By John Denny
Nevis Reporter
(Charlestown, Nevis) – The medical outreach ship, the M/V Hope arrived last week to provide free medical services for up to 500 people per day. They began on Tuesday, May 20 and will be providing services until May 24. The Hope is one in a fleet of ships owned by a faith based organization called Friend Ships Unlimited from Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
The event was sponsored by Trinity Broadcasting Network, according to the station’s General Manager Andre Gilbert.
“We have been working on this since February of 2007,” said Mr. Gilbert. “Originally we had planned to do this last October, but something came up and we had to move the date back.”
Color coded wrist bands were distributed through local churches with a different color for every day and a limit of 500 for each day. Patients would show up and register then wait for their number to be called. While they waited, instructional medical videos and seminars were given on such things as hypertension and diabetes.
There was a children’s area where face painting, puppet shows and snow cones were provided for the waiting children.
Nurses would take the patients vitals and then direct them to one of nine different clinics covering such practices as pediatrics, dentistry, chiropractic and eye glasses.
After seeing the doctor, patients are then treated to a gourmet lunch and there is a bounce room set up for the children plus carnival games and a couple of trampolines.
One patient, Igena Williams, was very pleased with Friend Ships and their medical outreach.
“I do appreciate what they are doing here,” said Mrs. Williams. “It was educational and spiritual. The folks are so nice and they explain things in a way that I can understand without using a bunch of big words.”
The opening ceremony for the outreach was marred by a breakdown in protocol that was taken as disrespect by the NIA. The Minister of Health, Hon. Hensley Daniel, did not initially receive an invitation and the administration took exception.
Mr. Daniel later praised the effort of the group to bring medical care to Nevis.
Friend Ships is completely staffed by volunteers. No one that works for them is paid a salary and the operation runs completely from donations. Having a fleet of ships, a helicopter and an expansive infrastructure for delivering relief and aid throughout the world means they have a staff in a wide range of occupational experience.
One volunteer, Trevor Lundy,worked the gate at the pavilion, checking to see if people seeking treatment had their armbands, but Mr. Lundy’s job on the Hope is being a sailor.
“This is my first mission,” said Mr. Lundy. “I work on harbor tugs back in Louisiana. No one here is getting paid for doing any of this, but this does count as sea time for me working in the maritime industry.”
The Hope was a U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender, formerly named the Conifer. She is 180 feet long and 37 feet wide, capable of carrying eight shipping containers. The Hope is now a disaster response ship to provide relief in the aftermath of hurricanes, floods earthquakes, war and famine.
Friend Ships Unlimited (Park West Children’s Fund, Inc.) provides large scale humanitarian and disaster aid and supports ongoing programs that are having an impact on their communities.
Friend Ships U.S. domestic food program, “Storehouse One,” in Wilmington, California, distributes food to supplement thousands of meals every week. Over 55 million pounds has been distributed from this facility in Los Angeles. In addition Storehouse One has begun to operate in Lake Charles at Port Mercy. Food is delivered weekly to local women’s & men’s shelters.
Friend Ships “Spirit” and “Spirit of Grace” have sailed to many nations in Africa, Eastern Europe, Central America, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union and the Caribbean, delivering tens of millions of pounds of relief commodities during times of war, famine, natural disaster and economic hardship. Friend Ships “Spirit” & “Spirit of Grace” carry 5000 tons of aid each per voyage.
Each year natural disasters occur throughout the world, killing thousands and leaving multitudes homeless and hungry. During the 2005 Hurricane Season, Friend Ships responded to three major Hurricanes; Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
Port Mercy in Lake Charles, Louisiana is the Friend Ships home base. There they are building a port facility and a center for Christian outreach around the world. It is from this port that the vessels, “Spirit,” “Spirit of Grace,” “Hope” and “Mersea” begin their mission voyages to many nations around the world. Volunteers with a wide range of skills are needed including skills in cooking, housekeeping, grounds keeping, office and ship repair. This facility provides support operations for “The Village” in Roatán, conducts all main office functions of the organization and is a base of operations for the Friend Ships U.S. food outreach, “Storehouse One”.
Short-term and long-term volunteers along with volunteering work teams, provide the manpower to provide life support programs to developing nations in a highly cost effective way. Private donations, corporate gifts, free of charge services and use of government facilities are the tools that make it possible to collect, transport and disperse relief commodities on a massive scale.
“Friend Ships Village is located on the island of Roatán off the coast of Honduras. From the Village we provide assistance to the community including training seminars and classes, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, medical, dental, and eye care services and the facility is available as a conference center with housing accommodations for local church groups.
Friend Ships is supported primarily by private individuals, church and corporate donors. All those who join Friend Ships, serve as full time volunteers. Corporations provide critical products or services, free of charge, or give their first-rate products to deliver to victims of disaster, war or poverty. Trucking companies, airlines and railroads provide free transportation for donated goods. Seaports waive all fees so that our ships may visit their countries. Governments allow them to have the free use of buildings, equipment and ship berths.
