Bahamas Methodist Habitat Continues to Aid the Turks and Caicos

Ken Henderson of Governor's Harbour taking time to figure out how to repair a hurricane ravaged home on Grand Turk.

Bahamas Methodist Habitat returned to Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos on May 2nd with one thing in mind, “to serve others”. The BMH team, since Hurricane Ike in September of 2008, has built a beautiful relationship with the TCI Government through connections through the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church (BCMC) and the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA). In it’s purest form, the partnership is meeting needs with resources with all parties contributing.

On BMH’s first two-week TCI trip in February, the team re-pitched and completed re-roofed six homes with seven volunteers from Eleuthera including Andre Darville, Emily Bagwell, Leia Suska, Linda Lowdermilk and Ken Henderson . The team was lead by Abraham McIntyre and Kenrick Pearce. Their February efforts did not go unnoticed so when they arrived on Saturday, May 2nd they were welcomed by many of the Turk Islanders with open arms.
 
 This weeks team was made up of the BMH Director Mr. Abraham McIntyre, BMH Construction Coordinator Kenrick “KP” Pearce and local James’ Cistern volunteer Clyde “Trucker” Pinder. The team spent the week continuing the new construction of Ms. Don Ann’s new two-bedroom home on Grand Turk. BMH met Ms. Don Ann on its February trip to Grand Turk and were overwhelmed with the living condition that she was living in. Ms. Don Ann has had both legs amputated and is confined to a wheelchair. Her bedroom, which was the only room left in tact after Hurricane Ike, was lower than the rest of the house so each time it rained, her bedroom would flood. “Situations such as Ms. Don Ann’s are uncalled-for and against all that we stand for”, commented Emily Bagwell, BMH Long Term Volunteer. The team was saddened when they realized they were not going to be able to serve her on their trip because of a lack of materials for her new home. However, upon their May return, there was a ray of hope. The community had come together to begin her new home. When BMH arrived, the exterior walls and roof were built. They then continued the work and applied the Peel & Stick roof covering, framed the interior walls, installed all windows and exterior doors, put in the electrical and hung nearly all the drywall in just four days. Ms. Don Ann and her son were extremely thankful and very impressed with the amount of work that was accomplished within the few days that they were present. Many of her neighbors stopped by to encourage the team and to even lend a helping hand.
 
Mrs. Michelle Gardiner, ReBuild TCI representative, played a major role in their week of service and she too was very impressed with the work that was accomplished. Mrs. Gardiner invited the BMH staff to meet with the ReBuild TCI Recovery Team and is now in conversation with the BMH staff to coordinate an effort to bring down more volunteers to assist in the Hurricane Ike repair before the 2009 hurricane season begins. Mrs. Gardiner stated that, “We have the materials but we don’t have the labor”. This is music to BMH’s ears because of their vast list of volunteers that are ready to serve. With materials on the ground, BMH is able to coordinate a concentrated volunteer effort to really make a difference in the lives of those families that are still living in hurricane ravaged homes.
 
In partnership with the Turks and Caicos government, BMH and the TCI Needs Your Help. If you are willing to volunteer your time and energy and would like to join BMH on their next trip to TCI, please contact them as soon as possible. The dates for the trip are dependent on the TCI Government but trip information will be distributed once finalized.
 
Bahamas Methodist Habitat is a year round ministry that focuses its energy and resources on Disaster Relief and Emergency Sub-Standard Home Repair throughout the Bahamas on the islands of Eleuthera, Cat, Andros, Abaco, Current, Inagua, Grand Bahama, Ragged and Harbour Island. BMH is dependent on financial and labor support from both local and international volunteers. If you are interested in supporting or becoming a volunteer please visit:
 
 Website: www.MethodistHabitat.org
 Phone: Abraham McIntyre, Director at 242-422-9318
 Email: MethodistHabitat@gmail.com