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Our World is Changing Are You?

by tacogirl 07/12/2015
written by tacogirl 07/12/2015
Tropic Air

Saturday, December 5 was the celebration of International Volunteer’s day, started in 1985 by the United Nations. Every year, many nongovernmental organizations including Belize Red Cross, take the opportunity to recognize their volunteers and highlight the work being done.

Currently, 190 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies exist in almost every country in the world with approximately 97 million volunteers. It is a powerful global volunteer movement active local, national and international levels. Each Society works in its home country, guided by the principles of the international humanitarian law and principles of the international movement. Depending on their capacity and circumstances, National Societies take on additional humanitarian tasks that are undefined by international humanitarian laws.

Belize Red Cross

The awards ceremony this year was supposed to be a Punta Gorda overnight event. Unfortunately, that got canceled and plan B for a ceremony at the Radisson Fort George was called into action.

Governor General of Belize, Sir Colville Young gave an inspiring talk. He told us his Buddhist Parable, highlighted the value in respecting one another and encouraged the Belize Red Cross to keep on doing great volunteer work.

Why become a BRC Volunteer?

Volunteering offers many precious gifts but perhaps one of the most important is the simple gift of time. Time spent listening, being attentive and fully present to other peoples needs helps you to become a balanced, motivated and well-rounded individual.

  • Taking time to engage youths and keep them off the streets.
  • Taking time to help people in need by, caring for elderly, reducing poverty and alleviating conflict.
  • Taking time to be a solid role model, encourage and inspire others.
  • Taking time to learn and share new skills.
  • Taking time to appreciate and look to elders for experience and wisdom.
  • Taking time to be thankful to each other often.

The gifts of time listed above benefit both the volunteer and the recipient. As I listened to the volunteers from around the country speak, it was clear that everyone had been enriched by the benefits of their volunteer time. All of them are putting it high on their list to individually and together, make Belize a better place for everyone.

San Pedro Winners at Belize Red Cross Awards Ceremony

We had 3 winners this year. Both Shirlee and I were very pleased that more volunteers are meeting the main award criteria required to be eligible for a nomination with the organization; one year of continuous service. That allows us enough time to see how active they have been in our branch through their accomplishments, activity and meeting participation.

Our World is Changing Are You?

This year’s slogan is a call to action, challenging RC volunteers worldwide to address the challenges facing their communities and beyond, to reach out and make positive changes in their world. All of the volunteers that won awards this year are already off to a great start at actively practicing “being the change” as you will see from their Bio’s.

Health Leadership: Ashty Dennison – Nominated by Branch Chairman Eiden Salazar

A massage therapist by trade, Ashty became a very active volunteer with Belize Red Cross “ San Pedro Branch since she first attended a meeting in November 2014. She immediately became certified in First Aid/CPR. She attended the Volunteer Encounter in 2014 and Youth Camp in July 2015. Ashty successfully completed the First Aid/CPR Instructor’s training in May 2015 and has held several very well received training since then. On November 5, 2015, Ashty conducted training at Washington University Health & Science School located in San Pedro. The President of the school was so impressed with her work that they have requested the Basic First Aid/CPR training be given at the beginning of every semester.

Ashty impressed more than WUSH President and earned this year’s Health Leadership Award.

Outstanding Volunteer: Sue Barkhouse – Nominated by Branch Coordinator Shirlee Arnould

A retired college professor originally from Canada, Sue attended a San Pedro Branch Red Cross meeting in November 2014 after first volunteering at a blood drive earlier that month after a friend had been in need of blood. She immediately stepped up to take on the role as Co-Health Committee leader – Blood Drive Coordinator. Sue has successfully coordinated and hosted blood drives in San Pedro which have been held every 3 months where the average intake has been 30 pints. She has also attended other training offered by the Belize Red Cross and has been ever present at branch meetings and events.

Sue has definitely quantified for outstanding Volunteer for 2015.

Youth Volunteer: Luis Blanco – Nominated by Branch Media Laurie Norton

Luis is the San Pedro Branch Youth Representative. He is an upstanding young gentleman and a true asset to the Belize Red Cross “ San Pedro Branch. He participated the Volunteer Encounter and Awards Ceremonies in 2013, and 2014. Although he is a full-time student at San Pedro High, Luis makes time to attend meetings and recruited other youth to get involved. He volunteered at the 2015 Lobster Festival First Aid booth in Central Park and attended the Youth Camp in July 2015.

