Whenever I meet with visitors or donors, I’m often asked the same few questions, and I’m genuinely happy for your interest and support. 

Here are the questions that I am MOST OFTEN asked by supporters, donors, and members of the community about Bahamas Children’s Mission (BCM). 

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WHAT DOES BCM DO FOR THE CHILDREN HERE IN EXUMA?

At Bahamas Children’s Mission, which my husband and I have been building since 2018, our core mission is simple: 

To provide FREE support to children in Exuma,  in three key areas:

1. Literacy and Reading Intervention— with a special emphasis on evidence-based methods that are easy to implement and rapidly effective, especially for children with dyslexia and other reading struggles. 
2. Swim Lessons and Water Safety — Living in the Bahamas means water is everywhere around us, and is part of our daily lives. It’s been reported that 70-80% of Bahamians haven’t learned to swim. So, we teach essential skills in water safety and basic swim strokes.
3. Healthy Snacks and Meals — Whenever I am with the children I provide nutritious food or snacks because hungry children can’t focus or learn effectively. A simple snack or meal can make all the difference in helping kids stay energized and just knowing that someone cares that they might be hungry gives them a lift.
4. BONUS area of support: Giving out donated items that supporters give to BCM—-anything from clothes, toys, crafts, shoes, school supplies, household goods—we have ZERO place to store these items so we give them out VERY quickly–though we don’t want to add that service to our already full plate, we are happy to give away whatever we are blessed to receive.

WHAT DOES BCM NEED RIGHT NOW?

Because of a recent shipment of hurricane relief supplies, (which was an unexpected yet wonderful blessing from an amazing charity partner — we are setting them aside and we PRAY we won’t need them for hurricane season, but we are in desperate need of a small storage space.) We are currently stuck renting a storage unit here at the cost of $260 per month, but we would MUCH rather find something for free as we always want to steward our limited funds wisely  – BONUS if there is room for a small desk space, where we could use as a tutoring space..

1. An  OUTSIDE, beachfront space for Summer Camp…Believe me, if you could see the PURE JOY on the children’s faces, and how they LIGHT UP when they are at the beach here, you would understand that my first item on the NEEDS LIST, is NOT a frivolous one:

For our summer reading program (which is about 2-ish weeks in July or early August), I am seeking a place where we can use the OUTSIDE SPACE ONLY, of a pool home on the beach here, for our learning time with ONLY 2-3 children at a time/(they will attend in time slots), for ONLY 3-ish hours per day. The reason we would ONLY need to use the outside space, for tutoring and swim lessons, is so that both goals can be accomplished at the same time period. MY DREAM is to treat the kids the most EPIC JOYFUL  summer learning experience ever!  We would work on reading skills for a bit at a picnic table, and then have swim lessons right afterwards, in the pool or in the ocean water if it’s calm. The children would be thrilled with this DREAMY beautiful beach/pool setting — and it means would be HIGHLY motivated to learn both reading and swimming at the same time! (and of course we would leave it spotless each day and sign a liability waiver)

2. For small items that are suitcase or boat friendly, the items we need are listed on our Amazon Wishlist, located here.

3. Soon, our mini-free lending libraries will be all over the island, (thanks to a recent grant request and award!) so we will need used children’s books to keep them stocked up. 

4. Donated funds for projects, crafts, snacks and special outings or treats for the children we serve. If you’d like to help, here is an easy way to do so!  Thank you! 

Feel free to message me if you have other ideas or questions.

ARE YOU QUALIFIED TO HELP CHILDREN WITH READING?

Yes! I am so excited to utilize my skillset to help the child here for FREE! I’m a Literacy Specialist with over 20 years of experience in K-12 education, teaching children with reading difficulties and dyslexia. I am an EBLI Certified Practitioner,  and I’m also trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach, at the Associate and Classroom Educator level. I’m a certified Dyslexia Advocate,  I have a Masters in Education with a minor in linguistics, as well as a Reading Endorsement and worked for many years in Florida schools as a Reading Coach. I’ve been lucky enough to have taught EVERY grade (whew!) from kindergarten through 12th grade, for nearly three decades, working directly with thousands of students from many backgrounds and socio-economic levels. My teaching background varies from traveling the world as a private governess, to working as a volunteer reading tutor in my Florida community, and here in Exuma, and in nearly every school setting in between! 

My experience includes in-depth training in supporting readers with challenges, such as dyslexia, or simply those in need of advancing their reading skills with less complex reading issues, like fluency and reading stamina.  My focus is on structured evidence-based literacy interventions. Last year, I was blessed to be nominated for a Global Dyslexia Award, recognizing my work in this field. 

This goal of helping children unlock the joys of reading, especially those who face challenges like dyslexia, is what keeps me motivated to help every child within my reach.

WHAT IS THE BCM YEARLY BUDGET?

