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Secrets of Success in San Pedro

by tacogirl 10/02/2015
written by tacogirl 10/02/2015
Belize Resort

The San Pedro Belize Red Cross host successful First Aid/CPR training and Blood Drive

We all know event planning can be a total crap shoot in San Pedro and no matter where you live. You just never know what speed bumps will pop up along the way or who will show no matter how much you get the word out and where. I always say the right people show up at the party 🙂

Recently appointed Sue Barkhouse and Joann Reilly as co-leaders of the San Pedro Red Cross Health Committee rolled with the punches as they organized their first events for 2015 and survived baptism by fire haha. Both Sue and Joann did a wonderful job from start to finish. Sue is in charge of our quarterly blood drives and Joann will be handling the First Aid/CPR training program and monthly courses. The San Pedro Red Cross, especially Shirlee and I are very excited to have them volunteering in lead positions – it is a big step forward for our organization.

The San Pedro Branch of the Belize Red Cross (SPBRC) first aid training/CPR was held on January 29th at El Divino Restaurant, Banana Beach Resort. Instructors David Sobers and Tina Gill from the Belize Red Cross trained eleven individuals. The Phoenix Resort, Victoria House Resort, ACES (American Crocodile Education Sanctuary) all sent staff. In addition two San Pedro Red Cross Volunteers and two private citizens were also trained. Every time we do a training, this builds the capacity of our island safer and stronger. In addition to keeping track of which businesses have trained staff, we are also tracking where everyone lives. This way we will know which neighborhoods have a high percentage of Red Cross trained people and which ones have less in the event of an emergency.

The San Pedro Branch would like to thank Banana Beach Resort for the use of their facility and providing a low-cost lunch. Corona del Mar Hotel was also helpful in assisting on trainer accommodations. If you would like to join the SPBRC first aid/CPR program and receive training for yourself or your staff please contact info.brcsp@gmail.com, classes are $50 BZD per person plus lunch.

After first aid it was off to the races again as the first blood drive of the new year took place on Saturday, February 7th, 2015 with many residents turning out to donate blood at Clinica Los Pinos, Manta Ray St. San Pedro. As always, we had a lot of prep work leading up to the event emailing over 200 islanders and local interviews. Lighthouse Radio voice spots mainland press along with promotion on Facebook and Reef TV. Then there was the legwork of securing lunch for Belize Blood Services crew, cookie and fruit donations, as well as putting up posters. Thankfully Ultimate Carts and Caribbean Villas Hotel were both able to help us with golf carts.

By Saturday we were as prepared as we could be. Along with our leader Sue, both adults and youth volunteers (led by Wendy Alter head of youth committee) helped make the day go smoothly. They took their places as greeters at the door, handing out juice and cookies as well as collecting donations on the street. I ended up being designated runner and was using Sue’s cart to shuffle people around town to their stations, capture Ramon’s electronic billboards and I even enjoyed a 5 min airport party. Sue even had me go the extra mile to get a pint, after hearing about my message Grant, a regular donor contacted me on Facebook and asked if he could get a lift from someone if they were passing by his area as last time he donated he was a bit dizzy on his bike. As Red Cross, we definitely did not want that and were willing to go to Boca Del Rio to get him.

The healthy turn out of willing donors from 9:00 am -3:00 pm giving both blood and money kept the clinic and street volunteers busy all day. The SPBRC branch was able to collect 30 pints of blood for the Ambergris Caye Blood Bank Reserve to be held at the Belize Blood Bank, Belize City. That blood is stored in Belize City for Ambergris locals or tourists for use on a planned surgery or medical emergency. The monetary donations given on the street totaling $746.50 will benefit San Pedro Belize Red Cross activities.

Our branch loves working with the Belize Blood Services Group as they are enthusiastic, professional and always make blood drives positive experience for the San Pedro Red Cross. It goes without saying, we are beyond excited to be working on having them come back for World Blood Donor Day, on June 14th.

The SPBRC thanks all donors and every one who donated for making this blood drive so successful. A big shout out goes to Ramon’s Village Resort as 14 of their staff turned out to donate blood. Long-time donor and Ramon’s resort manager Einer Gomez was helpful in motivating his staff to come, printing flyers to personally hand out and getting Red Cross blood drive notice on their electronic billboards by Tropic Air and on the Clock tower in town.

Thanks go to all the local business that support the San Pedro Red Cross and greatly help them in building Ambergris Caye into a strong safe island. Los Pinos Clinic, Tropic Air, Ramon’s Village, Ultimate Carts, Caribbean Villas, Bowen and Bowen, El Fogon, Marks Store, Cost Less Store, Marbucks cookies, Ambergris Today, Lighthouse Christian Radio, Krem and San Pedro Sun.

Keep a look out for the information on the next blood drive coming up in June for World Blood Donor Day and remember: IT’S IN YOU TO GIVE!

If you would like to donate blood at the next drive, become a member or volunteer please contact info.spbrc@gmail.com

Please like us on Facebook: San Pedro Belize Red Cross, to show support and stay informed.

belize resort

Belize Red Cross

belize red cross

Hands on First Aid training

family resorts in belize

Ramon’s Village electronic billboard blood drive announcement

belize red cross

Red and White themed cookie donation by Rachel for Marbucks

belize resort

Ramon’s staff checking in with San Pedro Belize Red Cross volunteer Mary

belize resorts

Ramon’s staff checking in with Mary

tropic air san pedro belize

Tropic Air staff are regular donors

Volunteer Belize

Regular donor Grant doing pre-screening

belize resorts

Einer Gomez Ramon’s Manager is a long time happy donor

belize red cross

Some of our SPBRC Youth group

 bellize red cross voluntourism

New health committee co-leader Sue Barkhouse and Branch Coordinator Shirlee Arnould

tacogirl.com

I gave the last pint of the day

tacogirl belize

Inspired by photographer and Branch Coordinator Shirlee Arnould

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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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Delvin Kelly
Delvin Kelly
18:38 22 Jun 22
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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G
22:52 16 Jun 22
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
18:01 08 Feb 22
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
Kristi Palm
Kristi Palm
20:40 12 Oct 21
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
D Zep
D Zep
12:39 01 Oct 21
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
Kelley Adams
Kelley Adams
20:19 21 Sep 21
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
Pamela Nixon
Pamela Nixon
18:36 20 Sep 21
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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Chris S
17:12 17 Sep 21
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
Ty Willingham
Ty Willingham
01:47 20 Aug 21
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
Greg Cox
Greg Cox
18:58 04 Aug 21
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
Katherine Jones
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18:41 02 Aug 21
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
Greg R
Greg R
02:12 29 Jun 21
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
Katherine Carlson
Katherine Carlson
18:46 02 Jun 21
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
Kathleen Ward
Kathleen Ward
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
ksniegoc1
17:45 02 Jun 21
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
Myra F
Myra F
01:30 25 Mar 21
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
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
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
20:01 20 Feb 20
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
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
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
20:58 30 Nov 19
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
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
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
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
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
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
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
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
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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