Luis is a great role model for his peers and deserved his Youth Volunteer Award.

After party

After the awards were given out a few of the San Pedro volunteers joked with Sir Colville that he was like Santa Clause and everyone was clamoring to get a picture with him.

To celebrate, we were all invited to lunch at the Radisson restaurant. Nothing says “job well done” better than sharing a meal and great conversation.

Here are picture collages of my day from start to finish. I left early on the 8:00 am Tropic Air flight to have some quiet time and enjoy a nice breakfast at Spoonaz Cafe before meeting the rest of the San Pedro Crew at the Fort George Radisson.

Tropic Air Belize

First stop International then onto Municipal

Breakfast at Spoonaz and walking to Fort George Radddison

Breakfast at Spoonaz and walking to Fort George Radisson

Belize Red Cross National Volunteer Day 2016

Snacks, speeches and awards in the Caracol room

Belize Red Cross

Awards Ceremony after party

Tropic Air

We stopped at Caye Caulker on our way back to San Pedro

One last bit

Another great group of people who came together and started a monthly volunteer effort – First Friday Tres Cocos Trash Pick Up. Thanks for all you do to help keep our island clean.

Sometimes you have to look hard to see signs that we are winning the war on trash but they are there. For example, the San Pedro Town Council’s recently placed roadside trash barrels are generally full to overflowing. And the number of trash cleanup events on the island seem to be increasing. The number of local residents on their way to work who shout out “thank you” or stop to compliment volunteers is also on the rise. Excerpt from Robert Hawkins Belize Bound blog – Holy Cross kids join our monthly trash attack.

Below are a couple of aerial shots of our trash transfer station. It should be a mandatory field trip for all school kids along with garbage education so they gain a better understanding of why it is important to use trash cans and pick up litter. I once had a young girl (about 7) tell me that garbage does not matter and that it does not hurt the animals or where we live. This was after I told her I hoped she was going to pick up the lid and straw part of her cup after she was done playing in the sand with her cup.

