Building Homes in Haiti

Alabama Man Builds His Business, Builds Homes for the Poor

	One hundred soccer balls and 50 bicycles also were distributed to the children in the village.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 29, 2015)  Alabama homebuilder Rob Owens has built VTS Homes, Inc. from the ground up, and in doing so has kept his promise to provide homes for the destitute in Haiti. Owens was recently named a ‘40 Under 40’ winner by Professional Builder magazine for his accomplishments and charitable efforts through the charity Food For The Poor.

With the support of his company, located in Huntsville, and business partners David and Todd Slyman, Owens has built 18 concrete block homes in LaHatte, Haiti, providing more than 100 people with a secure place to live.

“I've seen the transformation firsthand when I visited LaHatte in June 2013, and it's real and permanently life-changing for those we are able to serve,” said Owens.

A graduate of Marquette University, Owens is married and is the father of two. He started his first company at age 22. He founded VTS Homes in 2010 during the housing downturn with virtually no capital and only one pre-sold house, but grew the company to more than $6 million in revenue in two years.

Also in 2010, Owens reached out to Food For The Poor after seeing a news story about the work the organization is doing in Haiti. That was when Owens and his partners decided that for every home VTS sold, they would make a donation to build homes in Haiti.

“LaHatte is located just north of the city of St. Marc and is in a section of the country that’s not easy to navigate. Life in Haiti can be difficult, but life in LaHatte can be especially brutal, due to the arid condition of the land,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “The gratitude of the families who went from living in mud thatched huts to a solid home with an inside bathroom and kitchenette is beyond any words I can express. Food For The Poor is extremely thankful to have donors like Rob Owens, who have decided to share the blessings of their businesses to help the truly destitute.”

The first phase of the LaHatte project also included a playground with a merry-go-round, a first for the organization and its donors. One hundred soccer balls and 50 bicycles were also purchased and distributed to the children within the village. Owens now wants to complete Phase II, which is the construction of six additional homes for families within that community.
 
“We ask that others join us in transforming the lives of those in LaHatte and other parts of Haiti,” said Owens. “We only have a short time on this earth and we believe we must make a difference in the lives of those in need.”  

If you would like to make a secure online donation toward the completion of Phase II in the village in LaHatte, Haiti, visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/vtshomes. Those wishing to make a donation by check, please make it payable to Food For The Poor and mail to 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. Please include reference number “SC# 89122” to ensure your donation is accurately routed. All gifts are tax-deductible.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Virginia Parish Delivers Hope

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 28, 2015) – Today, Father Robert C. Cilinski, pastor of the Church of the Nativity in Burke, Virginia, hand-delivered a check to Food For The Poor CEO/President Robin Mahfood for the proceeds from the parish’s 2015 Operation Starfish® campaign.

Food For The Poor’s staff gave a standing ovation to thank Nativity parishioners for the sacrifices they made to change the lives of destitute families in Haiti.

“Pope Francis tells us, ‘To live charitably means not looking out for our own interests, but carrying the burdens of the weakest and poorest among us,’” said Fr. Cilinski. “Today, the parishioners of Church of the Nativity join with the staff of Food For The Poor to recommit ourselves to the weakest and poorest among us.”

“For 17 years, Church of the Nativity’s parishioners have looked beyond themselves to create lifesaving miracles for the poor,” said Mahfood, who was humbled by the generous outpouring of support from Nativity’s parishioners. Mahfood met in early May with His Holiness Pope Francis at Vatican City.

“Nativity has been a blessing to the poor,” said Mahfood. “A house, with access to water and a flush toilet, is one of the greatest gifts we can give a family. This gift will help to bring the people closer to God. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The donation will be used to continue the development of Good Shepherd Village near Grand Boulage, Haiti. This village is the 10th built by Nativity, and it is named Good Shepherd Village in memory of Fr. Richard Martin, who worked with the charity for 16 years through Operation Starfish®. Additional gifts will continue to support existing projects like the St. Anthony Health Center and the Nativity Village scholarship program.

Fr. Martin died unexpectedly last May at the age of 74.

“This year, we began a new tradition; each year on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of Fr. Martin’s passing, we will have a second collection at all our masses for Operation Starfish®,” said Fr. Cilinski. “Thus Fr. Martin and his legacy of love for the poor will be remembered in our parish at a special time each year, with prayer and a tangible expression of mercy toward the weakest and poorest among us.

