MAMCO Rescue as founded 2017 by Aron Jones. Prior to starting the rescue, Aron spent 15 years teaching high school and college aged students in the Denver area. Aron has always had two passions, helping young people and helping dogs. Through the rescue she has been able to accomplish both goals. With a variety of student based volunteer opportunities and over 12,000 dogs saved, MAMCO Rescue has been able to make positive changes in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

In early 2020, Aron was invited on a trip to visit Hopkins, Belize. During this visit, Aron fell in love with the people of Hopkins. The warm smiles, friendly people, and the wonderful children touched her heart, so it was no surprise that when she met Brenton, a young tour driver, and learned that education was not government funded for students, she felt the call to action. Immediately after returning to the states Aron applied to start a new non-profit that would work to benefit the children of Belize through educational scholarships. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world just a month later and she was stuck and unable to complete the project she had set out to begin.

Aron and her family were able to visit the area several times between 2020 and 2022, and like Aron, her husband and children fell in love with Belize. However, the non-profit status of the second organization had lapsed at this point, so it felt as though they would be starting from scratch, but during a visit in May of 2022, Aron learned that the Hopkins Humane Society had moved to Hope Creek, which placed a lot of the local dogs in need of preventative treatments and spay and neuter services. She decided that there was no need to create a new non-profit, when the Belize project would so closely resemble the existing rescue organization. She could simply extend the mission and the reach of MAMCO Rescue to include Stann Creek.

During that visit Aron decided to take the plunge and purchase a plot of land in Sittee River Village. She and her husband are not wealthy people by any stretch, so they cleaned out their savings in order to secure the sale. Then upon returning home they began selling their belongings in order to finalize payment and purchase the property. The initial plan was to move to Belize in 2024 and start the project, but Aron’s heart ached. After serious prayer, Rob and Aron decided to sell their home in Colorado and move to Belize. The rescue in Colorado is now almost entirely run by the young people that Aron has mentored over the years, and her skills would be more beneficial in Belize.

Aron and Rob now live in a tiny 380 square foot home in Sittee River Village with their five dogs. They have made baby steps in starting the humane society, but were able to award scholarships for students attending school in the 2022-2023 school year. The human society is a developing project and should be up and fully functional by May 2023.

A Word from Aron Jones

Every time I have visited the Stann Creek area I have been blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people, especially the children. The thing that has distressed me the most is that so many young people are unable to attend school because they cannot afford to do so. A lack of education holds them back and keeps them trapped in a cycle of poverty, which is unacceptable to me. I see so many EXPATS moving to the area, which helps the economy as a whole, but it also drives up prices and causes the local people to be in an even tougher position financially. So you see a huge division of wealth, and I believe that education can help to empower these young people to create businesses of their own and to move up the financial ladder.

I do want to clarify that I am not here to change Belize into America. I love the culture, even though I have a lot to learn about how things work, and I do not want that to change. What I want to see is Belizean people creating changes that benefit their families and their cultures, not solely concentrating on benefiting immigrants and their needs. Education is the first step in creating this kind of change. I also love the dogs, and want to make sure that they are able to get the care they need.

As a former teacher I have a lot of skills that I can impart to the young people in the area, and I would love the opportunity to do that. When I see the kids and speak with them, I see young leaders! I was told by a local that no matter how hard I try I will never be one of you. I thought about that statement for a long time because it was delivered as a warning of sorts, but I choose not to perceive it that way. I am okay if I am never considered to be one of you. I didn’t grow up here and will not pretend that I understand the challenges you have faced, the cultural expectations, or how things work, but I would like to learn. Just as I have knowledge to impart to the young people, you all have so much knowledge to impart to me. If you’re willing to share, I am willing to learn.

Stann Creek is a hidden gem, and my heart lives here now. All I want to do is help. I am not a rich person, but I am also not afraid of hard work and meeting challenges. I look forward to working with all of you!