While many charities need to raise funds each year for their 5- and even 6-figure funding budgets, we are proud of being humble & careful stewards–and making the most of our donations & budget! —————-

HOW MANY STAFF MEMBERS DOES BCM HAVE?

There’s only me  — and my dear husband –  a retired military officer, who often helps with SO many tasks and logistics –and he provides a huge level of background support for everything we do! (+ he’s great with the kids & w/ our MATH/SCIENCE tutoring needs because of his engineering background.)

For the Summer Reading Program, we sometimes have 1-2 trusted volunteers help us. Also, I am ALWAYS training and enlisting the help of the kids, so that they learn how the mission works, how we get shipments, donor relations and donations, how to process customs paperwork, how to work with our valuable community partners, and especially how to give swim lessons and provide reading tutoring!  I pray that one day, one of the children will step up and take over the mission from me, they’re inspiration for all this work and it will be theirs to build up and help even more children someday soon! 

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ARE YOU PAID/DO YOU TAKE A SALARY FOR THIS WORK?

No, I am a volunteer and receive no compensation or salary for my work at BCM. I do this work as a volunteer because it’s my way of giving back for all the wonder and joy that Exuma life brings. 

You can be confident in knowing that every bit of support we receive goes straight to the costs of serving the children– and we provide everything for free  – the specialized reading intervention, the books, healthy snacks, and swim lessons.

What sets BCM apart is our unwavering commitment to zero cost for families and children. We charge nothing—no fees for tutoring, no tuition for camps, no costs for books, swim instruction, or food. Every program runs entirely on donations from generous supporters, combined with contributions from our own personal resources to fill any gaps. 

EVERY DAY, my mission goals are to:

-BE USEFUL & ADD VALUE TO THE WORLD

-DO WORK THAT HONORS GOD

-MAKE SOMEONE’s LIFE A LITTLE BIT BETTER 

Sounds corny, yes, but the small but meaningful successes I’ve witnessed here, motivate me to keep trying my best: 

–a struggling reader who now excels in school & attends a private school on a scholarship 

-a child with dyslexia who reads a full page aloud (with a smile!), 

-a young student confidently floating in the water instead of fearing it,

-a group of kids sharing laughs over a healthy snack after an engaging lesson. 

While many organizations charge for services, or rely on large scale funding-–our mom & pop model might seem outdated or quaint, but it’s by purpose & intention. By staying small, flexible, and fully volunteer-  & donation-driven, I can ensure that our help reaches the children who need it most,  without staff salaries to fill, bureaucracies, committees, endless meetings and other cumbersome barriers. 

WHERE IS THE MISSION LOCATED? 

Our work happens right where the children are—delivering free literacy tutoring in the island’s schools, and teaching essential swim lessons and water safety directly at local donated pools and child-safe beaches across Exuma. 

This hands-on, community-based approach lets me reach kids in schools, mostly, and other places that are easiest for them and their parents to get to, (many don’t have a car).  But mostly, I tutor at their schools, at local beaches that have a gazebo, (& even truck tutoring!), so that I can maximize impact and keep costs to a minimum — by not having to pay rent on a mission office somewhere.

That said, we’re in desperate need of a small, dedicated storage space for our growing collection of hurricane relief supplies, books (to stock our BRAND NEW mini-free library project-woohoo!), tutoring materials, puzzles, swim equipment, and supplies for healthy snacks/meals—plus, it would be a TREMENDOUS help to have a VERY SMALL & simple tutoring room where we can offer quiet, one-on-one & small-group sessions year-round without relying solely on borrowed/rented spaces.

(Previously, we had a tutoring & storage space at a local community resource center, but another group needed it so we ended up having to vacate.)

If you’re inspired to help with this need (through donations toward rent, a donated space, or other helpful ideas), we’d be incredibly grateful—your support would help us serve even more Bahamian children safely and effectively!

CAN I VOLUNTEER TO HELP?

YES! We are so grateful for your offer to support the children we serve.  Here’s how you can help:

We often need donated items brought to us, if you are willing to bring them by suitcase, boat or plane, just reach out to me and see if we have a need at that time.  That said, there are so many other NO COST wonderful ways your support can make a real difference!

Here are some fun, low-pressure ideas for fundraising events that have worked well for other charities:

• Yard sale or community garage sale — donate all proceeds to BCM. It’s a great spring or fall activity, often turns into a social day, and helps declutter while raising funds for books, snacks, or swim gear.
• Ladies’ night — Host a relaxed evening with wine, light appetizers, games, or a simple craft & charge a small ticket fee or encourage donations—perfect for building community and raising money in a fun setting.
• Seasonal parties — An EASTER egg hunt, a summer luau/poolside gathering, fall harvest potluck, holiday cookie exchange, or spring garden party. Add a small entry donation, raffle prizes (gifted by local businesses), or a “donate what you’d spend on a gift” with those collected funds going to BCM from the host/hostess.
• Happy hour or casual networking event — Partner with a café, or restaurant for a “give-back” happy hour where a portion of sales (or a suggested donation at the door) goes to the mission. 

