The forum was held in collaboration with the Ministry for Grand Bahama at the Foster B. Pestaina Centre on November 7, 2024.
Minister LaRoda mounted a team out of New Providence, along with their Grand Bahama counterparts, to listen to the residents, inform them of the programmes and services available to them and afforded them one-on-one sessions with agents to address their personal needs.
He pointed out that it was incumbent on him to come and speak to the Grand Bahama community, those who are dependent on Social Services, directly.
“Your experience with us as you enter our doors to receive our assistance is very important. There is an attempt coming from the very top, not only in Grand Bahama but in Nassau too, to create more of an inviting environment,” Minister LaRoda said.
Minister LaRoda also revealed that the Department of Social Services is in transition, shifting policies, expanding its digital programmes and adding locations to accommodate the needs of the public.
Among those programmes is PROMIS, offered by the Department’s Community Support Services Division, which offers food, financial, burial, rental and uniform assistance.
The residents were given a crash course on how to apply online to take advantage of the services at promis.gov.bs and learned of the technical assistance being offered at the Call Centre at 242.727.5021.
As for concerns regarding the timeline for processing claims and disruptions in food assistance, particularly among the elderly and infirm, Minister LaRoda explained the government is addressing those issues and its position is that there should be no interruptions during assessment.
Additionally, Minister LaRoda revealed that his ministry is seeking to generate a more accurate number of the country’s Disabled Registry and needs the assistance of the public to put the Department of Social Services in a better position to request additional funding.
“We want the communities to help us in our creation of a registry. Scientists are saying that in every country about 15 percent of the population has some form of disability,” he said.
As a result, Minister LaRoda surmised that instead of the 1,500 now on the register, The Bahamas, with a population of 400,000, should have a disabled community of about 60,000.
In fact, those present also learned that it is not widely known that the Department provides wheelchairs and walkers and can provide disability assistance in many other areas.
Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey, and Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Michael Pintard, also encouraged the residents to express all of the outstanding issues they have while they have the representatives before them.
A team from the Department of Social Services has been travelling throughout The Bahamas to make residents aware of the services the department provides.
