Due to COVID-19, there have been shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), affecting doctors and nurses in many hospitals. The students of ABC, along with their families, sought to make working conditions safer and more comfortable for those putting their health at risk by making face shields. On March 28, 2020, the project began with a few students and their respective families. Later, the project expanded with additional help from more families. Most of these students are still in high school, but by devoting their time to the project, they truly showed their desire to help those in need. They learned how to create these face shields by referring to online videos, tutorials, and other websites. Multiple students and families agreed to share supplies, as some materials were low in stock or not available at all. To help others make their own face shields, some of our students created a video to demonstrate the steps. Throughout the project, they carefully considered all parts of the face shields, often changing the materials or the design they were using. Despite encountering shipping delays, they still tried their best with the limited amount of time. They not only sanitized the shields but also packed them to make them easy to transfer and ship. Their prayers over the shields gave the workers a sense of peace and God's love, even when they were "on the battlefield". ABC was requested to make and donate face shields to hospitals across the country. The first initiative came when one of the ABC doctors learned that her friend, another doctor in Texas, was converting scuba gear into protective gear due to severe PPE shortages in his hospital and everywhere else in the U.S. Dr. Tao brought her concerns to the group, and they responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, offering financial and technical support, despite many ABC physicians and medical specialists being frontline workers themselves. The students ultimately took the lead, organizing and delegating various tasks as well as other projects. As of today, ABC has shipped face shields to Texas, Pittsburgh, and New York. In California alone, ABC has donated to the Scripps Medical Center, Kaiser South Bay, Torrance Memorial, Kaiser Anaheim, Kaiser Garden Grove, Anaheim Regional Hospital, UCI (intensive care unit, cardiology, MICU, dialysis), St. Joseph Hospital, and Los Alamitos Unified School District (for their mandatory daycare workers). Following this, ABC will be making and sending face shields to Uganda as the country begins to see a surge in COVID-19 cases. (written 5/30/2020)
Due to the country's closure to prevent the COVID-19 crisis and the significant percentage of its GDP derived from the tourism industry, many of the villages that the ABC medical mission team visits annually suffer from severe unemployment and a lack of ability to purchase food and basic necessities. With a unanimous vote, ABC started donating money regularly to purchase food for Seine Bight Village, distributed by the village council. The money came from previous donations by ABC team members as well as friends and supporters of ABC, initially intended for the purchase of medications and medical supplies for the 2020 medical mission trip. However, since the trip was canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis, the unanimous decision was to use this money to address the urgent need for food this year and fundraise again in the future for the next medical mission trip. (written 5/30/2020) Updates: October 2020 Belize reopened its borders on October 1st, 2020. However, due to the ongoing global pandemic, businesses remain idle, and the country continues to suffer economically. ABC continues to donate to local food pantries in the villages of Independence and Golden Stream. The monthly food distributions from August to October were generously supported by friends and supporters of ABC. (written 10/30/2020)
Face Masks
In addition to making face shields for various hospitals across the U.S., a few ABC students and families also purchased and donated PPE. They contributed two boxes of N95 masks to Scripps Medical Center and White Plains Hospital, NY, two boxes of surgical masks to Scripps Medical Center and Belize, and hundreds of cloth face masks (some with pockets for air filters) for local nursing homes, non-profit organizations, and Belize. They also made see-through face masks for sign language interpreters. Mr. Andy Te and his daughter Amberyn Te, a long-term member of the Fairmont High School ABC Club before her graduation, continue to support ABC in various ways. Recently, his company, Diamond Gloves Inc., donated 250,000 face masks to Lifesteps Children and Family Services, a large non-profit organization that provides care and services to disabled and developmentally delayed children. These masks will be used by healthcare and social workers who visit family homes to provide urgent and necessary therapies. The organization also has a daycare center for disabled children whose parents are first responders. ABC is grateful and proud to call the Te family one of our own. (written 5/30/2020)
Fundraising
A few ABC students took the initiative and came up with creative ways to fundraise for ABC, despite being in lockdown. One such remarkable student is Alexis Chan, who designed and sold T-shirts to make the best out of the quarantine situation for a good cause. Alexis lives in one of the hardest-hit areas of New York. She chose to look past her own hardships and instead let her light shine in the darkness. (written 5/30/2020)
Ms. Cassandra Diep and daughter Allison Diep made extra face masks for their local community, many of whom in return donated for the Belize food donation program. (written 6/10/20)
