The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AT a time when many persons on Grand Bahama are struggling, Elnet Maritime Agency delivered a full Christmas dinner to five needy families on Christmas Day.

Patrice Rolle, operations manager at Elnet, and her team provided a hot Christmas meal to serve a family of ten – two families in Freeport, and one family in Pinder’s Point, Eight Mile Rock, and West End. The initiative benefitted some 50 persons in total.

Mrs Rolle said Elbert Hepburn, president and CEO of Elnet Maritime, wanted to do something special this Christmas to assist families.

The recipients were the family of Agatha Bethel and the family of Jeffrey Patton, both of Freeport; the third recipient was the family of Jenny Baptiste of Eight Mile Rock; Mercedes Evans, of Bootle Bay, West End; and Anishka Lightbourne, of Pinder’s Point.

Ms Rolle said the families were surprised and very happy. “We really wanted to show love on Christmas Day to five families. It came at a really good time during this pandemic and during really hard times for a lot of families,” she said.

“They were very surprised, and they expected maybe one or two plates, but we provided them with a full meal for ten persons per family.”

Mrs Rolle said that Mr Hepburn was raised by a single mother and understands the struggles experienced by many families in Grand Bahama.

“He believes in giving back to the community, and for me it is such a great feeling to give back on Christmas Day,” she said.

One recipient said that she was very appreciative to Elnet Maritime for providing Christmas dinner, which she was able to share with several other persons. “This is a Merry Christmas for me and for them because there are some people who actually need food on Christmas Day,” she said.

Elnet Maritime Agency is a full shipping agency that provides services such as charters agency, lightering, off port limits. The company also acts as a protective agency, and husbandry agency.