Foundation offers lifeline to separate N.G.O.s
As we’ve often noted in this newscast, many organisations depend on charity contributions to make ends meet. Today two such groups received lifelines from a local foundation trying to make a difference.
Kendra Griffith, Reporting
This morning the LifeLine Foundation donated just under ten thousand dollars to two Belize City N.G.O.s. The Parents Association for Children with Special Needs (PACSN) received one thousand, seven hundred and fifty dollars, which President Hector Romero says will assist in the completion of a resource centre.
Hector Romero, PACSN
“We have the land almost basically filled, then we have the building almost complete, and after that we gonna start to do what we want to do as our dream for many years now and that is going to happen this year. That will be providing education to the parents and training as well to know how to deal with their kids on a daily basis.”
Kendra Griffith
“Where will you all be located?”
Hector Romero
“We are right immediately behind the University of the West Indies and Teacher’s College. It’s an irregular lot, it’s on a triangular shape. It’s small, but we will are going to be productive, producing kids with disabilities being able to be employed or self-employed. That’s our aim.”
The contribution to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mercy Centre was eight thousand dollars. For Director Celia Usher, the money couldn’t have come at a better time.
Celia Usher, Director, Our Lady of Guadalupe Mercy Centre
“A lot of our funding comes from abroad. That’s drying up, those sources are drying up, so it’s very encouraging to see a group like LifeLine support the centre and the work that we do with our young people.”
Kendra Griffith
“How will you all be using the funds?”
Celia Usher
“It will be used within our youth ministry. The centre works with various groups, but this specific funding will be used for our youths. We have two sets of youths that we work with. One is our high school students, we take them out on retreats, days of reflection. The second group is the juveniles at the Wagner’s Youth Facility. We have a full programme with them where we go out weekly and work with the boys on various topics and various issues, things that we feel they need in order to leave Wagner’s and not return.”
The LifeLine Foundation is a non-profit trust which was established in 2006. Since then, it has donated over sixty-seven thousand dollars to various projects involving children.
Kim Simplis, Founder/Director, LifeLine Foundation
“We have these sessions where we get together as a group, the ten directors of LifeLine and we go through each request and we really look at the projects that these different organisations are focussing on and we sort of have an idea of how much it would cost and so that’s how we would normally do it. Sometimes they ask for more, we give them less, sometimes we give them more because we think they are deserving of it.”
The contributions are made possible through fundraisers organized by LifeLine. According to Founder and Director Kim Simpliss, in 2008 they hope to coordinate more of those events and tonight she is encouraging needy organisations to apply.
Kim Simplis
“For the past three years we have been having two for the year. Our signature which is our black and white charity gala, which is in April, like I mentioned before, and we have another one like October/November. This year we are hoping to have three.”
“I would encourage organisations that are out there who are in need of these fundings to visit our website, it’s www.lifelinebelize.com and there is a funding form there that they can download and it’s a word document, so it’s pretty easy and straightforward.”
Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.
If you would like to access the services offered by the PACSN, please contact Hector Romero at 607-5066. The Mercy Centre is located on the second floor of the convent building on the grounds of St. Catherine Academy.
