South Florida Franchises Team Up To Get Recovery Supplies To The Bahamas  

By Joshua Hite, Brightway Insurance

For all of us who work in insurance, we feel a deep connection to the stories that come out of places where tragedy strikes. These are stories we know personally because we’ve been a part of them. We are a step in the process for people rebuilding their lives after disaster, and we read the details and hear the first-hand accounts. We know the time it takes for claims to be filed and results to happen, and the importance of having more immediate forms of support until that stuff begins to kick in. Which is why when I saw the devastation in The Bahamas, I knew we needed to act quickly to get some aid to help the people there.

Our Brightway agency has locations in Lake Worth and Boynton Beach, which had a unique advantage over other parts of the country that may wanted to help. The Bahamas is just a hop, skip and a jump from us so I knew we were in a better position than other places to reach out and help.

Our office posted to our social media channels and invited people in the community to come by two of our locations and drop off donations for The Bahamas. We used a list provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for The Bahamas and it included supplies like diapers, shampoo, soap, clothing, tents and blankets. We also created an Amazon list where people could order online and it would be sent directly to our offices.

The response we received was massive and far exceeded our expectations. We had more donations than we could transport, which was a blessing and an obstacle. Fortunately, we reached out to Rytech, a company that specializes in water damage restoration. Rytech helped transport the four pallets of donations to the local shipyard where they would then be taken to Grand Bahama. They were more than happy to offer a vehicle and time, free of charge. Again, because of the work we do, we all have personal connections to causes like this. We all have different resources and strengths so when a natural disaster like this happens, it’s nice to see each person, each company offering their abilities without counting the cost. 

Joshua Hite opened his first Brightway Insurance franchise in Florida in 2012. Today, he owns three locations in two states and is among Brightway's top 10% highest producing Franchise Owners. In September, the IFA recognized Hite as Franchisee of the Year 2019.