Hope Town United Secures Funding to Rebuild Elbow Cay’s Primary School and Medical Clinic in Wake of Hurricane Dorian Destruction

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Hope Town United (HTU), a community-led non-profit leading recovery efforts on Elbow Cay, announced major gifts for the community's first two restoration projects: the rebuilding of the Hope Town Primary School and the Hope Town Medical Clinic.

Click here for photos of the damage to Hope Town

• The Hope Town Primary School will receive $500,000 and all of the steel needed to rebuild thanks to a generous contribution from the Jones family, owners of Nova Steel, Inc. Prior to Hurricane Dorian, the Hope Town Primary School provided schooling for 70 preschool to fifth grade students on Elbow Cay. HTU recently received approval from the Minister of Education to lead this rebuilding project. Working with the school's principal, engineers, and architects, the goal is to preserve some of the historic structures of the school while building a facility that can be used as a storm shelter. Getting the children of Elbow Cay back to school is an essential step toward restoring the island to normalcy.
• The Hope Town Medical Clinic will be rebuilt and fully funded by Mark Bailey, Sr., Hope Town Rising, and Flagler Health+. Jason Barrett, CEO of Flagler Health+, has committed to collaborate as a sister hospital and provide ongoing support for the clinic. The clinic, which is the only medical facility on Elbow Cay, was extensively damaged by Hurricane Dorian. HTU received approval from the Ministry of Health to lead the effort to rebuild this key facility. This project will be driven by a community steering committee that will work with architects, engineers, and builders to ensure that the clinic has more modern capabilities as well as adding a second floor to the facility.

"Recovery after Hurricane Dorian will not be easy, but we are energized and ready to lead the effort to rebuild a more environmentally-sustainable and resilient Hope Town," said Matt Winslow, Chairman of Hope Town United. "Working with community leaders and partner organizations, we are bringing infrastructure and innovation to the island. We have an opportunity and an obligation to make Elbow Cay a global model for how to rebuild with an eye toward resiliency and environmentally sustainable design. We are so grateful to the Jones family, Mark Bailey and the team from Hope Town Rising, Jason Barrett, and Flagler Health+ for these transformational gifts. Their generosity and commitment to Elbow Cay will jumpstart our recovery."

"Schools are the heart of every community, a place where ideas and opportunity take flight. That's why we're so pleased to do our part to help bring the Hope Town community back to life. We've made it a family priority, and Nova Steel is making it a company priority, to make sure we rebuild Hope Town stronger and better than ever," said Scott Jones.

"I look forward to the prospect of a wonderful partnership for the advancement of education in the Hope Town community," said The Honorable Jeffrey L. Lloyd, M.P., Minister of Education, Nassau, Bahamas.

"This joint venture is a commitment to the Abaco Islands and to the people that we have come to love," said Mark Bailey, Sr. "The euphoria of potential recovery can be fragile, and we believe that Hope Town and the surrounding Cays will recover at a more rapid pace, and with positivity, assuming quality medical care can be delivered. With the clinic up and running, we look forward to a strong and vibrant community returning."

HTU is the economic engine leading the restoration of Elbow Cay following Hurricane Dorian. HTU's focus is to restore the historic public structures, small businesses, and residential homes, while also engaging global engineering experts to design and construct the most resilient and environmentally-sustainable island infrastructure in the world. 

To accomplish this, HTU will be launching a strategic plan that focuses on:

• An international fundraising campaign to support near-term recovery needs and the immediate restoration of critical public buildings such as the clinic and school.
• The creation of innovative, blended finance structures and impact investment vehicles for the construction of a modernized, environmentally-sustainable infrastructure and the reconstruction of locally-owned businesses and residential homes.

It will take all of us working together as one Hope Town United to reach these goals. For those who wish to make a donation and contribute to the rebuilding efforts, please visit www.hopetownunited.org/.

Contact:Ashley Guster, [email protected]

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SOURCE Hope Town United