Stories of how cruise lines give back are featured here from time to time and often include charitable efforts close to home. The latest news on this topic: Carnival Corporation will fund and support rebuilding Freeport. Specifically, Carnival Corporation will help with flood damage repairs and basic restoration efforts at Rand Memorial Hospital, the primary hospital in Freeport, addressing significant damage done in September from Hurricane Dorian.

“In support of overall recovery efforts in The Bahamas, we have worked with government and community leaders to determine meaningful ways we can help that will deliver a lasting impact, and our shared mission to support the restoration of Rand Memorial Hospital exemplifies that commitment,”

Marie McKenzie, vice president of global ports and Caribbean government relations for Carnival Corporation.

A collaborative partnership between The Bahamas and Carnival Corporation is designed to provide hurricane relief funds for the rapid restoration of Rand Memorial Hospital. The goal: return the facility to a safe and healthy environment for patients and medical professionals by the end of March 2020.

The effort is two fold: basic repairs for the facility, and replacing damaged medical equipment. Here are the details:

• Completion of a new kitchen that was partially constructed prior to the storm, which will be able to provide meals for patients and staff once the hospital officially reopens.
• A project coordinator will have day-to-day oversight of all elements of the project
• Direct Relief, an international relief organization that provides critical medications and supplies during emergencies
• World Central Kitchen, a food relief organization that serves meals to local communities following a crisis. Carnival Corporation will support World Central Kitchen’s continued provisioning of daily meals for patients and staff as part of an ongoing partnership following the storm.
• The Grand Bahama Shipyard based in Freeport
• The University of Miami

Also, during the restoration process,

The Rand Memorial Hospital restoration efforts are part of a significant donation from Carnival Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Carnival Corporation, the company’s cruise line brands and its guests, and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation to provide funding and in-kind support to help overall hurricane recovery efforts in The Bahamas.

Carnival Cruise Line officially returned to Grand Bahama in mid-October when multiple ships docked in Freeport for the first time since the storm, marking the return of regular cruise calls to Grand Bahama Island.