By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

GREAT Commission Ministries needs over $200,000 this holiday season to help the increasing number of people seeking food and housing, according to Bishop Walter Hanchell, founder and president of Great Commission Ministries.

He told The Tribune that in recent months, the non-profit has experienced a surge in requests for basic assistance. He explained that many seeking aid are government workers and low-income workers struggling to sustain themselves until their next paycheck. Additionally, the organisation’s two shelters are at full capacity due to a shortage of affordable housing in the country.

 “Our resources are stretched to the limit,” Bishop Hanchell said. “Our food is being depleted, funds are being depleted, and people keep coming. Two to three hours before we start serving, people are already waiting because they need help.”

 He estimated that Great Commission Ministries needs between $200,000 to $300,000 to fund its feeding and shelter programmes over the holiday season.

 In May, a fire at Great Commission Ministries destroyed a storage room filled with food, furniture, and equipment, with repair costs estimated at $40,000. Since then, about 50 percent of the repairs have been completed, but Bishop Hanchell said an additional $20,000 is still needed.

 Despite limited funds, Bishop Hanchell confirmed that Great Commission Ministries will hold its annual Thanksgiving luncheons on November 21 and November 28 to serve up to 2,000 people.

 He emphasised that the high cost of living has left many Bahamians unable to make ends meet and urged the government to provide more support for low-income and middle-class families who cannot afford basic necessities. He stressed that increased funding for NGOs is essential.

 Last week, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis sparked backlash after connecting the cost of living to people’s choices. Responding to a University of The Bahamas study estimating that a middle-class family of four needs around $10,000 monthly to live comfortably in New Providence, Mr Davis acknowledged high costs but noted that individual lifestyle choices also influence expenses.

 Mr Davis later clarified his remarks.

 Bishop Hanchell disagreed with Mr Davis’s initial comments, saying people simply do not earn enough to cover the high cost of living.

 “People don’t have it,” he said. “Most government workers and others in the country, their salary is not enough. By the time they pay rent and bank payments, they’re broke all month, and we have to keep taking care of these people.”