On March 16, 2023, H.E. Rossana Briceño and Joel Nagel, Chairman of Caye International Bank Ltd., delivered a cheque for BZ$85,700 to the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre (DMCCC). The donation was raised through a charity auction hosted by a local business, Caye International Bank, and San Pedro-based property company ECI Development, during a Presidents’ Week event in Las Vegas.
The Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre is a 24-hour residential care facility for children and youth, which is maintained by the Department of Human Services, a unit within the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs. The centre provides time-limited family care for children in need or that have suffered abuse until they may be reunited with their family or relatives or placed in new homes through a foster or adoption program.
The residential facility currently hosts 68 residents, aged from newborn to 18 years
Commenting on the donation, the Special Envoy said, “We are grateful to Mr. Nagel and the Caye International bank Ltd. for their generous donation. When I heard about the donation, I was extremely happy, as I know we can do so much for these children with the help and support of the community.”
The funds will be used primarily for repairs to the centre’s roof, which was damaged during Hurricane Lisa in November 2022, as well as other repairs inside the facility
Mariana Chebat. Board Member of the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre, said, “This generous donation, as well as what has been raised by the gala event that we held this past February, will help us bring to action the construction of a new DMCCC in Belmopan – to relocate the current one in Belize City and to introduce the foster program linked to the centre throughout the country.”
Nagel, who delivered the cheque along with .E. Briceño, has been instrumental in facilitating a number of donations to help local organizations in the past few months. Through the bank, over BZ$1 million has been raised for ACES Wildlife Rescue, Belize Karst Habitat Conservation, and the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center.
Nagel said, “The Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre does so much for so many orphaned children and we hope that this money will help them in their amazing work. As part of the local Belizean community. it is so important for us to support those living in the region and these fantastic organizations which give so much.” He continued, 1 would like to personally thank each and every person who donated.”
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