The St. Stephen’s Church community will be returning to Holy Cross Anglican School (HCAS) in 2024!
You are invited to join the team as they back head to HCAS in Belize. The group will be led by parishioner Jim Bizal who has taken 20 mission trips to the school. St. Stephen’s Church has a long history with HCAS having taken youth and adults on annual trips nearly every year since the school was founded in 2006.
Our work on the trip often includes maintenance and repairs to the school and working on the House of Grace. We also get to spend time with the staff and children making lifelong connections.
2023 Outreach Dollars at Work
We had a highly successful trip in January of 2023 with 12 people working at the school.
The St. Stephen’s Outreach Committee committed $25,000.00 to the school. We also did a
fundraiser for our trip and raised enough money to purchase the following items for the kitchen at the
school: Chest freezer, 48” Commercial Range, Ninja Blender, Microwave, Ceiling fans, and New paint
and electrical throughout the kitchen.
See photos of the 2023 trip here
TRIP DETAILS
TRIP DATES: Saturday, January 20th – Saturday, January 27th, 2024
TRIP COST: The approximate cost of the trip is $2,700 which covers airfare and hotel expenses.
Interested in learning more? Contact Jim at (952)-649-1525 or jim.bizal@bizalbuilt.com
ABOUT HOLY CROSS
HCAS is a PreK-8 school funded entirely by private contributions to meet the needs of the poorest children in the San Mateo and San Pedro communities on the island of Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize. HCAS was founded in 2006 by Vernon and Francis Wilson, Episcopalian missionaries to Belize.
The school was built in the saltwater swampland that was donated by the government. Outside of the land and teachers’ salaries, all other costs have been covered by private donations and borrowing. The school opened in the fall of 2006 with 62 students. In the fall of 2021, there will be approximately 460 students enrolled in 9 grades. It is the only school in the area that does not require students to pay tuition. The annual operating budget is $200,000 before maintenance and improvements.
