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BELIZE CITY, Thurs. May 28, 2020– Despite the financial strain being shouldered by Mayor Bernard Wagner and the Belize City Council as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has carried out another initiative to assist city residents during their hour of need. It is known that, given the nature of the pandemic, the elderly are especially vulnerable during this time, and having to remain isolated only serves to aggravate the issue.

In light of this, Mayor Wagner, in collaboration with his councilors and counterparts, made a donation to the Sister Cecilia Home for the Elderly on Tuesday in an effort to add a little extra comfort to the living conditions of the senior citizens who reside there. Through HelpAge Belize, a donation of fans, pillows, towels, hygiene products and a new seventy-inch television — all of which totaled $18,000 in value— was made to the residents at the nursing home.

While speaking with the media, the Mayor remarked that from the start of the pandemic he and his team have been identifying target groups who would be greatly affected by the pandemic, and they have been reaching out to partners who could aid in providing relief. He explained some of this during an interview with Channel 5 Belize:

“We know that the elderly in our society are the most vulnerable and we felt that the Office of the Mayor and my councilors and some business partners that we wanted to contribute to ensure that health-wise that these people are taken care of…We felt that being indoors, they needed that little television to keep them occupied as well. We included some hygiene products: soap, hand wash, shampoo, towels, wash rags, bed sheets and that sort of thing for each of the elderly that lives at this facility,” he said.

In reference to the donation that was made to the nursing home, Executive Director of HelpAge, Ivorine Bulwer, said:

“These donations will be utilized for the day activities center and more importantly for the Sister Cecilia Home. You may have observed there is quite a number of fans and certainly, the fans are needed; the weather is extremely hot, and so keeping our older clients cool and well-hydrated, it certainly will serve a purpose. I notice there is a large screen TV; it will be helpful cause there are quite a number of programs that can be stimulating and I am certainly thankful that our clients at this time, when there is a limitation of interaction with visitors, they can be occupied.”

The Mayor further shared that it was a privilege to enact this initiative, which he hopes will help those living at the Sister Cecilia Home to be more comfortable as the country continues to battle with the effects of COVID-19.

Feature photo: Mayor Wagner presenting donation

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