On the one-year anniversary, after Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas, little progress has been made with the restoration to most of the island’s civic buildings and infrastructure. The island is left without a school for children to expand their education, a clinic for immediate medical care, health care facilities or a police station. Hope Town does not have permanent power, as residents continue to live on portable and back-up generators. The community is continuing to experience an economic disaster, without any income, commercial activity, tourism or commerce of any impact for 12 months.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire island has been closed to international tourism and the government has imposed severe quarantine requirements for Bahamians who attempt to return to the island. COVID-19, in addition to Hurricane Dorian, has left the economy both devastated and paralyzed.
FaverGray has partnered with Hope Town Rising, an initiative of Community Assistance Foundation, to focus on civic projects like the Teachers Cottage and School that served 55 children on the island prior to its destruction. Without the reconstruction of the Teachers Cottage and school, Bahamian families will not return to the only place they have ever called home.
Hope Town Rising has taken the primary role in rebuilding the Teachers Cottage with a goal to support the reopening of the school. FaverGray and The Bailey Group are kicking off our anniversary fundraiser by pledging a combined $100,000 donation to complete this project. We ask that you join FaverGray and the Hope Town Rising initiative and help us reach out goal of $300,000 by visiting our Hope Town Rising to donate to our cause and your funds will go directly to rebuilding the Teachers Cottage.
Along with our current focus of completing the Teachers Cottage, there has been much discussion and planning geared toward addressing the state of medical and safety needs in the communities of Hope Town, Marsh Harbour and surrounding Cays.
Hope Town Rising has partnered with Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine and Hope Town United to commence fundraising for the proposed Abaco Community Care Center. In addition, Hope Town Rising has contributed $20,000 for the existing government-owned, Acute Care Clinic. A one-acre parcel of land has also been generously donated for the project that will offer expanded health services to the community, beyond acute needs. These services will include primary family medicine, subspecialty consults via Telemedicine, medical emergency preparedness, and on-island hospice/transitional care.
The stewardship of these services will be under a local board of directors to include medical governance and leadership of Flagler Hospital, Rachael Miller R.N and local Bahamian physician Dr. Frank Boyce.
Sharing our team’s personal experiences of traveling to Hope Town over the last year shed little light on the daily struggles endured by the Bahamian residents. We could tell you all about the destruction and the people of Hope Town banding together to pick up the broken pieces of their lives, but words alone cannot express the magnitude of their hardships. We are grateful for the Hope Town community for giving Hope Town Rising the opportunity to share their story with the world through our documentary.
This is Hope Town follows the life of Bahamian residents coping to survive and rebuild the island. In the midst of disaster, the close-knit community of cherished locals come together to recount the damage, the emotional toll and physical wreckage while striving to lift each other up. Meet the real people of Hope Town and learn for yourself why so many have joined in supporting the Hope Town Rising mission. The people of Hope Town need your support and thank you for your continued support.
Visit our Hope Town Rising website today to join our mission.
