Rotary Club in Bermuda Enhances their Support of The Salvation Army
Every Christmas, members of the Rotary Club of Sandys in Bermuda, volunteer to ring bells and collect funds in support of The Salvation Army’s kettle campaign.
This year, club members deepened their involvement with the Army by donating $7,500 of their own funds and volunteering at a Salvation Army feeding program.
“We wanted to be involved with the feeding program because there is a big need for that in Bermuda. Plus, we thought this would be a good way for us to start volunteering, getting to know who the clients are, and just giving back and helping The Salvation Army in addition to giving funds,” says Antoine Lightbourne, president of Rotary Club of Sandys.
“You always think of individuals experiencing homelessness but there were people there as well who were middle class.”
Members of the club took time to plate and serve over 100 meals.
“It was eye-opening to see the range of people that were clients of The Salvation Army. You always think of individuals experiencing homelessness but there were people there as well who were middle class. It goes to show the extent of the need in the community,” Antoine adds.
Due to its small size, Bermuda relies heavily on imports for its food supply.This makes life on the island expensive. Combined with increasing inflation since the pandemic, more and more residents struggle to put food on the table. Food insecurity and rising costs make community support more important than ever.
“It’s rewarding to help others in the community. Our Rotary’s motto is ‘Service Above Self’,” says Antoine. He also says that helping tackle the issues faced by the less fortunate benefits everyone, and not just the people in need.
“Helping tackle the issues faced by the less fortunate benefits everyone, and not just the people in need.”
“We can’t just ignore the plight of others around us who are in need. We’re all a part of one community, so we are benefiting ourselves too. We’re building the community when we help organizations like The Salvation Army because we all have to live here. The social issues that other people experience is going to have an impact on us as well.”
Looking ahead, Antoine says the Rotary Club is looking forward to taking part in different Salvation Army programs in the future, and he invites people to come out and volunteer.
By Juan Romero
