The Tribune

By VICTORIA SARNE

There’s an old saying:”If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” And that’s exactly what this story is about - how the dreams and intentions of three unrelated people gradually gathered momentum like a snowball rolling down a hill, causing other like-minded people to join in. This collection of energetic, caring people collectively birthed what is now Lend a Hand Bahamas, the non-profit on Lewis Street committed to Educational and Empowerment programmes for children and young people at risk in the Bain and Grants Town constituencies.

This is how, three people of different ages, ethnicity and background, each from a different country, but sharing similar visions and a commitment to helping others, found each other through a mutual friend. These three were Shelagh Pritchard, Bahamian, Lucas Metropulos, Greek American and Mitsy Irving, Jamaican.

Before Lend a Hand Bahamas (LAHB) became the thriving entity it is now, it’s foundation was built on the shared vision, leadership and values of three people, yet to come together, working independently within their communities. It’s important to recognise the selfless individuals who share their generous spirits and commitment of time and energy to others by putting in the hard yards day after day, year after year.

Shelagh Pritchard was born in Nassau to Philip Farrington, a WWII pilot who returned home to work with British Airways; her mother was a British WWII Navy WREN who worked with Sir Victor Sassoon. Shelagh’s passion for working with the public started at age 18 and embraced more than one career including the Hospitality industry, and assisting charter Blairwood Academy, for children who learned differently. She volunteered with the Bahamas Red Cross, the Women’s Corona Society, Help for Children, the Urban Renewal Centres and others; she was one of 14 charter founding members who started the Lignum Vitae Centre of Hope in 2011. She trained with the University of Florida National 4-H working with children who attended the Urban Renewal Centres, after school hours. She is deservedly the recipient of several awards: the Rotary Sunrise Club Paul Harris award, the Sir Victor Sassoon Heart Foundation award and a British award,The Points of Light Award. Before Lend a Hand Bahamas, Shelagh had started a small satellite, non-profit, 4-H school in an old wooden house on Meeting Street. Mitsy Irving lived upstairs with her young daughter and was tutoring some of the local children.

Lucas has said his meeting with Shelagh helped him realise that she could be a really powerful partner for LAHB and a genuine change-maker who could help fulfil and ramp up the key programming needed.“Meeting someone who has done so much - often in the shadows - for The Bahamas, for children, for women, for families, inspired me and made me realise that we could do far more together.” Shelagh has similar praise for Lucas calling him “ a powerhouse”.

Mitsyann Irving’s dedication to educating and mentoring children began in Jamaica where she was born in a garrison/inner city to a single mother, a teacher, the sole provider. Experiencing that struggle first-hand made her determined to achieve something better for herself and her family. She applied herself to gender and development studies, teaching in early childhood and junior high school for 12 years before moving to Nassau. She has gained certification in non-profit executive management from the Lilly School of Philanthropy, Indiana University.

Her first years here started out with tutoring children under a tree on a property owned by Scrooge (Valentino Brown) on Lewis Street followed up by assisting him with his summer camp. During this time, she met Shelagh, working with her at Lignum Vitae, volunteering with Lend a Hand Bahamas when it began. Lend a Hand grew organically, faster than anticipated because of the overwhelming need and, eventually, with her now considerable experience, Mitsy was appointed executive director in 2021.

Lucas Metropulos came to Nassau as a 14-year-old boy to play basketball at the invitation of George Maillis. The court they played on was just behind Hay Street and Lucas made a promise then that one day he would come back and start an NPO for the children in the area. As an undergrad at Duke University in 2012, he pitched a project for funding from DukeEngage. This was an initiative he developed to take a Marine Science Education programme to Ranfurly Homes for Children as a summer camp experience.

Through Mrs Alexander Maillis Lynch’s involvement with Ranfurly, he was introduced to Valentino Brown (Scrooge) on Lewis Street. Lucas couldn’t stop thinking about the children and the obvious need for help.

A year later, he was back on Lewis Street, asking about the possibility of starting a Community Centre. Scrooge introduced him to Edmund Dorsett whose family owned property there; he too wanted to provide something for the community.

With the combined efforts of Lucas, George Maillis and others they raised the first few hundred thousand dollars to start; then the Hellenic Ball, hosted by the Greek Church, became the first major donor.

Lucas has a service-oriented family: his father is a Greek Orthodox priest, his late mother was a nurse, each with a commitment to community service. Lucas was a financial aid student (scholarship), attending St Andrew’s School in Boca Raton and says that experience of being helped made him want to pay it forward.

At Duke University, he pursued public policy studies specialising in non profits. He graduated with an MBA in social entrepreneurship. He now has a consultancy helping roughly 200 non-profits around the US, South America and the Caribbean to improve their fundraising capabilities and has raised over $200.

Shelagh and Mitsy joined Lucas at Lend a Hand Bahamas in the summer of 2018 with a camp for 45 at the East Street gospel chapel (the 2025 Summer Camp was much bigger as 700 children took part). And the rest “is history”.

• To listen to Victoria Sarne’s podcast follow this link: bit.ly/3KBfF9a