“As the wicker baskets were being passed Fr. Martin spoke to us,” said Fr. Cilinski. “Remember Haiti.”

Fr. Martin’s legacy already has given new life to the first 40 families who have received keys to their new Food For The Poor homes in Good Shepherd Village. The village will be built out over the course of three years, and will combine the latest technology, construction techniques, and community development programs. The village ultimately will contain 120 houses, solar lighting, a community center, a health clinic, agriculture projects, and a kindergarten. The residents will receive life-skills training to ensure they can take advantage of all the programs offered.

Also in attendance was Father Keith O’Hare, pastor of the Bánica Mission in the Dominican Republic, from the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Va.

Earlier this year, Church of the Nativity also used Operation Starfish® proceeds to support Food For The Poor’s Payen Fish Farming project and Honduras Fishing Boat project.

Food For The Poor’s Operation Starfish® program has five arms of aid to transform the living conditions of destitute families. These programs include food, water, housing, education, and micro-enterprise opportunities.

Those interested in starting an Operation Starfish® program at their parish, school, or organization can visit www.foodforthepoor.org/operationstarfish or call 877-654-2960 ext. 6219. Parishes nationwide also participate in Operation Starfish programs during Lent, Vacation Bible Study sessions, Christmas in July celebrations, Back to School fundraisers, and in preparation for Advent. 

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Ed Buckley Honored

Atlanta TV Station Honors Food For The Poor Donor

	WXIA-TV reporter Jaye Watson presents the award to Ed Buckley. Photo: Poane Studios
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 18, 2015) – Edward Buckley, managing partner at The Buckley Law Firm LLC, has been given the 2015 11Alive Community Service Award by NBC Atlanta affiliate, WXIA-TV, for providing clean drinking water to the people of Haiti.

“Nobody does this by himself, and this award is dedicated to every man, woman, and child who has carried a stone, laid pipe, dug a hole, and contributed a dollar toward bringing clean drinking water to people who don’t have it. I am just very grateful for the opportunity to do that,” said Buckley, Founder and Executive Director of Water Life Hope, during his acceptance speech at the award ceremony.

Since 2000, Buckley and his supporters have partnered with Food For The Poor to drill more than 300 wells and bring clean, safe water to more than a half a million people.

After recognizing the Water Life Hope board members, Buckley offered a toast to encourage others to donate to the cause close to his heart. 

“Everybody, raise your glass of water in honor of every man, woman, and child who still does not have it, and let’s try to bring it to them,” said Buckley.

11Alive News Anchors Brenda Wood and DeMarco Morgan hosted the 40th annual 11Alive Community Service Awards dinner/show taping Thursday, April 30, 2015 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel. Emmy Award-winning reporter Jaye Watson presented the 11 Who Care Community Service Award to Buckley.

“Thank you, Ed Buckley, for lifting a tremendous burden off the shoulders of the poor in developing countries, and for blessing them with the gift of clean, lifesaving water,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor.

Buckley was named an Ambassador For The Poor by Food For The Poor in 2014.

To invest in a critically needed water project in Haiti, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/water-haiti. Click here to view the vignette about Buckley’s mission that aired on WXIA and WATL.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Mother's Day gifts

Be a Child’s Guardian Angel this Mother’s Day

	For $34 a month you can sponsor an orphaned or abandoned child hope through Food For The Poor's Angels Of Hope program.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 28, 2015) – Food For The Poor’s Spring 2015 Gift Catalog has been released in time to help you find the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Photographs beautifully illustrate how the gifts featured in the charity’s gift catalog are uniquely designed to improve the lives of poverty-stricken children and families that struggle to survive in developing countries.

This Mother’s Day, choose to honor Mom by pledging to sponsor an orphan in her name through Food For The Poor’s Angels Of Hope program. For $34 a month, you can serve as a guardian angel to a child in need.

Thousands of orphaned and abandoned children in Food For The Poor’s Angels Of Hope orphanages depend on loving sponsors to provide their basic needs every month. More than 900 children in the program are waiting for a sponsor to give them the love, encouragement and kindness they deserve.

“Your sponsorship will serve as a symbol of hope to your sponsored child, assuring them that they are not alone, no matter what hardships they may have encountered,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “I thank everyone who answers the call to serve as a child’s guardian angel. May God bless you for the joy and laughter your compassion will pour into the lives of these children.”

