahamasHonoraryConsulMichaelCFountain OR rainbowpush.org.
Donation Centers
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 5-6, at Rainbow PUSH, 930 E. 50th St.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, at Life Center Church, 5500 S. Indiana Ave.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-6, at Loretto Hospital, 645 S. Central.
For more information, call 1-888-503-6631
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