At Grand Baymen, we firmly believe that finding ways to meaningfully give back to the community that we call home is one of the most important aspects to be a successful developer.
This sense of corporate social responsibility is deeply rooted in our parent company, ECI Development’s core values and is one quality that we will continue to promote in our future developments both in Belize and throughout Latin America.
Living on an island, one of our main concerns is the protection of our reef and the beaches. In order to help keep our beaches and reef clean, Grand Baymen organizes regular beach and road clean-ups in and around our property. The proper disposal of garbage is one of the largest threats to the fragile ecosystem of our reef, and proper disposal of garbage continues to be an island-wide concern. Through these organized clean-ups, we hope to inspire our neighbors and community members to act responsibly. Most recently, Grand Baymen was the recipient of a recycling bin. This is a new island wide initiative to reduce the number of plastic bottles that get tossed in the trash or simply on the side of the road, and instead the bottles are sent to Belize City where they are processed into blocks for construction. Currently, only plastic bottles are able to be recycled, but the folks behind this initiative hope to eventually expand to other commonly recycled items.
In addition to caring for our natural environment, Grand Baymen understands the importance of enriching the lives of the people who make this island such a wonderful place to live. One of the longest standing relationships Grand Baymen has is with The Living Word Church, located just down the road from the Grand Baymen Gardens. Every year The Living Word Church holds a holiday Toy Drive for children in the community who might otherwise not receive a gift at Christmas. In recent years, through generous donations of property owners, employees, and shareholders, we have been able to provide funds totaling more than $15,000 USD to contribute to Pastor Ian’s efforts to give back to the community.
Another one of Grand Baymen’s ongoing initiatives is our “Pack for a Purpose” campaign where visitors are encouraged to fill extra space in their suitcase with school supplies such as notebooks, pencils, crayons, and basic first aid supplies to donate to the students and teachers at The Holy Cross School. The Holy Cross School is located in the San Mateo neighborhood of San Pedro and was noted by the Belize Red Cross as the most vulnerable community in all of Belize. Many of the children who attend Holy Cross do receive financial assistance to cover the cost of their school fees and uniforms, however the added burden of having to bring their own supplies can be too much for many families. In recent years, Grand Baymen guests and owners have donated over 75 pounds of supplies.
Grand Baymen has also made meaningful contributions to other local organizations including the donation of security cameras for the SAGA Humane Society, a $200 donation to the SHINE (Shaping Healthy Identities through Nurturing & Empowerment) organization for every condominium sold in our Explorer Building, as well as regular contributions to the Samuel Haynes Institute for Excellence in Belize City through activities such as silent auctions at Discover Weekends.
As we continue to grow, we are committed to continuing to give back to other organizations here in San Pedro in hopes of creating a better and brighter future for all who come here. If you are coming to San Pedro and want to get involved in the community, please reach out to our director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Betsy Rosenlund (betsy@ecidevelopment.com), to find out how you can help.
Planning to come to Belize soon? Pack for a purpose! Click here to see the current list of items needed by the children at the local schools.
ECI Development delivers affordable luxury residence and resort communities in Central America, providing our clients with various premier lifestyle options from the Caribbean to the Pacific. ECI delivers inspired residences for adventurous souls.
Coupled with over 20 years of inherent corporate social responsibility in the communities where we work, ECI Development is building a sustainable business that is going to be around for the next 100+ years.