Prime Minister Philip Davis’s Remarks at the Commissioning of the New Renovated Department of Social Services Horseshoe Drive Outreach Centre

Friends, good morning.

Growing up on Cat Island, watching my grandmother and grandfather, I learned early that when a family was going through a difficult time, they did not always have to say much because people knew.

As a close-knit community, a neighbour might notice that something was wrong.

A church member might show up with a meal, and someone else might find some way to help.

And while we did not have all of the resources that we have today, we had something that mattered just as much – we had community.

And as a community, we understood that when one family was struggling, it was the community’s responsibility to rally behind them.

My friends, that lesson has stayed with me because I believe a government, at its best, should operate with that same sense of responsibility.

When a family is struggling, we have a responsibility to show up, and we have a responsibility to show up well.

Today’s commissioning reflects the kind of community-centred Bahamas that we are continuing to build.

For more than four decades, this centre has served the people of New Providence. And yes, the needs of the people have changed, the way we provide assistance has changed, and social services themselves have changed.

But what has not changed has been the mission to be present, responsive, and a government that puts people at its centre.

That mission remains the same, and what began largely as a system of providing immediate relief has grown into something much larger – a social protection system designed to help people through difficult times, help them find stability, and to help them move forward.

Today, more than four thousand people depend on the services delivered here – real people who come here when life becomes difficult.

A mother looking for assistance to feed her family.

A person living with disability seeking support.

A family facing a housing challenge.

A young person who needs someone to believe in them.

That is why my administration continues to invest in our social services programs like ProMIS, which makes applying for social assistance more modern and efficient, preserving one’s dignity.

We continue to expand support for children through programs such as the National School Breakfast Program, because no child should go to school hungry.

We are making our country more accessible by bringing amendments to the Persons with Disabilities Equal Opportunities Act – amendments that will focus on inclusion and equal opportunity for the persons with disabilities. 

And the Protection Against Violence Commission now has this new home to carry out its mandate outlined in the Protection Against Violence Act (2023) –  an Act designed to enhance our laws in respect of domestic violence, and violence against vulnerable persons.

Our work remains guided by one principle: a government, at its best, should meet people where they are, and help them get where they should and wish to be.

This is the direction in which your government will continue to move because social services is about prevention, intervention, and stability – and ultimately helping to create the conditions for people to build better lives. 

That is why I am particularly pleased that this facility will bring several important services under one roof – the Department of Social Services, the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, the Temporary Shelter Unit and the Protection Against Violence Commission.

This is what a modern public service looks like – agencies working together around the needs of a people.

Friends, let me take a moment to speak directly to the people who make all of this possible, the staff of Social Services.

You are often meeting people at some of the hardest moments of their lives.

You hear their stories.

You see their struggles.

And while this building is important, you, my friends, are the human face of government.

We see your work, and I want you to know that we value it.

And that is part of why I am here this morning – to remind all of us, myself included, of the reason we do this work.

None of us came to this for a title. None of us are here simply to open the doors in the morning and close them in the evening. We are here to serve.

Every Bahamian who comes through these doors deserves to leave knowing that they were seen, that they were heard, and that they were treated with dignity – whatever their story, whatever their circumstances. Nothing matters more than that.

So let this be more than a building made new. Let it be renewed in spirit, renewed in purpose, and renewed in the way we regard the people we are called to serve.

And to the team here, hear this plainly: your Prime Minister sees you. I respect the work that you do. And I will keep fighting to make sure you have what you need to serve our people with excellence, with compassion, and with care.

So today, as we reopen the doors of the Horseshoe Drive Outreach Centre, let us remember that the true measure of this building is what will happen inside these walls, the families that it will help, and the people who will walk in facing uncertainty and leave with a little more stability, a little more hope, and clearer path forward.

My friends, this is what progress looks like, and that is the work that continues.

May God bless you and may God bless the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.