Brighter Lives for Panamanian Families is a personal community-support initiative created by Julius and Zoey Codrington, retired residents of Panama. Contributions are voluntary gifts used to support food assistance, healthier living environments, immediate family needs, practical home improvements, and positive recreational opportunities for children and adults in Panama.
Our desire to begin this initiative grew from what we have witnessed within the communities around us. Some families are working through difficult circumstances while trying to provide food, maintain their homes and surroundings, care for their children, and meet everyday needs with limited resources.
Rather than waiting until we had the resources to do something on a much larger scale, we decided to begin with what we personally have.
We are currently assisting a large Panamanian family directly from our own resources. We take the family to a local grocery store where they are able to purchase food for the month, and we also provide a small amount of cash to assist with immediate household needs.
This is where Brighter Lives for Panamanian Families begins—but it is not where we want it to end.
Our goal is to gradually extend meaningful assistance to additional families while supporting a broader community vision centered around food security, healthier living conditions, practical home improvements, and positive recreation.
Food Assistance
One of our first priorities is helping families place food on their tables.
Contributions can be used to purchase groceries and provide practical food assistance to Panamanian families experiencing genuine need.
We believe something as fundamental as having food in the home can bring greater stability, dignity, and reassurance to a family facing difficult circumstances.
Cleaner and Healthier Living Environments
We also want to support families in improving the condition of their homes and surrounding environments.
This may include providing cleaning supplies, supporting cleanup efforts, helping with the removal of accumulated debris where practical, and purchasing materials that can contribute to safer, cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable living conditions.
As resources allow, funds may also support practical home improvements and repairs through appropriate local assistance where needed.
Our intention is to provide resources and financial support for these improvements rather than personally performing work that should be carried out by qualified local individuals or professionals.
Positive Recreation for Children and Families
Our vision extends beyond immediate necessities.
Children and adults also need opportunities to enjoy life, remain active, socialize, spend meaningful time together, and participate in positive community experiences.
Our long-term vision is to support the development of a welcoming indoor recreational facility in Panama where children, teenagers, adults, and families could enjoy activities such as roller skating and bowling together.
We envision a safe and uplifting place filled with movement, laughter, connection, and opportunities for families to create meaningful memories together.
This is a long-term community vision. Julius and Zoey do not intend to personally construct or operate the facility.
When sufficient funding and resources eventually become available, our intention is to contribute funds toward appropriately qualified local individuals, organizations, professionals, contractors, or entities that can undertake the necessary planning, development, construction, and operation of the facility in Panama.
Our Initial $15,000 Goal
Our first fundraising goal is $15,000.
This initial goal represents the first stage of a much larger community vision. It will allow us to expand the assistance we have already begun providing from our own resources while creating a stronger foundation for future growth.
Funds raised may be used toward:
- Food and grocery assistance for Panamanian families
- Immediate household and family needs
- Cleaning supplies and community cleanup efforts
- Materials for practical home improvements and repairs
- Appropriate local assistance for home and environmental improvements
- Transportation associated with assisting families
- Positive recreational activities for children and adults
- Initial research, planning, and preparation connected with our long-term recreation vision
The future indoor roller-skating and bowling facility is a much larger undertaking that will require additional planning, professional involvement, resources, and future fundraising.
We do not expect this initial $15,000 campaign to build the facility.
Instead, this first campaign allows us to address needs that exist today while taking thoughtful and responsible steps toward something larger for tomorrow.
Our Role
We are retired residents of Panama, and Brighter Lives for Panamanian Families is something we are personally supporting online as a way of giving back to the communities around us.
Our role is to raise and contribute resources that can support families and meaningful community projects.
When work requires construction, professional services, local operations, or other specialized assistance, our intention is for those activities to be carried out by appropriately qualified local individuals, professionals, organizations, contractors, or entities.
Our Greater Vision
Our dream is simple:
Food for the table.
Cleaner and healthier homes.
Safer living environments.
Greater dignity.
Positive recreation.
Stronger families.
A stronger community.
We believe meaningful change can begin with one family, one meal, one home, and one compassionate act at a time.
We have already begun using our own resources. With the support of others who believe in this vision, we hope to extend assistance to more Panamanian families, support improvements in living conditions, encourage meaningful recreational opportunities, and contribute toward projects that can strengthen community life for years to come.
Every contribution, regardless of size, becomes part of that beginning.
With Gratitude,
Julius & Zoey Codrington
About the Organizer and How Contributions Are Used
My birth name is Barbara Mac Nair Gertman, and I am the same person publicly known as Zoey Codrington. I am the wife of Julius Codrington, and Julius and I created and personally manage Brighter Lives for Panamanian Families together.
Julius and I were married approximately five years ago during the COVID-19 period. My married surname is Codrington, and I use the name Zoey Codrington for my social media, advertising, publishing, and other public-facing activities.
Because of the significant processing delays and shutdowns that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to complete the legal name-change process across all of my official documents. As a result, my banking, identification, and other legal records continue to be under my birth name, Barbara Mac Nair Gertman.
Therefore, when GiveSendGo verifies my identity and banking information, the name Barbara Mac Nair Gertman appears on those documents. This is the same person identified publicly throughout this fundraiser as Zoey Codrington.
Funds raised through this campaign are received by me under the name shown on my banking and legal records, Barbara Mac Nair Gertman. Julius and I then use those funds directly on behalf of Brighter Lives for Panamanian Families for the purposes described in this campaign.
We are already assisting a Panamanian family from our own personal resources. We take the family to a local grocery store so they can purchase food for the month, and we also provide a small amount of financial assistance for immediate household needs.
As contributions become available, funds may be used to support:
- Food and grocery assistance for Panamanian families in genuine need
- Immediate household and family needs
- Cleaning and cleanup materials
- Practical home improvements and necessary materials
- Appropriate local assistance for repairs and improvements
- Transportation connected with providing community assistance
- Positive recreational opportunities for children, adults, and families
Our intention is to gradually extend this assistance to additional Panamanian families as resources become available.
Our longer-term vision also includes supporting the development of a welcoming indoor recreational facility in Panama where children, teenagers, adults, and families could enjoy activities such as roller skating and bowling.
If sufficient funding eventually becomes available for that larger project, our intention is to contribute the appropriate funds toward qualified local individuals, organizations, professionals, contractors, or other entities in Panama that can legally undertake the necessary planning, development, construction, and operation of the facility.
Julius and I are retired residents of Panama. Brighter Lives for Panamanian Families is a personal community-support initiative that we are supporting and organizing as a way of giving back to the communities around us.
We maintain records of contributions received and how campaign funds are used so that we can responsibly account for the support entrusted to this initiative.
