A bank has joined forces with a hotel to prepare healthy meals to seniors and vulnerable Bermudians.

Butterfield Bank and The Loren Hotel at Pink Beach will launch a meal programme tomorrow that will provide 500 meals a day until at least April 30.

Butterfield has pledged $150,000 in funding for staff at The Loren, in Tucker’s Town, to make the meals and deliver them to churches and community groups.

Michael Neff, Butterfield’s Bermuda managing director, said: “Working with The Loren, and some of our local churches and community organisations, Butterfield is doing its part to help with this situation.”

Mr Neff added: “Bermuda has supported Butterfield for 162 years and we are doing what we can to support the people of Bermuda during this time of heightened need.

“We have lowered interest rates on personal loans and mortgages and introduced automatic payment deferrals on personal and small business loans, residential mortgages and credit cards.

“Together, these measures will leave an estimated $55 million in the hands of businesses and consumers over the next three months, to help with financial strain and keep funds flowing through the Bermuda economy.”

Stephen King, the owner of The Loren, said: “Since opening our doors in 2017, it has been our pleasure to serve not only visitors to our island, but also to host celebrations, family dinners and get-togethers for local residents.

“We are proud to have become a part of the fabric of this community, and have a great team of Bermudian employees, as well. We owe a debt of gratitude to Bermuda for our success, and we want to help people however we can during the Covid-19 period.”

Mr King added: “While this is a difficult time for the hospitality industry, we are fortunate to have the management, culinary resources and kitchen capacity to be able to help ensure our community’s most vulnerable residents are taken care of.”

The Right Reverend Nicholas Dill, the Anglican Bishop of Bermuda, helped the bank and hotel to co-ordinate the effort of churches and community organisations to make sure the meals get to the right people.

Bishop Dill said “At this critical time in our nation’s life, when out of a desire to provide necessary protection from the effects of the Covid-19 virus, many lives and livelihoods are at stake and the community as a whole needs to come together, showing generous support and unity and protection for the vulnerable — our seniors, the unemployed and homeless.

“One way of helping protect this community, is to ensure that everyone has enough food, without the worry of how to finance and provide for it.”