Here's a post by Ryan and Evan Ho who also reside in NY on their school website: My name is Ryan Ho. I am a rising senior at * High School. We are living in challenging times with the COVID-19 pandemic and the struggle against social injustice. In order to contribute in my small way, I am offering tennis lessons/hitting sessions for kids of all levels, from beginners to advanced players. I am a USTA ranked player and have played first singles on the boy’s varsity team since the 10th grade. I also have juniors coaching experience as an instructor at the College Racquet Club summer camp. I will be donating all proceeds to two charities: the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF) to advocate for greater social justice and Agape Belize Cure, a student-funded, non-profit that provides medical resources to southern Belize. Please text me at * if you are interested, and feel free to pass along this message. All proceeds from Ryan, Evan and Alexis will contribute to the food donation program in Belize. (written 6/15/2020) Updates: August 2020Alexis Chan made and sold another batch of tie-dye T-shirts and donated the proceeds to ABC. She did this fundraising right before heading out of state to start college on campus. Allison Diep and Ms. Cassandra Diep continue to fundraise for ABC by making and selling face masks. Overcoming difficult techniques and learning curves, Allison now creates beautiful masks for various purposes, including ones designed for easier breathing and others with see-through panels for special needs students. (written 9/1/2020)
Education
Despite the inability of the medical mission team to physically travel to Belize, ABC was able to help educate and raise awareness about COVID-19 via social media. ABC students and physicians began posting information about the coronavirus, the importance of handwashing, protective gear, social distancing, and how to make face masks and face shields. These Facebook posts reached thousands of people in Belize. ABC is relieved and happy to learn that, as of April 16, 2020, Belize has not had any new cases of COVID-19. The tentative plan is to resume our annual medical mission trip in 2021. (written 5/30/2020) 🤍
N95 Masks
Belize's pandemic saw a logarithmic increase in early August. Due to a lack of essential medical supplies, equipment, and personal protective equipment, the morbidity and mortality rates are high, and the spread of COVID-19 is hard to contain, despite citizens complying with social distancing and other recommended preventive measures. This is especially evidenced by the high percentage of frontline workers contracting the disease. After learning about the shortage of N95 masks for healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 testing and care, ABC contacted Dr. Chau-Hui Liu in Taiwan, one of the founders of ABC. After pleading with a NIOSH-approved N95 mask manufacturer about the urgent need in Belize, Dr. Liu was able to secure a shipment of 200 N95 masks every month, totaling 1,000 N95 masks for medical facilities in southern Belize. Donations to purchase these N95 masks were provided by supporters of ABC. (written 10/30/2020)
Natural Disaster Relief
The year 2020 has been particularly challenging, marked by a global pandemic, violence, economic hardship, and natural disasters. Headquartered in California, which has experienced unprecedented wildfires in recent years, ABC has teamed up with another Belize non-profit group called B-BLUE (Building Belizean Livelihoods and the Environment). Many of ABC's students have also signed up to work with B-BLUE, hoping to contribute to a healthier planet.
Gift Baskets for Frontline Workers
In December 2020, healthcare workers continued to bravely battle the surge in cases during the holiday season. To bring holiday cheer and boost the morale of our frontline workers during this difficult time, ABC put together gift baskets filled with handmade cards and bookmarks, pressed flower encouragement frames, gift cards, snacks and baked goods, popcorn, hand creams, and thank you boards for each hospital. These gift baskets were delivered to many hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes across the U.S. To all of our frontline workers, thank you from ABC for all that you do to keep us safe.
Written by Andrea Dao Agape Belize Cure: Giving This Bleak December
With millions of healthcare workers continuing to do their best during these unprecedented times, it comes with no surprise that we, on the receiving end, would like to express how grateful we are for their efforts. The students of Agape Belize Cure have worked together to create gift-baskets as tokens of our appreciation! Our gift-baskets have been distributed amongst many hospitals, the baskets including a variety of chocolates, beautifully handwritten thank-you cards, a letter of our students’ appreciation, and more. We hope that we can end 2020 on a sweeter, more positive note, despite the chaos of this year. As a student who contributed to making these gift baskets, I hope that those receiving them know that I appreciate them and all they do. I write this on the behalf of my peers and am wishing those who read this a happier, more joyful year. To all the healthcare workers who work tirelessly to end this pandemic, and to the souls who feel as if your efforts are futile, please know and remember that the whole world is on your side. We’re here to cheer you on and remind you that you truly are our heroes. Don’t forget that no matter what. Happy Holidays! Stay Safe, and be well.
Superpod Lunch Appreciations
Over a year since the pandemic began, many healthcare workers continued to contribute to the health and safety of our communities by facilitating the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. At the Disneyland vaccine superpod, thousands of vaccines were administered every day, and the student volunteers of Agape Belize Cure wanted to show their appreciation for the frontline workers essential to this vaccine site. In April and May of 2021, ABC ordered food and drinks for the healthcare workers at the Disneyland superpod on two separate occasions. The outcome was heartwarming: our ABC volunteers spoke with many doctors, nurses, and other volunteers at the site, who shared their experiences and welcomed this small surprise during their lunch breaks. As COVID-19 cases fall and our community slowly returns to normalcy, ABC thanks our frontline workers for making this possible. ABC students are inspired by the healthcare community for exemplifying resilience in a time of urgent need.
