Newsletter • January 2014 • Volume 4 Issue 1COMMUUNNIITTYYHand in Hand Ministries is an international service organization that transforms lives by sharing life’s essentials with the poor. Belizean Programs include Building for Change, The Outreach Center and Scholarship Opportunities.

Some of the children that attend our Daycare unit, alsoattend our Preschool. Some do Daycare in the morningand Preschool in the afternoon and vice versa. When children are dropped off in the morning at our center,they are first taken to the kitchen to have breakfast, sincemost of them hardly have anything to eat at home, dueto financial strains of their parents/guardians not beingable to provide enough food on the table or none at all.

Our caregivers allow free play with their supervision andalso allow the children to watch educational programson the television until its time for their mid morningsnack, where they get to enjoy some fruits, which is important in their daily diet. An essential part of a child’sgrowth is having lots of rest and therefore we consider itvery important that the children at our Daycare unit getsome nap time as well, to help in their growth and development, until its time for lunch. Our center isequipped with a full time cook that ensures that the children are provided with a balanced diet. They are fedat 11:30 am, after which they are given a bath, their teethare brushed and then they get them ready for theirclasses in our afternoon preschool session for those attending preschool. We thank all those that assist uswith in-kind donations like children’s clothing, shoes,pampers, milk, soap, shampoo, etc. These are very essential for our children at the center and we welcome any of these items.

Lend a Hand . . . Save a Life

A Child’s Day at Hand in Hand Ministries Daycare Unit

HHM’s Local Development and Advisory Committee Meet to Review 2013Belize’s local Development and Advisory Committeeis one dynamic group that supports Hand In HandMinistries works by volunteering their time to helpin the planning of goals and objectives for the or-ganization, in addition to working and supportingour fundraiser events.

This vibrant committee met this January to reviewaccomplishments for the organization for 2013 andplan to meet at a later date to plan for 2014.

Hand In Hand Ministries would like to thank its com-mittee members for the ongoing support to ensurethat the organization meets its goals.

144 North Front Street • PO Box 2187Belize City, Belize

Office Phone 011.501.227.6273Office Fax 011.501.227.1298

Building for Change Component SessionThe purpose of the BFC Education component sessions

on a monthly basis is to provide empowerment throughinformal teaching on life and social skills. Every so often,speakers are invited to do motivational sessions with ourpartners to show them ways they can enhance their livingstandards.January’s session was facilitated by Mrs. Jane Bennett,

head of the University of the West Indies Open Campus inBelize. Mrs. Bennett presented the group with an interactivesession on the roles of the family, which is an area of interest,and it highlighted the diversity of family structures and how each of these has its own challenges and benefits.Emphasis was made that all families are different. Eachindividual in the family will have his or her own unique roles and responsibilities. Mrs. Bennett engaged the group in an open discussion where they were able to discuss thedifferent social problems facing Belize today and thesignificant impacts on the family structure as well. Thesession ended with a group work, where participants were

given the opportunity to discuss hypothetical familyscenarios and how they felt, would be the most appropriateway to respond in each situation. A few representatives fromeach group then shared their ideas with the larger group.HHM would like to thank Mrs. Bennett for taking time out ofher busy schedule to assist us with our partners!!!

Boston College Builds Once Again for a Family in NeedBoston College is one of the colleges that we no longer

consider as a regular immersion group, rather we have apartnership going with this college. Boston College hasbeen doing Immersion trips to Belize for the last 10 yearsand every time they come they build a home for someonein need. This is made possible through their ArrupeInternational Immersion Program, which is designed toempower their participating students to build intentionalfaith-sharing communities. Students learn about thecomplex reality, from a historical, social, economic, politicaland religious perspective, of people from another countrywho struggle in poverty.

In January 2014, they built a home for a single mother withthree children, who have been experiencing difficulty inliving in congestion with too many other people, due tovarious social challenges.

With this new home, the children will be able to live a moreproductive life, after having endured congestion and poorliving conditions. We applaud Boston College for theirefforts in making a difference in the lives of both familiesand students.

Want to help Hand In Hand Ministries but are unableto do so personally? You can help with supplies ofChildren Multivitamins with IRON, since our childrenhave a deficiency in that area. Call us at 2276273 oremail us at maggie@myhandinhand.org.