HelpAge Belize centres countrywide just got a little sunnier. That's after a Norweigan Cruise Line donation of over a hundred covered beach chairs for residents to lounge in.
It's a bit of luxury that personnel nationwide believe these golden years citizens deserve after a long life of service to the nation.
And this morning our 7News team headed to the Sister Cecelia Home for the elderly in Belize City where staff and volunteers got to try out the luxury items. Here's more:
Bryan Umpleby, Island Director, harvest Key
"So, we had a few extra hundred beach lounge chairs that we no longer needed as we had gotten new ones, um, and also a few calm shells I think around 76 clamshells, beach clam shells, um, that we no longer needed but they are all in good condition still. They just weren't at the level of five stars that we need for our guests from the Cruise ship, um, so we offered to donate them to helpmate to help and yeah."
Cherisse Halsall
"How do you imagine that these lounge chairs will increase the quality of life of these senior citizens?"
Bryan Umpleby, Island Director, harvest Key
"Well, I believe it might help to get them more outdoors, um, get them in the sun and fresh air that kind of stuff."
Evan Dakers, Chairperson, HelpAge Belize
"Since I have become chairman this is the second large donation that they have assisted us with, the first one was a couple of years ago which consisted of mattresses, right? Now, these are lounge chairs and tents and when I saw the pictures I immediately felt well this is going to be relaxation mode for us in particular those two homes, the Octavio Waight centre in Cayo and Sister Cecelia because these are people that basically spend a lot of time relaxing, and these are chairs that you can really just relax. I mean you are familiar with those chairs on the beaches, right? In addition to that they come with tents so even if it was a sunny day, they can just pull the tent over and you can take their nap, so I think in terms of quality of life it does help in terms of giving them that peace and quiet that many of them deserve."
Again, the lounge chairs were donated to HelpAge centres nationwide.
