Hopkins Village Food Bank
Donation protected
The Hopkins Village Food Bank is being established in response to the COVID-19 crisis which has left most of our village businesses shut down and many unemployed.
Hopkins Village is a small Garifuna Village on the Caribbean coast of Belize and relies mostly on tourism, fishing and agriculture. In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis many of our villagers have been left furloughed, unemployed or unable to work due to the State of Emergency. Most villagers live hand-to-mouth and have large extended families to support. The majority of our population is under 18yrs old.
The Gariganu have welcomed thousands of visitors from around the world with open arms, sharing their culture, traditions and foods. They are the caretakers of a UNESCO World Heritage Culture and the international treasure of the Belize Barrier Reef.
The fisherman, artisans, musicians, restauranteurs, souvenir shops, resort and hotel employees (waitstaff, housekeepers and tour guides) dive and tour operators who are now out of work, with empty streets and beaches will rely on the assistance of this Food Bank to feed their families, to stay healthy and safe! Unfortunately the government does not have enough resources to provide for all of those in need and have been slow to respond. The saying, “It takes a village to feed a village”, has never been more appropriate than now.
There are over 700 households in Hopkins Village, and the Food Bank is currently supplying over 400 of these families with staple food supplies, basic cleaning items, and baby products as well as dog/cat food to last for up to week at a time.
In the past month of operation, with private donations from businesses, visitors who have fallen in love with Hopkins Village and its people, concerned citizens, and supporters from around the world, we have been able to distribute over 700 food boxes to date!
In Belize, the State of Emergency has been extended until the end of June, so our work needs to continue. The goal is to provide staple food items for the families in need, for a minimum of two more months. We need to generate enough funds to last for 8 weeks and beyond, as we are also entering our hurricane season. It is important to have a surplus of supplies in case of emergency situations in the hurricane season. Therefore, we are setting our goal a bit higher that our necessary US$16k to get through the next two months with 700 boxes of food distributed each month.
We will be helping to fairly distribute basic food and household items to the most vulnerable in the community in a transparent and long term manner. We have a database of families that are being served as well as any special needs in those families. We also have an open bookkeeping system where donations and expenditures can be made available to donors at any time.
Items we provide on a regular basis: food (rice, beans, baking powder, salt, flour, eggs, tinned meats and veggies, chicken, fresh vegetables, pastas, cereal, sugar, powdered milk, flour), toiletries, basic over-the-counter- medicines, cleaning supplies, household items, personal hygiene products, pampers, and formula.
Any contributions either as monetary donations or donations at the office in the Village Council Building (open Mondays and Wednesdays for accepting donations in person and for distributing supplies) would be greatly appreciated. We hope to welcome visitors back to our village very soon and this food bank will help make that possible. Thank you for your support!
The Hopkins Food Bank was established with the help of US Resident Talbot Gee, Punta Rock Star Aziatic, Mr. Orlando Augustine (Village Chairman), Randy Sanchez, (Office in Charge, Hopkins Police Formation), Hopkins UnCut, Denise McCreary and her crew from Driftwood Beach Bar & Pizza Shack, and Isabelle McMillen of Blue Marlin Beach Resort (South Water Caye) and Kirsty Roberts from Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort.
Hopkins Village is a small Garifuna Village on the Caribbean coast of Belize and relies mostly on tourism, fishing and agriculture. In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis many of our villagers have been left furloughed, unemployed or unable to work due to the State of Emergency. Most villagers live hand-to-mouth and have large extended families to support. The majority of our population is under 18yrs old.
The Gariganu have welcomed thousands of visitors from around the world with open arms, sharing their culture, traditions and foods. They are the caretakers of a UNESCO World Heritage Culture and the international treasure of the Belize Barrier Reef.
The fisherman, artisans, musicians, restauranteurs, souvenir shops, resort and hotel employees (waitstaff, housekeepers and tour guides) dive and tour operators who are now out of work, with empty streets and beaches will rely on the assistance of this Food Bank to feed their families, to stay healthy and safe! Unfortunately the government does not have enough resources to provide for all of those in need and have been slow to respond. The saying, “It takes a village to feed a village”, has never been more appropriate than now.
There are over 700 households in Hopkins Village, and the Food Bank is currently supplying over 400 of these families with staple food supplies, basic cleaning items, and baby products as well as dog/cat food to last for up to week at a time.
In the past month of operation, with private donations from businesses, visitors who have fallen in love with Hopkins Village and its people, concerned citizens, and supporters from around the world, we have been able to distribute over 700 food boxes to date!
In Belize, the State of Emergency has been extended until the end of June, so our work needs to continue. The goal is to provide staple food items for the families in need, for a minimum of two more months. We need to generate enough funds to last for 8 weeks and beyond, as we are also entering our hurricane season. It is important to have a surplus of supplies in case of emergency situations in the hurricane season. Therefore, we are setting our goal a bit higher that our necessary US$16k to get through the next two months with 700 boxes of food distributed each month.
We will be helping to fairly distribute basic food and household items to the most vulnerable in the community in a transparent and long term manner. We have a database of families that are being served as well as any special needs in those families. We also have an open bookkeeping system where donations and expenditures can be made available to donors at any time.
Items we provide on a regular basis: food (rice, beans, baking powder, salt, flour, eggs, tinned meats and veggies, chicken, fresh vegetables, pastas, cereal, sugar, powdered milk, flour), toiletries, basic over-the-counter- medicines, cleaning supplies, household items, personal hygiene products, pampers, and formula.
Any contributions either as monetary donations or donations at the office in the Village Council Building (open Mondays and Wednesdays for accepting donations in person and for distributing supplies) would be greatly appreciated. We hope to welcome visitors back to our village very soon and this food bank will help make that possible. Thank you for your support!
The Hopkins Food Bank was established with the help of US Resident Talbot Gee, Punta Rock Star Aziatic, Mr. Orlando Augustine (Village Chairman), Randy Sanchez, (Office in Charge, Hopkins Police Formation), Hopkins UnCut, Denise McCreary and her crew from Driftwood Beach Bar & Pizza Shack, and Isabelle McMillen of Blue Marlin Beach Resort (South Water Caye) and Kirsty Roberts from Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kirsty Roberts
Organizer
David Krauskopf
Beneficiary
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