Salvation Army & its Food Pantry Programme

There are several food pantry programmes in place by government agencies as well as individuals and humanitarian organizations across the country. The Salvation Army, which caters to thousands of persons, including families, the elderly and children has also been providing an essential service during the COVID-19 crisis.  Today, we stopped by the headquarters on Regent Street where the team had been preparing for the delivery of pantry later this week. And as we found out, even as the Salvation Army has a list of clients that it caters to, it has had to expand to include others who stop by their facilities across the city looking for assistance.

Jonathan Kellman

Major Jonathan Kellman, District Commander, Salvation Army Belize

“We have two pantries—Oleander and Regent Streets. What we are doing is still serving people in the regular way because we have the highest amount of clients in the pantry programme. We had a little problem receiving supplies but now that is working out and I am quite happy about that.  And as the government, the Ministry of Human Development and Social Transformation has come up with the new food assistance programme, we are not a part of that programme, but we still cater to our pantry clients. There is some confusion, but people should be looking at the numbers that the ministry put out there.  There is a distinction between our regular pantry and that programme, assisting especially now the regular clients cause we have a broad base of clients. The ministry is working with our clients to offer the package to them complimentary. That is our clients. Every pantry is now offering to clients complimentary for this period; they have waived the twelve-dollar fee.  People are looking forward to help us. Some people call us on the phone and they say they have packages that I want you to look for some needy people. We have partnered with two groups like that last week because we still have some vulnerable seniors and I try to get out to them. We still continue our monthly package to seniors; it’s another thing that we do internally. A set of senior citizens that we manage that really can’t do much for themselves; we help them out too.”