All China Federation of Overseas Tiashanese Makes a $100,000 Donation to Belize CitCo
Belize City residents are also benefitting from food items courtesy of the All China Federation of Overseas Tiashanese. Mayor Bernard Wagner and councillors received the supplies and distribution will begin early next week since families who received pantry two weeks ago are running out of food. Here is News Five’s Duane Moody with a report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
A hundred thousand dollars worth of supplies were handed over to the Belize City Council this morning on Euphrates Avenue in the Old Capital. The donation was made by the All China Federation of Overseas Tiashanese and is being carried out in all municipalities. Secretary of the federation, Wallace Zhu says that its members contributed about half-a-million dollars worth of products for this initiative.
Wallace Zhu
Wallace Zhu, Secretary, All China Federation of Overseas Tiashanese
“Everyone knows that this COVID-19 impacts many families and many who have lost their jobs. They don’t have incomes and everyone is suffocating at this time. So we decided to give a helping hand and assist people who really need help. We are trying to do our best and all our out-district branches are doing the same. Today, not only in Belize City, but the Corozal branch, we are also giving out packages of food and groceries. What are included are basic needs: noodles, rice, beans, flour, paper towels, macaroni and cheese, many things—mostly food items where people can feed each other. We are trying to ease the pressure because right now everybody is affected by COVID-19.”
Mayor Bernard Wagner, along with several councillors, was on hand to receive the donation. The neediest of the needy will be given assistance as early as next week and Wagner says that they will ensure that everyone gets, without there being any double dipping.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor
“I’m certain that the people of the city will really welcome it and we have to thank our Chinese business community, who have stepped up to help the situation in the city.”
Duane Moody
“Sir in terms of identifying who will be the recipients of this pantry, talk to us about that.”
Bernard Wagner
“All Belize City residents. It doesn’t matter red, blue, green—all across the city. We will be packaging these items off over the weekend and therefore next week, I believe we could start distributing them across the city. But we don’t play colours; it will be across the city.”
The mayor says that at this time, the pantry issued weeks ago has been depleted and it is a time to replenish the stock for Belize City families that have been adversely affected by COVID-19.
Bernard Wagner
“We did a pantry programme just prior to Easter, our council, to the tune of roughly about fifty thousand and we were able to give out fifteen hundred pantry bags. This again, coming at the end of the month as those supplies for homes begin to dry up, this will augment that again and so help those people at least for the end of month, leading up to the fifteenth.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
