Republic Bank Praises Good Samaritans

The Management team of Republic Bank is today singing the praises of two employees who went above and beyond the call to help repatriate a stranded Trinidad national earlier this year.

Back in mid-February, Richard Rollocks, a Management Associate with the Bank and a former president of the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Barbados, received a call from the Royal Barbados Police Force. Officers had found a 23-year-old Trinidadian man wandering on Dover beach and he appeared to be in significant mental distress. With the country under lockdown, officers reached out to Rollocks in the hope that he could source a safe space for the man to stay, however, all efforts proved futile at the time.

Renata Goodman, Customer Service Manager at the Bank’s Limegrove branch, who was with Rollocks at the time, decided to contact the President of the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness, Keymar Saffrey. Saffrey was able to grant the young man accommodation at the alliance’s shelter in the city on an exceptional basis.

It was later revealed that the young man encountered financial difficulty during his stay in Barbados and he had ended up lost, disoriented and wandering on the beach after leaving quarantine. When contacted, his family in Trinidad were unaware that he had left the country. It was also confirmed that he suffers from mental illness and was without his medication. On hearing the news, his family became distraught, knowing that they lacked the financial resources to help him return home or even pay for his accommodation on the island.

After days of calling and emailing officials in both Barbados and Trinidad, Goodman and Rollocks were able to get assistance for the young man on a repatriation flight to Trinidad on Caribbean Airlines. Goodman was also able to secure the necessary assistance from Trinidadian officials to ensure that he received the requisite treatment on arrival in Trinidad, per the COVID-19 protocols.

“What is so beautiful about this is that neither Renata nor Richard brought this to our attention at the Bank,” explained Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Sophia Allsopp. “Instead, it was a senior official in Trinidad who was so impressed with Renata’s fervent efforts to help this gentleman during a time of major crisis, they wrote to the Chairman of the Bank in Trinidad to commend Renata on going the extra mile to help one of their citizens. She and Richard took charge of this situation and worked diligently to make sure this young man was taken care of and returned to his family safely. We are exceedingly proud of them. When we say we all have the power to make a difference, this is what we are talking about.”

Both Goodman and Rollocks offered high praises to Kemar Saffrey for ensuring the young man was carefully supervised and well looked after during his stay, and to the Royal Barbados Police Force officers who they say also went above and beyond to assist.

“I must make special mention of Inspector Pearson McConney and Superintendent David Welch,” Rollocks said.

While he admitted that there were other names, Rollocks said, “These two gentlemen really, really impressed me in terms of their diligence, following up and due care and attention. They were genuinely concerned for the young man and his well-being, and always asked if we needed any assistance. They too, through their own channels and networks, tried to reach out to the Trinidad and Tobago officials to assist him in his return and that is not something that they needed to do.”

Goodman also expressed gratitude for the assistance rendered by Behavioural Therapist and Life Coach, Dellison Charles, as well as for the teams in Trinidad who assisted them in realizing their efforts, especially the Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Security and CAL who were all instrumental in the overall exercise. Goodman said they intend to present the officers, as well as Keymar Saffrey, with a small token of appreciation for their help.

The young man is currently doing well in Trinidad and getting the assistance he needs.