The Ladyville and Lord’s Bank Villages COVID-19 Committee Kicks Into Action
The communities of Ladyville and Lord’s Bank have not been exempted from the impacts of COVID-19. A large number of residents work in some way in the tourism industry which has all, but collapsed rendering them jobless early in the crisis. The leaders have set out to put in place a plan to mitigate the effects of the loss of income to families. Today, we learnt how the community is coming together to help those who are in need. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The village councils from Ladyville and Lord’s Bank are teaming up to bring relief to residents who have been left jobless and severely affected by COVID-19 crisis. Combined, the villages have a population of about twelve thousand persons and a great number of them have been displaced due to the collapse of the tourism industry. While G.O.B.’s COVID-19 Unemployment Relief Programme is underway with disbursements, the village leaders decided to put politics aside and work to provide those most needy families with basic food supplies.
Terry Gordon
Terry Gordon, Former Chairman, Lord’s Bank Village
“It’s the brainchild of a former chairman of Ladyville, Mister Mike Ortiz and the current chairman, Mister Bernardo Bennett. I got a call from them a couple days ago and that they are putting this all together. I guess they are living up to what the late great JFK said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. And so they were tired of just being on the sidelines and do something other than what G.O.B. and M.O.H. are doing right now for the people and so that’s the reason for this.”
Flour, sugar, rice and beans are among the staples that were distributed starting today. Chairlady Sharlene Sankey of Lord’s Bank says that they’ve been on the ground in their respective villages and families have already been identified as recipients given their income status.
Sharlene Sankey
Sharlene Sankey, Chairlady, Lord’s Bank Village
“The impact is serious for some of them because when it is time for them to go to Belize to try and work, they say that they cannot pass. With me, I look out to see who all have their income still coming and who do not have. So right now we are looking at the people who do not have an income to try and suffice them with food for their family.”
Bernardo Bennett, Chairman, Ladyville
“One of the areas that really affected us in Ladyville is the international airport. We have hundreds of persons who work at that airport, who live in Ladyville, who are off like a month of so. So I have been getting calls over and over, people asking for assistance. They apply for the financial grant, they apply of the food assistance but that’s kinda slow.”
Ladyville Chairman Bernardo Bennett says that there is more help coming in the form of assistance from the Ladyville Chinese Business Community.
Bernardo Bennett
Bernardo Bennett
“I have to commend the Ladyville Chinese Business Community who have pledged to us that they will be providing three hundred to three hundred and twenty-five baskets every week starting next week. So we will be having a meeting next week Tuesday to decide and try to iron out the logistical part, organizing of it; how it will be distributed. And we are looking at a per house basis because some people who we might think noh need, some of them won’t come out and ask, but we know the situation is dire and we don’t know how long this COVID-19 situation will be around so we decided to put politics aside and make this be a community and bipartisan effort.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
Anyone who would like to assist financially can make deposits at Atlantic Bank account number 100-125-375 or Heritage Bank account number 9141319.
