At a market value of about one hundred thousand dollars it is certainly a big donation but the 500 wheelchairs handed over today to CARE Belize will be even bigger as tools for Belizeans who need a wheelchair.
This is the second year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints donated a shipment of wheelchairs as part of their 'making the blessing of mobility a reality' program. At a handing over ceremony this afternoon to CARE Belize Reverend Bobby Lynn Porter told us why they helped this time around.
Rev. Bobby Lynn Porter
“The church could see there is a need for people that need mobility and I don’t know how many chairs were brought in last year but it was a trial and they were distributed and they have been used very much by the people that needed them. So we decided that we wanted to do this again.”
Leonel Allen, Church Administrator
“We saw a good response last year and a lot of people were still needing wheelchairs so CARE Belize contacted the church again and they filled out a form and made a formal request for 500 more chairs. The church had the budget to do it and so the church did it again for Belize. These chairs are for everybody in Belize from north to south. There is a necessity and it is just great to see the gratitude and the blessings that these chairs are for the people that receive them.”
Dolores Godfrey, CARE Belize
“They will be distributed to persons countrywide that have any kind of mobility problems so that they can get around. If we had to buy 500 wheelchairs it would cost us about $25,000 so it’s a big help.”
The chairs are valued at about $200 each. Funding for the wheelchairs came through a partnership between the church and the wheelchair foundation. All 500 will be distributed by CARE Belize countrywide.