The Tribune

IN RESPONSE to the destruction caused by Hurricane Joaquin in the central and south eastern Bahamas, the Colina group of companies is donating $100,000 in cash and supplies to support relief efforts on Crooked Island and Acklins.

The donation comes from the members of the group, including Colina Insurance Ltd, Colina General Insurance Agents & Brokers, Colina Financial Advisors (CFAL), Ansbacher (Bahamas), Alexiou Knowles & Co, Genesis Fund Services, The Walk-In Clinic and Goodman’s Bay Corporation, and is part of Operation Full Restoration, a multi-phased rebuilding project launched by Colina affiliate The Nassau Guardian and its partners.

Generators, stoves, beds, clothing, grocery items, cleaning items, toiletries and other urgent supplies donated by the companies and through employee donations comprise the first lot of the Colina group’s commitment to the project to help restore islands devastated by the Category 4 storm. The next phase will include a partnership with local organisations to rebuild homes levelled by the hurricane.

“It was really a no-brainer for us because responding to community needs is a priority for Colina,” said Vice President of Life Operations DeAndrea Lewis. “We watched the wreckage caused by Hurricane Joaquin with great sadness and our hearts go out to the islanders displaced by the storm. It affected a large number of our colleagues, our customers and neighbours and so we knew we had to mobilise resources quickly.”