Angels Of Hope staff members travel approximately twice a month to Food For The Poor-sponsored orphanages. While in-country, they update rosters, photograph the children, deliver mail from sponsors and collect letters from the children to mail to their sponsors. They also meet with in-country staff coordinators, and visit homes who have applied to participate in the Angels Of Hope program.

The desire to alleviate poverty epitomizes the spirit of giving in Food For The Poor’s catalog. Even if you are a student, Food For The Poor’s gift catalog offers meaningful ideas for your special Mom, while remaining within your budget. For $20, you can provide a year’s worth of school supplies, or for $90, you can show Mom she raised a good “kid” by giving a goat in her honor for a family in need.

Because Food For The Poor acquires food in large quantities, you can feed a starving family for just $14.60 a month, or a hungry child for a whole year for $43.80.

Food For The Poor also remains committed to moving destitute families out of unsafe living conditions, and into new, permanent homes. A gift of $3,200 will build a single-unit home with sanitation and give children a chance for better futures.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Annual report

Food For The Poor Releases 2014 Annual Report

	More than 9 million pounds of canned and other life-sustaining foods were delivered to the hungry.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 27, 2015) – Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the nation’s largest international relief and development agency, released today its 2014 Annual Report. Last year, the charity shipped 3,914 containers of essential goods, and provided more than $910 million in aid to poverty-stricken children and families that struggle to survive.

With a grateful heart, Food For The Poor thanks its donors and partners for their 33 years of support, which has transformed the lives of millions of destitute families in the Caribbean and Latin America. By delivering food to the starving, housing for those who need shelter, and providing clean drinking water to the thirsty, the impact of Food For The Poor’s lifesaving work provides hope for the future.

 “The 2014 Annual Report highlights how Food For The Poor’s generous donors have helped to transform the lives of those we serve,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “It is only through God’s grace and your goodness that we are able to distribute desperately needed aid.”

Food For The Poor is a good steward of donations, and strives to strategically use contributions the most efficient way possible. In 2014, fundraising and other administrative costs made up less than 5% of Food For The Poor’s expenses, with more than 95% of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

To watch a video that illustrates the impact donors made in 2014 visit: www.FoodForThePoor.org/impact.

Other highlights from Food For The Poor’s 2014 Annual Report:

• More than 30.3 million pounds of rice, 12.9 million pounds of beans, 9.6 million pounds of canned and other life-sustaining foods were delivered to the hungry.
  
• Fishing village initiatives, aquaculture ponds, fruit tree planting projects, animal husbandry and agricultural programs continue to provide food and income and help to create self-sustaining communities.
  
• More than 100,000 housing units have been built since 1985, with 7,367 built in 2014 alone. The greatest number of homes were built in Jamaica (2,057 housing units), Honduras (1,812), Haiti (1,774), and Nicaragua (1,594).
  
• Food For The Poor continues to build schools, training centers, and clinics, and to support homes for orphans and the aged. More than 430 containers of educational supplies were shipped in 2014.
  
• More than 600 containers of medicines and medical supplies were shipped.
  

More than 900 children are waiting to receive their loving sponsor through Food For The Poor’s Angels Of Hope program. Caring donors to the organization sponsored more than 3,270 children in 134 orphanages in 2014 through the program.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

We love our volunteers

Food For The Poor Celebrates Donors and Volunteers Year Round

	(L to R) Tim Thoman and Maria Thoman wash the feet of children at a Food For The Poor-sponsored orphanage in Haiti, the week of March 16. Photo/Jim Christie
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 17, 2015) – As National Volunteer Week concludes, Food For The Poor would like to again thank all of its dedicated volunteers and generous donors for taking action to improve the lives of destitute families.

“Each year, hundreds of donors travel with Food For The Poor to developing countries to lend a hand, while others donate time, money, and other resources to fundraise for specific causes,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “Their contributions remind us daily that each and every one of us is a part of a global village, where just one person can positively impact the lives of many others in very real and meaningful ways.”

Tim Thoman, President and Founder of Performance Services, is familiar with Food For The Poor’s mission, and has established three villages in Haiti. Most recently, through employer-matching gifts Performance Services contributed the funds to establish a fishing village and water cistern in Gros Mangle, Haiti. 

On March 19, Tim, his daughter Taylor Thoman, and a group of their friends entered the Cap-Haitien prison during a Food For The Poor mission trip to pay the fines of 15 nonviolent offenders.