Trash Transfer Station San Pedro Belize

Trash Transfer station south-west end of the island

Related

tacogirl

Laurie Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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I just returned from my trip to Belize in mid-June 2022. I had been planning the trip weeks / months in advance and... Laurie (taco girl) wasextremely helpful in preparation for my trip. Her intimate knowledge as an expat who was ONCE a tourist, really helps because she is able to share first hand knowledge of how a tourist can explore Ambergis Caye like a "temporary local". An example of this, was she recommended 2 yoga classes for my wife to enjoy while on vacation that we would not have known about otherwise and the class was far better than a class arranged by a hotel, as you get the local experience not a staged one. In addition, she was helpful in providing recommendations for dinner and sharing some discounts she has arranged with local retailers. Reviewing the taco girl blog and reaching out to Laurie is like having a tour guide, but more important a tour guide that KNOWS Belize.read more
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From the perspective of a couple preparing for a permanent move to Belize, Laurie has been enthusiastically helpful in... both answering our questions and connecting us with local resources for our move. Highly recommend you contact her and make use of her valuable services!!!read more
Darrell Moore
Darrell Moore
13:15 18 Apr 22
Laurie was super helpful in providing places to eat, things to do and best yet had ongoing blogs that allowed us to... look back on other places that she pointed out. A fantastic resource for both first time and return visitors of Ambergris Caye!read more
B W
B W
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Fantastic service .I needed to find a place where I could buy a local sim card as my UK sim doesnt work in belize and... Tacogirl put me on the right path .Decided to walk across town and discovered so much more in beautiful San Pedro.Many thanks.BWread more
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We have been using TacoGirl for what feels like decades when planning our trips to Belize! It has only been a few... years but she is the first place we stop to see what is happening in our favorite vacation spot. She knows all the best spots to get away and do so many fun things - whether it is relaxing or exploring! We are planning our next trip with our twins and she was the first person I reached out to. Knowing we have a resource like her, makes trip planning a breeze!read more
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Found tacogirl while doing some research on an upcoming trip to Belize. This is the place for all the information you... need to plan your vacation. Incredibly helpful and responsive. I sent an email with lots of questions and received a very quick and detailed response that helped us finalize our plans.read more
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Kelley Adams
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We have been following TacoGirl for years now and before booking any trip to San Pedro we check to see what is... currently happening. We love the emails to let us know when a new blog has been posted. Keep up the great work Laurie, we feel like we know you.read more
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I first got my Passport in 2012 and Taco Girl was my first connection back then Great then and Marvelous Now! She's... blossomed and developed into a wonderful contact for any and all information Belize. She goes above & beyond to respond with information that you need whether visiting Belize or relocating! I wasn't able to fund the move then but now that I have much more equity I am doing it.This time she was the 1st person I reached out to! Now I am selling and moving to Belize. She responds immediately! Like I do in my Pet Sitting Business! I was so impressed I followed her all this time. And was not disappointed!Pamela Nixonread more
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Wanted to give a shout-out to tacogirl belize for helping us! She is a plethora of knowledge and was super helpful and... responsive in helping us find longer term stay on the island. Thank you so much for your help!read more
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I've spent the last month exploring Belize. I'm retired & seriously considering moving down to Belize permanently from... the US. I contacted the local San Pedro expert "Taco Girl" to help me get started in finding an apartment to rent. With her help, I've located several places that meet my needs & budget requirements. Thank you Laurie!read more
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I am very glad I found you and asked you a question about a spice in Belize. You helped me figure out the name of it... and where i could buy it. You went above and beyond to help. Thanks again.read more
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I am so grateful for the time and energy Laurie has taken to share about her experiences traveling to and living in... Belize as well as provide thorough recommendations for planning a trip there. I was so thankful (and honestly surprised) that Laurie took the time to respond to several of my questions via email. I highly recommend reading Laurie's blogs and helping to support her business. Thank you Laurie!!read more
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tacogirl was very nice to share her knowledge with us and assisted with planning our trip to Belize; thank you for the... help and info, it was helpful and allowed us to plan utilize our time accordingly while both on the mainland and islands of this great country.read more
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As a Canadian—tired of long winters—I cannot wait to spend some time in Belize. I haven't set foot yet, but I am... yearning for lots of Caribbean adventure. Thanks so much to tacogirl for her endless enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. She is a constant stream of up-to-date information. Her knowledge and love of the area is priceless, and I will need her expertise for future endeavours!read more
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18:29 02 Jun 21
We started coming to Ambergis Caye in 2014 and stumble on to Tacogirls blog, so glad we did! We used her 15% discount... at The Premier Duty-Free shop in the airport! It worked great all we did was let them know we read it on her blog . She has great information awesome pictures, we have tried several places she has recommended, all were amazing. Highly recommend reading her blog. Kathleenread more
ksniegoc1
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It was my first time visiting Belize and San Pedro so naturally I had a ton of questions when it came time to planning... the travel. Taco Gril's blog was an invaluable source of information for all the travel questions in Ambergris Caye. I was able to learn a lot of basic information, as well as many tips and tricks. In addition when I reached out to Taco Girl for advice on finding a local photographer and a restaurant recommendation, she was very quick to respond and gave me many helpful suggestions. She also provided a lot more information from a local's point of view, which was much for valuable than than a typical guidebook. Thanks to her helpful suggestions we were able to celebrate my daughter's birthday at a nice restaurant, and had a great photo family session with a local photographer. I'm very thankful for all her resources and knowledge.read more
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I started coming to San Pedro Belize in 2007 and that is when I met the online presence of Taco Girl. Her blogs on the... island and area are very personable and informative. She gives out promo codes from time to time so watch out for those. You cannot go wrong with someone who was a tourist and now lives here for quality info. Thanks Taco Girl for helping make my trips memorable!read more
Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
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Carol Taylor
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Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton!I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
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Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice... to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
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I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
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I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local... information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
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I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
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William Jones
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Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do what... everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
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Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
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Michael Rieck
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Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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Belize Blog Est. 2007

belize travel specialist

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation. If you have any questions or want Belize help planning and booking, please feel free to contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

A few childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age. Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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