By NINA LAING

Freeport News Intern

As part of its "Save Our Nation's Youth" Campaign, the United Bahamas Prison Ministries (UBPM), which has pledged its loyalty to the advancement of young men since its inception, will raffle off a brand-new house.

Proceeds from the raffle, to be held in June, will be used to build a halfway house to provide young men with skill-training and boarding.

The UBPM, formed in 2005 under the slogan: "Let's Go Get our Brothers," has since expanded its mission of ministering to incarcerated men, to include community members who are adversely affected by having a family member in prison or, have been imprisoned themselves.

President and founder of the UBPM Dexter Edwards said that through the organization, he wants to reach out to the rejected, the underprivileged and those who have lost loved ones to violence.

He said, "the Ministry is geared toward crime prevention and, after (persons) have made their mistakes, it's geared toward rehabilitation to (reduce) the rate of recidivism to criminal activity."

Ultimately, Edwards hopes to build a haven for these young men and he believes the house raffle will be a great way to accomplish this.

Sponsored by Island Chain Investments, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house, located at Freeport's Sunrise Subdivision #41, is valued at $200,000, and has "no mortgage and no hidden fees" for the winner, Edwards told The Freeport News.

Raffle tickets will be sold at $100 for a pair, however, if purchased within the next three weeks, the pair of tickets will be sold at $45.

According to the UBPM website, the raffle is open to Bahamian nationals as well as foreigners with ticket locations in Grand Bahama, including the UBPM Headquarters, Lucaya Shipping and Trading Company and First Caribbean International Bank. Tickets are also being sold in New Providence, Bimini, Eleuthera as well as the United States of America.

The website also states that "in order for the house to be given away as a prize, 5,000 pairs of tickets must be sold."

Edwards said that a minimum of 2,000 pairs of tickets must be sold in order for the UBPM to meet its quota.

If they fall short of that amount, the raffle will be postponed until they can meet the requirement, the website indicated.

The raffle drawing will be held on Saturday, June 26, during a community fair on Independence Park, Coral Road.

In addition to the grand prize, 14 other prizes will be awarded, including a round-trip to Fort Lauderdale, hotel and car included; a laptop; a round trip to a Family Island in The Bahamas; a washer; a refrigerator; and a 19" Flat Screen Television.

Speaking on the Building the Youths of our Nation's Halfway House and Skills Training Centre, Edwards said, "this project is geared toward those youth who are dropping out of school or maybe have graduated without a proper high school education. We're doing a skill training centre to teach them trades like carpentry, electrical, plumbing and also, we're going to have farming facilities on campus."