Red Cross: We need volunteers!

Following natural disasters, the Red Cross plays an important role in recovery efforts, bringing food and medical care to those most in need. But as I found out this morning, during the periods of calm, the society needs your help.

Karen Diaz, President, Belize Red Cross
?We have actually lost volunteers in the last maybe ten years as volunteering has tended to lose its appeal to young people it was very much the fashion perhaps twenty, thirty years ago but its certainly losing its appeal now. People are now oriented towards material gain so we are trying to get back to roots and get a modest three percent per annum increase in volunteers.?

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
The Belize Red Cross is on a mission. Currently, approximately than one thousand two hundred people are active members and volunteers in the Belize chapter of the Red Cross. The recruitment drive is just one of many initiatives the society hopes to accomplish in its five year development plan.

Similar efforts are underway as World Red Cross Day is being celebrated under the theme Universal Assistance through Volunteering. Sixty two year old Rita Ramos is one the backbones of the Belize society. She got her first certificate in 1959. Today Ramos visits schools to educate students about the work of the Red Cross.

Rita Ramos, Commandant, Belize Red Cross Volunteers
?So we would like the teachers to write to our director whenever they need us because we are always ready to go in.?

During the week of May eight, Belize members will celebrate Red Cross Week. Official activities will include parades, fairs and services. According to President of the Belize Red Cross, Karen Diaz seven principles guides the work of the society.

Karen Diaz
?Well we maintain our independence although we work very closely with government. As auxiliaries in the humanitarian work we make our own decisions. We have our own board of directors. We are certainly not bond by any rules or regulation that may be enforced by government.?
?We certainly endeavour to operate on an annual budget. It is very difficult because we are reliant on volunteering contributions from individuals or cooperation so it is rather difficult. We get a small subvention from the government which helps us with maybe a couple of salaries but other than that we are completely reliant on contributions from the public and private sector.?

In addition to responding to natural disasters, Red Cross projects include feeding programmes, health care and general services.

Karen Diaz
?Financially, we work on a day to day basis right now, and we certainly are trying to get out of that. We have a plan, a development plan that?s in the very final draft for the next five years so we have the accompanying budget requests or requirements for that certainly. We do have some projects that are financed from other sources, maybe from Sister National Societies or from the Federation or in partnership with other organizations such as UNICEF but it is very difficult, it is very challenging.?

The Belize Red Cross has a total of eight branches located across the country and is a partner of the Together We can Peer Education Programme.