Bahamas Habitat Founder Says Need Is Great 'Beyond The Rows Of Resorts'

On Thursday, February 20, local pilots will join aviators and aviation professionals from around the U.S. to head to The Bahamas for the 14th Bahamas Habitat Fly In to Serve Others. The bi-annual four-day volunteer experience with Bahamas Habitat, a Cary, NC non-profit organization that partners with pilots, aviation professionals and people who love to fly to provide dignified humanitarian outreach to The Bahamas, Haiti and Mexico, will deliver much-needed supplies and support for island projects. Fly-In projects include bringing in potable water, roofing and painting hurricane-damaged homes, digging a cistern, delivering medical supplies and information, building a children’s home for abused kids and reviving ailing vehicles. This year’s Fly-In volunteers will put the finishing touches on a new medical center and repair partially-destroyed homes.

According to Bahamas Habitat co-founder and President Steve Merritt, airport manager at Triangle North Executive Airport in Louisburg, the need is surprisingly great. “Once you get past the row of resorts and take the time to get to know the people of The Bahamas, you understand how great the need is to serve. The Fly-In gives pilots the chance to do what they’ve always wanted: fly internationally to a beautiful, close location, The Bahamas, and use their aircraft and aviation skills to do some good in the world.” 

The event begins Thursday, February 20, with lunch in Orlando, FL, the Fly-In “launching pad.” After a check-in, the group takes flight, arriving in time for a beautiful Bahamian sunset.  On Friday, volunteers are divided into teams and tackle projects. Saturday, work teams finish up and then take the afternoon off for sightseeing. Participants return to Florida on Sunday. The registration fee covers accommodations at mission base, Bahamas Methodist Habitat’s Camp Symonette, and most meals.

Since its founding in 2006, Bahamas Habitat has raised more than $1.5 million for its projects and was an integral partner in the funding and building of the Zion Children’s Home for abused and neglected island kids.  The organization’s next big project is a vocational building, a resource center to teach useful and marketable job skills to Bahamian citizens with an emphasis on construction for building houses and commercial buildings and auto mechanics. The vocational building project is moving from the architectural phase into construction.

(File image provided by Bahamas Habitat)

FMI: www.bahamashabitat.org