It is a group comprising ten women who want to make a Belize a better place for children and today the Lifeline Foundation put its money where their mouth is. This morning the foundation donated $30,000 to the Alliance Against Aids and Hand in Hand Ministries. It is fifteen thousand dollars each and both charities say it will be used in their outreach efforts to needy children and children affected by HIV and Aids. Kim Simplis is the founder of Lifeline and she says the money was raised at a black and white gala held earlier this year.
Kim Simplis, Founder - Lifeline Foundation
"Earlier this year we had a fundraiser, a black and white charity gala, which is our signature. Last year we had one and this year we had one and we basically funds for children living with Aids and those affected by Aids."
Mark Thessing, Hand in Hand Ministries
"This money is going to be of great use for the center. One of the challenges that we face at the center is that we have children that actually come there that are enrolled as well as an outreach aspect of what we do. So one of our focuses is actually going into the home, making sure the children take their medication, make sure they are eating properly, make sure their parents know how to treat and work with their children, and so outreach is very important for us.
So the money that we receive today is a huge step forward for us and we are going to use it to actually buy a couple scooters for us to go mobile to the population that we really need to address as well as set up a scholarship for some of our clients who want to go back to St. John's Extension and further their studies because we are trying to work with the whole family."
Rodel Beltran Pererra, Alliance Against Aids
"This kind of financing is going to assist us in providing the kind of help and assistance to the family members but especially to the kids and children who are HIV positive that need medication, vitamins, hopefully some help with some school supplies and to keep them healthy and there are very essential things that we are able to provide to them and their families in this area so we are very pleased that Lifeline Foundation has come forward, a wonderful group of women to assist us in this area with our adolescent and children who are HIV positive."
Keith Swift,
Why do you guys care, why do you guys do donations like this? What is the motivation?
Kim Simplis,
"Good question, we want to help children, all children in our community. That is our focus, children that have been abused, abandoned, neglected, in any way that we possibly can. It just so happens that this group, this good group of ten ladies have the same vision which is to help children and it came about in such a lovely way and we're here doing this."
The Lifeline Foundation also made a small donation to the Parents Association of Children with Special Needs.
