All Miriam Major wants in the wake of Hurricane Wilma is enough money to repurchase her items of furniture that were submerged and destroyed by the storm, which completely ruined the interior of her Pinder’s Point home when it passed over the island last week Monday.
As she entered Subway restaurant in the International Bazaar Wednesday, she was optimistic that her bid for monetary assistance from Subway during her time of need would not be overlooked.
All Subway restaurants in the Northern Bahamas have pooled $50,000 to alleviate the disadvantageous predicament residents living along Grand Bahama’s southern coastline have been placed in by Hurricane Wilma.
According to Shuffel Hepburn, owner of the Subway stores in Freeport, Subway will be able to assist some 110 families whose homes were affected by the storm in these areas.
Ms. Major was just one of hundreds of individuals residing in Grand Bahama’s coastal zone who passed through the restaurant’s door yesterday in hopes of obtaining much-needed ready cash, which will be allotted on Friday at Subway in the Bazaar.
The victims showed up with, as they were instructed to, their most recent light bill stub or receipt of their last payment, a copy of their passport or driver’s licence, and a precise location of their home.
“Everything in my house was destroyed,” Ms. Major said. “The house is still standing, but everything in the house got wet up and is damaged. It’s very saddening, because last year, I had damage to the roof, and the roof is still not fixed; it’s still leaking. As the years go by, these storms seem to be getting worst.”
“We (family) lost 33 homes in that area,” added Hunters’ resident John Bevans of the devastation to relatives’ homes brought on by Hurricane Wilma. “Me, my brothers, sister, niece, nephew, brother-in-law. My house, completely destroyed inside.”
During a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Hepburn stressed that this year, families most affected by the storm seemed to be living in the areas of Hunters, Mack Town, Lewis Yard, Pinder’s Point, Seaco Town, Eight Mile Rock, and Bootle Bay.
Mr. Hepburn said that cash given to victims will probably be in the amounts of $400 to $500.
“Subway would like to continue in its efforts of being a good community partner and to assist these persons,” Mr. Hepburn said. “Our hearts go out to the persons living in the coastal areas, as we have looked at some of the devastation.
“That could have been any one of us,” he continued. “Subway is just excited to be able to assist in a small way. We know that this is no great contribution, but it feels good to be able to assist in a small way to help these persons get their lives back together. And we feel that ready cash is something that they need, and we want to do it as quickly as possible.”
Last year, the same amount of $50,000 was donated to the victims of Hurricane Frances in Freeport and Abaco by the Northern Bahamas Subway restaurants – the four restaurants in Grand Bahama and the one in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, which is owned by Yvette White. Some 91 persons in Grand Bahama benefited, receiving $40,000 in total; residents in Abaco received $10,000.
By JEREMY FRANCIS, Freeport News Reporter
