B.T.L. employees help families in need

Employees of Belize Telecommunications Limited today reached out and touched thirty families countrywide through their community service project called “Christmas in a Can.” Originally the brainchild of business development executive Sharmayne Cadle Saunders, the company’s over four hundred workers pooled their resources and management chipped in to help make the holidays a little bit more special for the recipients.

Sharmayne Cadle-Saunders, Business Development Executive
?What we were trying to do was to get the staff involved in trying to share part of the Christmas joy get into the sharing spirit and offer. Since we are considered the working class we cold at least offer something back to the community, especially in terms of food stuff to needy families.?

Patrick Jones
?These needy families, who are they and how were they chosen??

Sharmayne Cadle-Saunders
?So as not to cause any problem we had asked Human Development Department to assist us in identifying families based on their database. So they came up with a list of names and they offered the list to us and they also consulted with the families so that we could present the gifts to them.

Patrick Jones
?What?s included in the gift packages??

Sharmayne Cadle-Saunders
?It?s basically canned goods. The entire program was called Christmas in a Can. So we asked the staff to donate a can every week for the past four weeks. The company in their effort also matched the collection. It also has non perishable food stuff also.?

Patrick Jones
?What is the cost of all this??

Sharmayne Cadle-Saunders
?Because we did not want it to look as a company effort rather it?s a staff effort. We did not concentrate or focus on the cost of the goods. We actually tried to maintain whatever the staff could give. Give as your hearts would allow you so that we would have something to say that our staff from BTL had something to give. So we did not put a cost to what?s in the basket.?

A total of nine food hampers were handed over in Belize City during brief ceremonies at BTL’s headquarters on St. Thomas Street. The other twenty one food packages have been sent to the districts for delivery to selected families. The staff and management of Belize Electricity Limited engaged in a similar project, delivering a total of forty-nine Christmas hampers throughout the country.