And any of these can ALSO be hosted at your home, a community venue, or even virtually (like an online auction or trivia night). Every dollar raised goes directly to free literacy support, water safety lessons, and healthy snacks for Bahamian children.

Your creativity and generosity mean so much—thank you again for wanting to be part of this work! Please let us know if one of these ideas sparks interest, or if you have another way in mind—we’d love to brainstorm together!

(For the safety of the children we serve,  we aren’t able to bring on volunteers to work directly with the kids at this time.)

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Many of you often send messages or tell me in person that you appreciate the mission’s work. Please know that your kind words of encouragement mean the world to me. They fuel me to keep going and keep finding more (& more effective) ways to serve the children here! If  you have more questions, please feel free to email me anytime. BCMExuma@gmail.com

With gratitude & hope for even brighter futures,

Bridget Creech, M. Ed.   Literacy Specialist & Founder, Bahamas Children’s Mission

Puzzles are more than just a fun pastime—they’re a powerful tool for supporting children with dyslexia and reading struggles, as the Bahamas Children’s Mission (BCM) has learned in our (nearly 100 hours) of formal Literacy & Dyslexia training. We feel it’s important to spread the word about this need, as well as add puzzles to our wishlists from our donors.

Drawing from our experiences, we’ve seen how puzzles can foster essential skills for struggling readers in a playful, low-pressure way. For children with dyslexia, who often face challenges with phonological processing and working memory, puzzles provide a unique opportunity to strengthen these skills.

Visual exercises help children recognize letter patterns and word shapes, reinforcing their ability to decode words—a key hurdle in dyslexia. Research supports this: a 2023 study from the International Dyslexia Association noted that visual-spatial tasks like puzzles can improve word recognition by up to 15% in dyslexic learners.

Puzzles also enhance cognitive skills like problem-solving and focus, which are often areas of difficulty for struggling readers. During our camp, children worked on jigsaw puzzles featuring story scenes, encouraging them to discuss the narrative as they pieced it together. This activity, highlighted in a July 18 post (“Puzzles + stories = a perfect combo! #LiteracyMatters”), boosted their comprehension and vocabulary through collaborative storytelling. The process of trial and error in puzzles mirrors the persistence needed in reading, building resilience and confidence.

Additionally, puzzles offer an stress-free learning environment. Unlike traditional reading tasks that might feel daunting, puzzles engage kids through play, reducing anxiety and fostering a positive attitude toward learning. By integrating puzzles into our programs, BCM helps children with dyslexia and reading struggles unlock their potential, one piece at a time!

The Bahamas Children’s Mission (BCM) has been a beacon of hope for struggling readers since 2018. We support children aged 8 to 15  in overcoming their reading challenges, fostering confidence, and igniting a love for literacy.

One key approach is to tailor instruction to each child’s needs, focusing on phonics, interactive multi-sensory lessons, and comprehension activities at their pace. By keeping groups small, we ensured every child feels supported and heard, helping them build foundational skills without the pressure of a larger classroom setting.

Struggling readers felt encouraged by their our patience and variety of learning activities, making reading a collaborative and fun experience rather than a daunting task.

We also incorporate  interactive activities and games, like Roll & Read to enable “Learning through play! #LiteracyForAll.”  This gamified approach turns reading into an adventure, helping struggling readers associate literacy with fun.

Through  diagnostic evaluations, prescriptive lessons and multi-sensory lessons and resources, along with peer support, and engaging activities, BCM’s goals and systems aim to reach struggling readers to help them grow and thrive. We’re committed to continuing this mission, ensuring every child discovers the magic of reading.

Last July, the Bahamas Children’s Mission brought a wave of excitement and learning to young minds through our Free Literacy Summer Camp. Held in the heart of the Exumas, in George Town, Bahamas, this initiative was a vibrant celebration of literacy, creativity, and lots of learning FUN— designed to empower children with the tools they need to thrive academically and personally. As I reflect on the camp and the accomplishments of the children, I’m filled with happiness over the incredible moments we shared with our campers, their families, and our dedicated supporters and donors.

The camp kicked off on July 1, 2024, with a colorful opening ceremony that set the tone for the weeks ahead. Day 1 of our Free Literacy Summer Camp was a GO! Let’s make reading an adventure!” The energy was infectious as the children participated in icebreaker games, their laughter echoing through the camp classroom.

