Jamaica Plain Teacher Leads BC High Volunteers in Belize

Shawn Ahern of Jamaica Plain, Director of Guidance at Boston College High School, just returned from building a house for a lady in Belize, Central America. Shawn with 12 students and another BC High faculty member, Dr. John Sullivan of the Science Department, spent the first week of their summer vacation constructing a home for Josefina Garcia.

Ahern and the BC High volunteers went to Belize to assist an organization, called 'Hand in Hand Ministries', build homes for residents in Belize City. Founded by two brothers who saw an opportunity to make a difference, Hand in Hand provides simple yet stable housing for people in Appalachia and Central America.

The BC High group began each day with a prayer, breakfast and work at a building site, where they helped to construct a new 16’ x 16' home for the Garcia family in Belize City.

They also visited and delivered shoes to the Hand in Hand Outreach Center, which provides day care and preschool services for children marginalized by poverty and disease. The shoes were made possible by the money raised from the end of the year BC High bake sale and video game tournament.

On the final few days in Belize, they had an opportunity to visit the Altun Ha Maya temple site, tour the Old Belize Museum, rest at the peaceful Caye Caulker beach, and enjoy the rich cultural diversity of Belize at a local Lebanese restaurant.

Boston College High School is a Jesuit, Catholic, college-preparatory school for young men in grades 7 to 12. Founded in 1863, the school enrolls approximately 1,600 students from more than 140 communities in eastern Massachusetts. For more http://www.bchigh.edu