Mercy Kitchen gets new van

For sometime now the Mercy Kitchen in Belize City has been providing senior citizens with two full meals a day. Breakfast and lunch is either served at the kitchen or delivered to the homes of those who are unable to make it to the building. However, the volunteer service has been hampered by the fact that the Mercy Kitchen has been operating with only one vehicle, which has seen better days. Three years ago, the institution approached the Rotary Club of Belize to see if it could provide them with a new set of wheels. Today, the Belize Rotary Club came through for the Mercy Kitchen. With the help of the Rotary Club of Pembroke Pines Florida, the kitchen now has a new 2000 model van.

Alicia Martin, Director, Mercy Kitchen

“Oh this donation is going to help us in many of our needs as to go around picking up all we need for the Mercy Kitchen, doing some home deliveries and sometimes there are cases where we need to pick them up or drop them, even if it is at the closes points to their home, especially when it’s raining, to come here. So there is a great need because with the existing vehicle we had, it’s very hard.”

Jacqueline Woods

“It was only one vehicle that you all were operating with?”

Alicia Martin

“Just one vehicle, so this will facilitate all our necessities that we need for the Mercy Kitchen, when it comes to food, picking up our vegetable and different things like that.”

Yolanda Crombie, President, Belize Rotary Club

“The project started under President Marcello Coyi three years ago, carried through President Tony Flynn and finally winded up as my presidency winds up at the end of next week. So we are really pleased that we were able to meet a pressing need.”

The three years delay was necessary, so that the Rotary clubs could raise the $37,000 needed to pay for the vehicle. Fortunately the Mercy Kitchen was able to get a waiver on duties, which helped in reducing the overall cost of the van.