today.

Delbert Pearman, Secretary/Treasurer for the Bermuda Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist told The Royal Gazette that every year, throughout the world, Seventh Day Adventists go out into the community to solicit funds for the needy.

"There are eight churches on the Island and each church has a different area,'' Mr. Pearman explained. "Members from each church go from house to house.'' He said the money raise would be channelled into two areas.

"The first is to locally operated community programmes,'' Mr. Pearman said.

"The second is to overseas to places in need like Africa or China or where ever there is a catastrophic event.'' Locally channelled funds, he said, supported community outreach programmes like the church's feeding operations.

"Between October 1995 and 1996, 522 people in the Southampton area were feed through our feeding programme,'' Mr. Pearman said. "The Pembroke, St.

George's and Hamilton churches has a feeding programme for the homeless. The Devonshire church has a seniors feeding programme.'' "The cash value for all the meals we have served for the year (October 1995 to 1996) was $16,804,'' he added.

In addition to feeding those in need, Mr. Pearman said, the church also distributed food vouchers.

"We gave away $8,000 in vouchers last year,'' he recalled. "The people who received them are referred to use by Government.'' Mr. Pearman said funds also went towards the church's health screening programmes.

"We offer free blood pressure screenings every Wednesdays at various locations around the Island,'' he explained. "About 1,500 people received screenings last year.'' "We also offer cholesterol and blood sugar test. About 200 people got their cholesterol checked and 150 people got tested for sugar.'' The Seventh Day Adventists' overseas good deeds include sending clothing and other goods to countries in need.

"Last year we sent about $25,000 worth of goods overseas,'' Mr. Pearman said.

"We've sent them to Jamaica, Antigua, the Azores, wherever there is a need.'' This year's fund raising gaol, he said, was to raise $30,000.

"This is an opportunity for the community to join with us to help other,'' Mr. Pearman said . "Each church has its own goal and church members heavily subsidise our efforts throughout the year.''