03/28/2022

The Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) today announced the appointment of prominent businessman and real estate pioneer Mario Carey to its board of directors.

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mario Carey to the board,” said BFN Chairman Felix Stubbs. “Mario is not only an astute businessperson who is increasingly dedicating his energy and resources to social entrepreneurship, he is someone who demonstrated he understands the reality of hunger in challenging times.”

Along with partners, Paolo Garzaroli and the team at Graycliff, Carey created an initiative called Pasta Fridays, closing his office and recruiting his real estate firm to prepare and distribute thousands of boxed hot meals every Friday for months during the height of COVID-related unemployment.

Best known as the founder of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate MCR Bahamas, Carey created Mario Carey Ventures a year ago to bring innovation to what he considers just and vital causes in national development. The father of a son with Asperger’s on the autism spectrum, Carey participated for years in cycling and other events to raise funds for autism. As head of REACH, he worked with government to create Light it Up Blue, now a fixture in Parliament Square to mark world autism day. He has made urgent calls to monetize the waters of The Bahamas to raise funds to save coral reefs and marine resources and most recently, he hosted a golf tournament raising more than $50,000 to assist BAARK with its spaying and neutering program. For the past 25 years he also brought cheer serving as Santa for the Center for the Deaf.

“In a career that spanned four decades in real estate, I was very fortunate to have done well, but I was also exposed to the differences between those who have plenty and those who have too little,” said Carey. “More and more, I have wanted to find ways to help ease that gap whether through education and training for upward mobility and better opportunities or, when necessary, through assistance. I have been impressed by the work of the Bahamas Feeding Network since the day it was founded by Frank Crothers and I am honoured to serve on the board.”

Founded nearly a decade ago, the Bahamas Feeding Network transitioned from preparing and serving home-cooked meals in a nearly non-stop kitchen in a converted cottage in Fox Hill to raising funds to purchase food coupons and create parcels of groceries that would last a family of up to four for about five days. Distribution is now mainly through other organizations that feed, including about 110 soup kitchens, feeding centers and churches’ feeding programs.

Carey joins the board made up of Frank Crothers, Felix Stubbs, Lester Ferguson, Peter Whitehead, Elaine Pinder, Philip Smith, Sean Moree, Robyn Symonette, Shayne Davis and Peter Carey.

Executive director Lester Ferguson said that Mr. Carey’s appointment to the Board “will strengthen the Network’s ability to impact more people who can support our efforts, as well as meet the need of more hungry families.” Earlier this year Ferguson took over from Philip Smith as executive director, when Smith became executive chairman of the Agricultural Development Organization.