Many groups on the island have come together to help the less fortunate during the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some organizations and individuals are manning weekly feeding programs, while others are supplying groceries. One particular group, however, has started something different, focusing on families with young babies in need of milk, pampers and other needs. The San Pedro Baby2Baby Pantry held their first distribution on Friday, April 24th, handing out 60 packages to pregnant women and families with newborn babies.
The handing over of items took place by Caribeña Street from 9AM until midday. Several women, who had been previously identified, gratefully accepted a package with items such as pampers, baby clothing, milk formula, Cereal-Rice/Honey and even prenatal vitamins among others. Main organizers of the project, Conchita Ayuso and Dayrin Almendarez were very happy to have been able to garner enough support from the community to help those in most need.
According to Ayuso, they noticed that a similar program was being done in Caye Caulker and began planning on launching a Baby2Baby project on Ambergris Caye. “We opened our page on Facebook, announcing the project and the support has been great as we have been receiving a lot of donations,” said Ayuso. She said that they saw the need to help those who at the moment are not in a good financial position to provide for their young ones.
The distribution is intended to be weekly and for next week, 40 packages have already been prepared to be delivered. These new packages will include items for babies 2-years-old and above, and as the pantry receives additional donations, organizers are hoping to be able to cater for more children.
How to apply for the San Pedro Baby2Baby Pantry
Visit the Facebook page San Pedro Baby2Baby Pantry – Home for more information. Certain information will be required from applicants including the parent’s and child’s details and what items they need. For those that may not have access to the internet, you can contact Ayuso at 635-8768 or Almendarez at 615-2937. Those who apply will be notified via telephone when to pick up their package.
San Pedro Baby2Baby Pantry thanks everyone who has been supportive so far. They thank the different businesses such as San Pedro Drug Store, Hope Haven, Gil Castillo and Santiago Castillo Ltd, and Sagebrush Church.
Anyone interested in donating to this pantry program can do so by contacting them via their Facebook page or by calling Ayuso or Almendarez at numbers 635-8768 or 615-2937.
