7 News Belize

People Are Still In Shelters
posted (August 8, 2016)
In Friday's newscast you saw Vista Del Mar and Ladyville residents washing out and scrubbing their floors, air drying their clothes, appliances and even vehicles. Well, there are many residents who don't even have a home to clean out. Those people remain at shelters pleading for help. Today we found out just how they were managing and what is being done to help these storm victims.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
It has been 5 days after Hurricane Earl and several residents are far from getting their lives back together. About 85 people are stranded in the 3 city shelters, with nowhere to go.

These families are doing their best to have some clean clothes. And a place to sleep, but there is so much more that they need.

Ingrid Castillo, Mother of 2
"For my baby I would need clothes, I lost my stove, my washing machine, my refrigerator, bed, mattress, everything."

Linesha Garnet, Gungulung Resident
"We've lost everything, we have no TV, nothing to watch, no clothes. None of the kids have clothes, neither does my baby, not even pampers or wipes."

VOICE OF: Kayna Johnson, City Resident
"I could've only managed to take the babies out of the house in the strong wind and we were scared to go downstairs but I had to."

Courtney Weatherburne
"But you're saying that you and your kids almost got crushed in the house."

Kayna Johnson, City Resident
"Yes exactly, we almost got crushed in the house. If we stayed in there 10-20 more minutes, I think we'd all have died. I don't have any relatives over here, all my relatives are in San Pedro."

Courtney Weatherburne
"You're not planning to go over there, you just have to stay here until..."

Kayna Johnson, City Resident
"Until I get somewhere to stay."

For one fortunate hurricane survivor, she got a place to stay and should be moving in her new house by later this evening or tomorrow.

VOICE OF: Gilda Jones, Race Course
"I was renting a room and it got wet so the lady told me it wasn't good for me to live in. I went, and finally their getting a house for me, thank God for it."

But that is not the case for everyone, while Jones got a brand new house, others have to rebuild on their own.

Jaharia Tillett, City Resident
"We are trying to pick up pieces of the boards and everything that's left to try and patch it up to get out of here because I'm tired of being here. I suffer from asthma and I'm already sick so we have to come out of here. No one got in contact with us to try see if we're getting another house so we're just trying to pick up our little pieces and move on. We have to move on anyway you take it."

And the Human Services Department along with BATSUB have been helping these storm victims do just that, to move on to a life of normalcy. Now the department isn't giving away houses but they are renting places for some families to stay, providing warm food and a number of other supplies.

Diana Pook, Civic Education Coordinator, Human Services
"After the storm when they announced the 'all clear' we started opening up kitchens so we had St John's Anglican School kitchen, the Central Assembly of God Bible School, we also had West Side Assembly open and they did some soup for us on that first day. After that we started to work along with the BDF and BATSUB. From then on they started cooking breakfast, lunch and super for the shelterees. We also had assistance from the Indian community, they did lunch yesterday for all the shelterees. Their also looking at how they can assist the shelterees that have been displaced to bring them back to some normalcy. The department of human services is also making assessments for all the shelterees, looking at their needs and how we can put them back or re-integrate them into their homes or something close to that. We can't promise them anything big but at least we can help them with some renting for now and see how we can help them get that assistance that they need at this moment. We've provided shelterees with mattresses, we've given them water, besides the cooked food we also give them some food packs that they can have with them. They've gotten hygiene kits thanks to UNICEF."

Major Andy Downey, Deputy Commander, BATSUB
"We feel really happy that we can help the Belizeans. I've been here just over 15 months myself and I've helped out last October in the floods with the tropical depression so we've got the hang of it now and we've put it into our source of order so we know in the future how can help and help better each time."

Now these resident couldn't be more grateful for that help, but they are calling on anyone in the public to assist as well.

Linesha Garnet, Gungulung Resident
"If we didn't get mattress from human services, we would've had to sleep on the hard floor. I want to ask anyone out there to just try to support us. My phone number is 637-0658, my uncle's number is 626-5483, you can contact us at those 2 numbers if you want to give any help, clothing, pampers, anything will be accepted."

The Human Services Department says that if any organization or agency would like to donate food or other supplies to give to these residents, they can call 227 3898. For those of you who would like to get in direct contact with the survivors you can call mother of 6 , Kayna Johnson at 605-4232, she is at the St. John's Vianney Shelter, as you heard in the story you can call Linesha Garnet at 637 0658. She is an 18 year old Gungulung mother of 1 and she is staying at the St. Luke's Shelter. And you can contact Ingrid Castillo, a mother of 2 at 631-7229. She is also at the St. Luke's Shelter.

Countrywide, there are a total of 170 persons in shelters: 91 in Belize City: 16 in Teakettle, 31 in St.Matthews, 28 persons in Hattievile, four in San Carlos, Orange Walk.

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