I’ve been sending items to the homeless to Barbados since the back end of the pandemic in 2021. It started when my cousin lost her job during lockdown and things were hard for her, so I sent her a barrel of food and clothes.
At the same time, I reached out to the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) to see if I could help the homeless in Barbados. Before I sent any boxes, I contacted the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, asking if costs could be waived since the donations were going to a good cause. I didn’t hear anything, but I knew she is a very busy woman so didn’t expect to. Then one day I watched her giving a speech at COP 26 in Scotland.
I was in awe of how she addressed the world leaders, so I sent another email, applauding her for her remarks and reiterating my previous email. Half an hour after sending the email, I received an email from the BAEH saying all delivery costs had been waived, followed by a confirmatory email from the Prime Minister’s office. You can only imagine my delight since I never imagined I’d get a response, let alone such a positive one!
In November 2021, I sent two big boxes of food and clothes to the BAEH, for which they were very appreciative.
A year later, during a holiday to Barbados, I popped in to meet Kemar Saffrey, CEO of BAEH, and his staff. I was shown around the centre and was overwhelmed by the work they do. Since then, I have been collecting items for my mission to help the homeless with the generous support of friends, clients and patients.
In September 2022, I sent BAEH 11 boxes and 2 barrels of food and clothes. These consisted of rice, pasta, corned beef, tuna, hotdogs, baked beans, multi-vitamins, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, face masks, porridge, biscuits, corn flakes, plasters, first aid kits, underwear and vests for men and women, cleaning products such as disinfectant, washing powder, refuse bags, cleaning cloths, plus 12 pairs of football boots.
This was the biggest delivery I’ve ever sent and I was blessed in receiving a discount from the shipping company HJ Shipping in High Wycombe.
In March 2023, during a 7-night Caribbean cruise to celebrate my 60th, I popped into the BAEH to donate 6 Chromebooks, 10 USB hard drives, 10 pairs of new trainers and 60 stickers with the BAEH logo to put on the Chromebooks. Kemar and staff were delighted with the items, and after photos were taken, we were asked to go into Kemar’s office.
During our brief meeting, Kemar said he was overwhelmed by the donations. Not only had they helped the homeless, they’d also helped underprivileged children, their families and the needy. He asked if I would like to set up a foundation. That was the moment when Dave’s Foundation was born.
Afterwards, Kemar wanted to take us out to dinner to say thank you. On our way to the restaurant, Kemar told us he had invited someone who was interested my work to join us. My partner and I sat down to dinner while Kemar collected the guest from reception. As they arrived at the table, I noticed other diners and staff were looking at the guest. I introduced myself and my partner but I didn’t quite catch her name. I didn’t want to seem rude so asked her again, but the sound of the sea took the introduction away.
We chatted readily. The lady wanted to know how I had become concerned with the homeless and underprivileged in Barbados, so I told her my cousin’s story and how that led to me contacting the BAEH.
She in turn told me how she trained to be a lawyer in York, UK, then moved into politics with the help of her father, a well-known politician in Barbados. She continued to tell me how, in early 2018, she became concerned for the well-being of the kids in St Michael, the area she grew up in, who were roaming the streets. As luck would have it, while hunting for a place where the kids could be off the streets, the man showing her around, on hearing what she wanted the building for, offered her a building. She soon raised the money to spruce it up and opened the Golden Rock Community Resource Centre on 10th February 2018.
At dinner that evening, she mentioned that the Golden Rock Community Resource Centre needed equipment, computers, sporting equipment, exercise books, pens, etc. I was only too pleased to offer to help.
Only later, when I sent my cousin a photo we’d taken of us all in the reception of the restaurant, did I find out that the name I’d missed during the introductions was that of Santia Bradshaw. The interested, thoughtful woman we had dined with, and who I had offered to help, was none other than the Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados.
My next visit to Barbados will be a working holiday in September 2024 when I will interact with the youngsters, as well as spending time with BAEH and Golden Rock staff and going out onto the streets to help with their work. I hope to see how the kids and teenagers are using the recent shipment of goalposts, football bibs, 17 pairs of football boots, football socks, and cricket bats. In short, I will be able to help two organisations I greatly admire and see how, after 3 years, donated items have not only helped the homeless, they have also helped underprivileged children, their families and the needy.
