TimeWorks Announces 2007-2008 Beneficiaries
Filed Under: General
Monday September 3rd, 2007
In 2005, TimeWorks took elderly residents from three homes to an outing and picnic at Ardastra Gardens.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — TimeWorks, a volunteer programme of the Lyford Cay Foundations, has chosen Special Olympics Bahamas, the Salvation Army School for the Blind and the annual Nassau Sunrise Rotary Reading Fair as its beneficiaries for 2007-2008, it was announced recently.
Established in 2004 on the principle that the time and skills of people can be as valuable as their money, TimeWorks serves the Bahamian community by mobilizing a diverse group of individuals in volunteerism and civic engagement.
“Basically, our goal is to match up talented people with projects that will warm their hearts,” said Suzy Robinson, Chairperson of the Lyford Cay Foundation’s Gifts and Grants Committee, which oversees the initiative.
Ms. Robinson explained that TimeWorks seeks to make volunteering easy and fun by taking care of all of the details, including identifying areas of genuine need, creating viable projects, and ensuring that the organisations that benefit are legitimate.
To date, TimeWorks has provided more than 3,000 ‘man’ hours to 14 local non-profit organisations, including the KidsUp! after school programme, Adelaide Primary School, and the Women’s Crisis Centre.
This year, the volunteers will kick off their season on Saturday, September 8 by assisting with ‘Bocce Family Fun Day,’ an event held annually by Special Olympics Bahamas. TimeWorks will help the athletes get to the game site, serve food and drinks, and generally take part in the camaraderie.
Bocce is a competitive game of skill similar to bowls, and one of the Special Olympians’ favourite sports.
“This day is an opportunity for volunteers and family members to get involved in some competition with our athletes and just have fun,” said Basil Christie, National Chairman of Special Olympics Bahamas.
In November, TimeWorks will spruce up the playground at the School for the Blind at the Salvation Army headquarters on Mackey Street. Preliminary plans call for painting and refurbishing the swing set, pulling weeds and planting small items.
And next spring, the group will pair with the Sunrise Rotary Club by sponsoring residents from one of the local children’s homes to attend the Annual Reading Fair, to be held at The College of The Bahamas. The event, which will feature authors reading from their own works, promotes literacy at every level.
TimeWorks’ sponsors include Pictet Bank & Trust, RBC Royal Bank of Canada and Templeton Global Advisors. These corporations help not only by providing financial assistance, but also by encouraging their employees to volunteer.
“We certainly appreciate their cash donations, and we also appreciate their efforts to inform their staff about our projects and their enthusiasm about having their employees involved in community service,” said Ms. Robinson.
With TimeWorks, everybody benefits.
“If you’ve ever been involved in volunteerism, you know that you get just as much out of it, if not more, than those you seek to help,” said Ms. Robinson. “At the end of the day, when you have offered your services and you see the impact that they have, it just makes you feel good, and you know that you’ve done something that, just maybe, has changed somebody’s life.”
Photos by T. S. Maycock.
Related Photos
Search News using the form below. Leave the keyword field empty for a list of all entries in the selected category.