Hands of Mercy Brings Christmas Cheer to Collet
Christmas is often remembered as one of the most joyous times of year for a child, filled with food, parties, and gifts. But for some children, that is not the case. Amidst the financial constraints and the rising cost of living, many families are finding it hard to provide toys for their children to unwrap this Christmas and put food on the table. In order to alleviate this financial burden and give back to the community, one organization has taken it upon itself to provide wrapped toys for over three hundred children in the Collet constituency.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
This morning, Moses Sulph, head of Hands of Mercy Charity Foundation, stood in the middle of a park in the Collet community handing out gifts to children who may not have received one otherwise. The charity has been in operation for several years, usually handing out shoes, school supplies and personal hygiene products, but this year- it was toys.
Moses Sulph
Moses Sulph, Hands of Mercy Charity Foundation
“Basically we gave out some toys, about 250 toys to kids. We believe in the area since we have realized that the area don’t have much help in terms of having somebody…that I decided that this year, I would do it in Collet again. Right, because there’s a lot of a kids in this area and they, didn’t have anywhere they can go to get toys. Most of the other areas, the kids got toys from the area representative or something, but these didn’t get. So I decided to do it in here and, and I’ve seen last year where two other kids were running tires on a Christmas day and I asked them if they had any gifts and they said no. So that’s why I decided that this year, I will try and, along with some friends, Mr. Haywood, he donated about two hundred of the gifts. I also got another fifty from Mr. Hyde”
Over two hundred and fifty parents and children showed up, ticket in hand in hand, to receive a gift and although Sulph struggled to keep a the outstretched hands of impatient children in check, he emphasized how important it was for him to be able to host a event such as this.
Moses Sulph
“I understand as a child that Christmas is for children. When you are younger, you feel this overwhelming joy of opening a gift or getting a gift on Christmas. And I realize that as a child. Also, they look forward to this. And many of them probably don’t get. So what I decided, that I know it’s going to bring them, even if it’s happiness for the moment. And Christmas is truly about Christ and about giving. And, if we continue to live the true meaning of Christmas, then we would understand that it’s about trying to give all year, but at that time, it is more special to the kids who receive toys.”
The Hands of Mercy organization has been operating in southside communities in Belize City for several years and Sulph states that their reception to him has only grown fonder each time.
Moses Sulph
“This organization, Hand of Mercy Charity Foundation, was started in 2007, whereby our main goal at those time was to give us school supplies, shoes, backpacks to kids from needy homes because of minimum wage earning again. Because those kids are left many times without the proper school supplies and they go to school one book or two books and shoes that are falling off their feet.
So, that was the main purpose of the program at first and then we extended. We go along seeing different needs. So, Hands of Mercy, I am on Facebook, we’re on Facebook. My name is Moses Sulph as well. And I’ve, I’ve been lucky over the years, thank God, to have Belizean Americans who have contributed. Not many of them, maybe five, who constantly stays with me through the journey. And they’re a big reason why we’re able to do this. Not with the toys, but with the other stuff that we do with shoes and school supplies and we need them. We need more of them to get on board. I have traversed this area for many years and other south side areas. And there are some of them who are timid and some who are receptive. Most of them are very receptive. I see that most of them are afraid to come to events sometimes because of different things within the area.But other than that, I’ve gotten warm welcome in this area and any area that I go, thank God, I’ve gotten a warm welcome.”
Britney Gordon for News Five.
