Charity committed to helping Island’s youth
Operation ReachBack struck a chord with Betsy Dunn.
She was at a conference when she first heard about the US-based charity 18 years ago and knew it was something she wanted to be a part of.
Operation ReachBack offers scholarships, mentoring and professional development programmes within the Seventh-day Adventist community.
Ms Dunn and her team have provided educational bursaries for young people in need. They have also helped families to pay for medical bills and other emergency expenses.
Their most recent focus, however, is the Island’s young, black males,
“The national organisation has its office in Michigan and their focus has been to help young, black males in the US,” Ms Dunn said.
“We have offered scholarships to young black men here who have graduated from high school to help them with the college expenses.
“We have also given scholarships to young ladies, but more recently because the males seem to be having more problems that’s where our attention has been.
“Our philosophy is anything we can do to assist one or two of them we try to do.”
The charity’s efforts have also benefited people abroad. A 1997 trip to Uganda was a life-changing experience for the retired teacher.
“We did a missions trip and I taught some children under the mango trees because there were no buildings to teach in,” she said.
“I haven’t been the same since. When you come back from an experience like that you realise how fortunate you are and how we are so blessed on this Island.
“I wish a lot of young people could go to Africa and places like that and see how people live. We just take so much for granted.”
Many of the people she met lived in small shacks in shanty towns with no electricity or running water.
The children were grateful for the tiniest of gifts — crayons, little toys and candies.
“We gave away so much of the clothing we had come with,” said Ms Dunn.
“From that trip I also sponsored three children in Africa by paying for their tuition. I met one child while we were at a meeting one night.
“She came up to me distraught and said she would be dismissed from the school because she didn’t have funds to pay for her tuition, so when I came back [to Bermuda] we sent her funds and continued to do so for several years as she finished high school and then college.
“She referred us to other people in need. In total we helped three children get through high school and one went on to university and graduated.
“Another one went to medical school in China and we supported him for six years. He graduated last year and won a scholarship to continue to specialise in paediatrics.”
The group is holding a fundraiser on Saturday. American gospel trio Virtue will perform in the Bermuda Institute auditorium at 8.30pm.
Local performers Samantha Smith, Aron Spencer and Restoration Praise and Worship Team will also take the stage.
“I hope people come out because it’s a worthy cause,” Ms Dunn said. “So many people have been blessed through the funds that have been raised.
“I want the guests themselves to leave feeling encouraged and with the desire to support Operation ReachBack more.”
General admission is $35; patrons’ tickets are $50. Both are available from the Adventist Book Store or Uniquely Yours, or by calling 236-5659 or 595-0199.
Vaughn Smith had never heard of Operation ReachBack.
A teacher at Bermuda Institute who was pleased with his efforts nominated him for the charity’s scholarship last year.
The 19-year-old said he was “amazed and surprised” to be in the running.
Winning boosted his confidence even more.
“When you get something that you really didn’t think you would, it gives you a new outlook on yourself to say, ‘Maybe I can do this’, and ‘Maybe I can do other things as well’,” he said.
“I realised I could do whatever I set my mind to.
“I was surprised and felt proud of myself when I got it because I wasn’t one that considered myself to be the best.
“So for me to get a scholarship was a very good feeling.”
The scholarship made the graduate hone his focus on his work.
“Now I really want to finish my schooling and accomplish as much as I can while I’m young,” he said.
Although he is now working to become a structural engineer, he was not too keen on his studies while growing up.
“I was a good student when I was focused, but for me sometimes I was in school and other times I was wishing I was in other places,” he said.
“Then I started making a change in the 11th grade. My uncle and father both have their own businesses and I used to think that when I got older maybe I could take over.
“But I started to realise you can’t just take over a business from scratch. You have to educate yourself and train so you can do it to the best of your ability.”
