The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THERE was a large turnout at the sports centre grounds yesterday for a food voucher giveaway organised by the Fox Foundation.

Cars lined the streets heading to the centre’s entrance for the $75 voucher.

Not having a vehicle did not stop some people desperately in need as they opted to walk on foot.

Adrian Fox, of the Fox Foundation, said the large crowd is an indication of the assistance people need.

“I see the traffic backed up all around that shows that the Bahamian people needed help and we want corporate Bahamas to get involved and try to put some food on the ground for this Christmas so that everybody can have a good Christmas, everybody could have some food on the table. That’s what the Fox Foundation initiative is.”

He added: “We gonna give away about maybe half a million dollars, we giving away half a million dollars in food, vouchers, and gift toys for the people in Kemp Road and out here you can see a bunch of cars.”

Adrianna Fox, co-founder of the foundation, explained the flexibility of the vouchers. She said they can be used at AML stores such as Solomon’s and Fresh Market.

“If you don’t complete the total transaction and you have change, it stays on that voucher or if you need to add more than you just add to the voucher so the voucher card is actually good this year where when you swipe you still have change on the card if you don’t move the whole balance.”

Jacqueline Zonicle was one of the attendees.

“I heard they were giving out coupons and I could do with a coupon,” she told The Tribune.

She is self-employed as a beach vendor who also takes care of an adult autistic nephew. She said she gets a little assistance from the National Insurance Board.

“He lost both parents at the age of four so he’s an orphan from four,” she said. “My mother died in 2013. Like a year before she died, I took him because she had a lot of health issues like heart, pressure and sugar.”

Faylene Williams was there from after 6am and rode there on her bike. She and others complained that people without cars were having to wait.

“We came here on our bike, came here walking. We have some single parents out here and we have fathers who taking care of their children and they walked. You know if they walk out here it gotta be a must,” she said.

Eugene Taylor came on behalf of his 67-year-old mother whose car broke down while waiting in the long lines, so he decided to walk.

But when he came, the 45-year-old claimed, “They told us wait, they going to assist us.”

The 45-year-old’s mother is self-employed and gets the assistance from Social Services, but he tries to help her.

Mr Taylor expressed sorrow for others without necessary transportation to take advantage of the giveaway.

“I’m a people person. I like to see people be treated fair because ain’t everybody have a car that they could actually ride to this stuff and then some people car break down. If your car breaks down, you can’t move, you’re going to get disappointed. So try to assist the people a little bit.”

Eventually, Mr Fox and others came to the rescue by starting to distribute to those without cars who were waiting on the sidewalk.