At one of our Corozal Women's Forum Meetings 2 ladies from Corozal Help Age came to share with us what it was all about. It seems these 2 ladies (both over 60 I would guess), are the entire leadership and doer bees of the organization. With $400 USD per month, they pay utilities for the building the Town Council is letting them use until they can afford to build on the land given to them, they provide food & personal items to over 50 shut ins, and they provide transportation for 20 or more ladies to the activity center twice a week, plus any other programing fees for activities they provide. Each time they come they sit around a large table and do crafts while they chat with each other (in Spanish mostly).
They provide transportation to the hospital for Doctor appts and when possible they have a visiting nurse come to do BP checks, etc. Their very modest accommodations has a room set up for "medical". Oh what I would give to have the resources to build them the building they need!! I started spending time there with my crochet projects, getting to know them. Some of them have some pretty amazing stories. One of the ladies was the FIRST Miss Corozal, oh some 40 years ago.
The building they are in is quite run down, always needs repairs and has bats living in the attic, but none of that phases them, they are just so happy to be able to get together, enjoy each others company, and keep their minds and hands busy. They are an amazing group of women and I am proud they accept me into their company.
They are currently in desperate need of more reliable transportation. The one they have breaks down all the time. A friend of mine, Victoria Quinn has been involved with trying to help them secure better transportation. Seems they have a bus that is being donated but they need to raise the funds to get it down here. If you are interested here is the website about it. http://www.devxchange.org/BelizeHelpAge.html
Their dream one day is to have a facility that can house live in residents in need, a real kitchen for preparing meals for their shut ins (not just deliver canned & dry goods). A spacious daycare activity center for elders and a medical suite for visiting doctors to exam patients. Their parcel of land is very close to the Corozal Hospital which is perfect for them.
Their current building does not have a working toilet or running water other than a spicket outside.
They have a stove & a refrigerator and get donations of vegetables, rice and flour that they divide up for the people that come and their shut ins.
You might think these conditions unacceptable, but they are grateful for what they have and they never fail to greet me with the warmest smiles & love every time I visit. What is really unacceptable is the conditions of some of the shut ins they try to help. Bed ridden elders that often are tied to the bed with nobody home to tend to them or elders that "aren't allowed" to go to the activity center because they are expected to be childcare providers for their children, "or they won't get fed" (true quotes). It's not that way for everyone, many have good loving families that care for them, but it has been noted by some of the elder ladies I talk with that say the respect and culture for elders today is not what it once was. In years gone by the elders were the cornerstone of the family, respected as the wise ones. Younger generations sought their advise and discipline was issued from the eldest down. I believe its not so different from the states in that way. So much wisdom and a wealth of love is missed out on because we have lost site of the value our elders bring to the table. Unfortunately, it's not until we are elders ourselves that it is realized.
Tonight when you are nestled in your home with food on the table and loving family surrounding you, say a prayer for those who don't.
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