Each day at the camp was a blend of structured learning and playful exploration, tailored to make reading and writing fun. #BCMSummerCamp2024.” We also challenged to campers to learn all their times tables during the month too! They’d competed for bragging rights and prizes! This activity was a perfect example of how we blended experiential learning with literacy, making every lesson an adventure.
As the camp wrapped up on July 26, 2024, we celebrated with a closing ceremony filled with performances, certificates, and smiles. An Instagram post captured the moment perfectly: a group photo of all the campers holding up their certificates.

We’re so proud of our BCM campers #LiteracyForAll.” The Bahamas Children’s Mission Free Literacy Summer Camp wasn’t just about learning to read—it was about igniting a passion for knowledge, building confidence, and creating lasting memories. We can’t wait to do it all again next year! Cheers to 2025!

The Bahamas Children’s Mission (BCM) has been making a splash with our swim lessons and water safety programs ever since we first came to the islands. Living in the Bahamas, where water surrounds us, ensuring children are equipped with lifesaving aquatic skills is a priority. Our programs, often held alongside initiatives like the Free Literacy Summer Camp, focus on empowering kids age 4 to 12 with the confidence and competence to stay safe in and around water while fostering a love for swimming.

Learning to float, rest, and breathe—key skills for water safety! #BCMSwims. This foundational skill, inspired by programs like the Red Cross Water Safety programs and Super Hero Swim Academy, helps children remain calm if they find themselves in water unexpectedly, a critical step in preventing drowning—a leading cause of death for young children globally.

We also emphasize water safety education through interactive activities. Once they become more proficient, the kids enjoy games, like relays to retrieve underwater items and race each other! (They always remind each other to follow pool rules around the deck). “Rules first, fun always” — Lessons like never swimming alone and always having an adult nearby. This approach mirrors the American Red Cross’s WHALE Tales program, ensuring kids practice safety habits through engaging, memorable activities.

Our lessons are usually 1 to 3 swimmers, which allows for personalized instruction, ensuring each child progresses at their own pace. Building confidence, one swimmer at a time! #BCMSwimLessons

By blending skill-building with safety education, BCM is creating a generation of water-smart kids ready to enjoy the Bahamas’ beautiful aquatic playground safely.

Through these efforts, BCM not only teaches swimming but also instills lifelong safety habits, ensuring our children thrive in a water-rich environment.

As I put the word out on Facebook, and texted a few friends that I used to teach with, it seemed that everyone else wanted to share their children’s books too! I asked all of the teachers whose classrooms I was volunteering in, and got even more books!

Then I decided that if you don’t ask, you don’t get, so I went ahead and began asking school media center directors too! You’d be amazed at the amount of books that get stored –  (sadly) tossed out each year! The generosity of my friends and former colleagues was overwhelming!

We went all over Marco Island and Naples gathering up hundreds of gently used children’s books and stuffing them into every corner of our garage. Hal began to wonder when he’d get his garage back…lol!

Then another BIG-HEARTED friend offered the space in her garage too! Thanks DAWNIE! Now, it was ON! I was hearing from people with kids books a few times a week and I gratefully gathered them up from all over our local area and several school libraries.

Once we’d filled up both garages I knew we’d NEVER be able to take the books to The Bahamas on our own boat. Yep, it was time to look for a way to ship these books to The Bahamas on a cargo ship. I reached out to those in the sailing community to see if they could take on a few books and split up the load…but no one got back to me. Then I tried a few corporate contacts and some of Hal’s old USCG buddies to see if they had any connections, but no luck. I knew there had to be a way…I reached out to the cruise ships and airlines too, because they do so much business in The Bahamas. They offered to help but never followed up with my messages.

My last ditch effort was a cargo/container ship that I knew had a direct route to George Town Exuma, our new ‘base of operations.’  The CEO (purposely unnamed) was immediately and enthusiastically willing to ship the books! In fact, he even made a point to come out and meet us, and learn more about the mission, while we were putting all the books together on the pallets! Once boxed, palleted, wrapped and weighed, the total came to over 3,000 pounds of donated children’s books! Restores your faith in humanity, doesn’t it??

Thankfully, once the books arrived by cargo ship in Exuma, they were met, received,  and seamlessly processed through customs — thanks to the GENEROUS and incredibly capable friends at LaeTuivs ministry! We are immensely grateful for their kindness, care and professionalism and we are SO LOOKING forward to having them join us on our delivery trips to the outer islands soon!

We also owe a big thank you to the folks at Restoration Exuma who, along with LaeTuivs,  helped move the books, and the donated baseball and softball equipment, too.  They also moved the new washer/dryer set over to the Humane Society Exuma, which does amazing work caring for the needs of Exuma’s pets, stray cats and beloved potcakes. Another shout out of thanks, for storage of the books, goes to KariJava Coffee House! We ask that you would please support these admirable groups, as they supported us, and in turn, you’re supporting those in need…truly a win-win for all!