Gyptian is coming back to Bermuda for a good cause. The reggae singer is the headliner of a concert on Thursday night at Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club. The cost of admission is two non-perishable dry or canned food items per person. The goods will be donated to the Eliza DoLittle Society in an effort to help combat food insecurity. The Royal Gazette spoke with Clare Mello Robinson, the charity’s executive director.

Q: What is the food pantry? When was it created? Why was it created?

A: The Eliza DoLittle Society is a registered charity which was founded in 2002 by Margaret Vaucrosson and Tony Forrester with a focus on meeting the needs of Bermuda’s homeless population. The principle aim of the society was to provide those in need with “a hand up, not a handout”. In 2010, the organisation’s focus shifted from feeding the homeless to providing support to any person in Bermuda that was food insecure [through our food pantry in Warwick]. TEDS provides its clients with a bag or bags of groceries based upon the size of their household once per week.

Q: Over the period of a month, how many people come for help? How many unique visits?

As at the end of April, the pantry has served a total of 1,043 families. Those 1,043 families have made a total of 12,352 visits. The 1,043 families consist of 2,568 people, of which 569 are seniors, 1,445 are adults and 664 are minors. Clients may access more than one service in order to meet their needs, ie, a family may get a voucher from one organisation, a bag of food from TEDS each week and receive cooked meals from another organisation. All of that together helps them to make ends meet each month.

Q: Where do the pantry items come from?

A: TEDS secures both donated food and purchased food from retailers, wholesalers and farmers. In addition, TEDS works with a network of non-profit and charitable partners across Bermuda to redistribute excess food and avoid waste.

Q: How important are events such as this one where Gyptian is performing for free? Do you get this kind of help often?

A: Invaluable. TEDS estimates the value of community, corporate and individual donations to approximately $75,000 to $90,000 per year.

Q: Generally speaking, do you feel Bermuda understands how much need there is?

A: Yes. Covid-19 highlighted the food security need in Bermuda. Since then many people have new appreciation for individuals and families navigating food security.

Q: Has demand at the pantry lessened since social distancing requirements have eased?

A: Since January 2023 the pantry has experienced a steady increase [most likely caused by] the rising cost of everything.

Q: Have some of the people who were then in need of help come back and offered help themselves?

A: Yes, some of the clients that have benefited from our services have donated food/funds to the pantry.

Q: Are you always able to meet demand?

A: TEDS balances capacity with the budget to ensure that all our clients are served.

Q: What led you to join Eliza DoLittle?

A: I began volunteering in August 2019 working on the registration desk and interacting with clients as well as packing bags. I immediately was made to feel part of a wonderful team of staff and volunteers. I also witnessed first-hand the courage it takes for clients to stand in line for help. That is very humbling.

Q: Most wonderful thing that you’ve seen/experienced through your work there? Most heartbreaking?

A: The sense of community among our clients. How they look out for each other and help each other. We have so many clients that come to the pantry to collect bags for family members and friends who are unable to make it. [It is wonderful to see] the gratitude that clients express for the service we provide and the impact it makes in their lives.

Q: Is the problem that people don’t have access to food or that the food they have access to is not of good quality?

A: People do not have the resources they need to keep food on their table. That is in part due to inflation — the rising cost of food and unemployment or partial employment and other expenses such as childcare, rent and healthcare.

Q: Roughly how many people on the island do you think suffer from food insecurity?

A: The Food Security Working Group, which consists of nine organisations, collectively provided food aid to 7,991 clients over a one-year period — from September 1, 2022 to September 1, 2023.

• Live Wires and Rivah will join Gyptian for Serious Times, a concert organised by Rise & Shine in association with Wild Apache Productions and Veterans in Action. The cost of admission is two non-perishable dry or canned food items per person. Thursday, 7pm to midnight, at Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club. For more information visit www.theelizadolittlesociety.bm