“We have all heard of Third World prisons, but seeing one is another experience altogether,” said Jim Christie, a Business Development Manager at Performance Services. “There were faces pressed against the cell bars and heavy metal mesh fencing with several arms and hands sticking out of small holes in the fencing. The cell was so dense with the faces and bodies pressing against the bars that you could not see light coming through from behind the prisoners.”

Before traveling to Haiti with Food For The Poor, Taylor, a sophomore at Purdue University, helped to design and sell T-shirts to raise money to provide meals for the people of Gros Mangle, and to pay the small fines of prisoners in the Cap-Haitien barracks.

The T-shirt design of a mahi-mahi jumping over the island nation of Haiti with the message “casting hope” illustrates the notion that education is essential to eradicating poverty. The back of the bright teal T-shirt is the proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

The money Performance Services raised through T-shirt sales paid the $327 fine to release a 13-year-old who broke a car window while throwing stones with friends.

The young man, who had been incarcerated for more than a month, said, “My parents are unable to come to my aid. That’s why I am so sad. But in the cell of the prison, I learned how to pray. I ask you to pray for me, my family, my friends, especially those who were in the same cell.”

In addition to the gift of presence, here are more ideas of how you can make a difference:  

• Become a Champion For The Poor:
  Food For The Poor’s personal fundraising program encourages donors to create their own personalized web pages for causes close to their hearts. There are ten distinct categories; Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, Graduations, Individual Causes, Group Causes, In Loving Memory, Faith-based, Rebuild Haiti, and Businesses Giving Back.
  
• Involve Your Church, School or Community Organization:
  Students from elementary to college can find creative ways to raise funds through events on campus and within their communities.
• Become a corporate volunteer:
  Get involved in fundraising, and travel to the countries we serve to do hands-on projects.
  
• Consider Planned Giving:
  Donors can help others while making prudent and beneficial financial choices for themselves and family members.
  
• Check for Employer Matching Gifts:
  Food For The Poor encourages donors to ask their employers to match charitable donations.
  
• Request a Speaker:
  Food For The Poor’s Speakers’ Bureau arranges speaking engagements for churches, organizes church and school mission projects, and manages national outreach projects.

For more information about Food For The Poor’s projects, causes, and programs for donors and volunteers, visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Burn Loeffke builds homes in Jamaica

A Local Retired Major General Builds a Village in Jamaica

	Aretta Dennis and Maj. Gen. Bernard Loeffke stand inside her new home in the Peacemakers Community of Hope, located in the town of Spring Pass in Hamstead, St.Thomas, Jamaica. Loeffke led an effort to rebuild 27 homes with sanitation through Food For The Poor.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 17, 2015) – Nearly 200 people gathered recently for the dedication of the Peacemakers Community of Hope Village in the town of Spring Pass in Hamstead,  St. Thomas, Jamaica. Thanks to the sheer determination of retired Maj. Gen. Bernard “Burn“ Loeffke and Food For The Poor, 27 families now have a redeveloped community with sturdy new homes and hygienic sanitation.

“I used to be a fisherman, but during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, I lost everything and since then I have been doing odd jobs every now and then,” said Denville Clarke, a Spring Pass resident. “I couldn’t afford to repair or buy a house, so when Food For The Poor came to help me and others in the community, I was really, really happy and thankful. Words are not even enough to thank them for what they have done for this community.”

Loeffke, who now calls South Florida home, is an impressive man with a military career that spans more than three decades. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and French, and proficient in Mandarin Chinese, Loeffke was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds in combat, as well as Silver and Bronze Stars for Valor. He also has authored several inspirational books.

But it was the inspiring story of the teen Food For The Poor donor, Rachel Wheeler, who touched the heart of this warrior for peace. Starting at age 9, Rachel fundraised to build a village and school in Haiti.

“When I heard about the young girl who built two villages, I thought surely I can build one to honor two men who personified what it means to give their lives on behalf of their fellow man. U.S. Army Sgt. Larry Morford and China’s Cpl. Lei Feng are these men. Morford saved my life in Vietnam, now I am living his,” said Loeffke. “I was very impressed with seeing the work done by Food For The Poor in putting a roof over the heads of the needy and giving them the pride of ownership.”

Loeffke dedicated the Peacemakers Community of Hope in honor of these two soldiers. Both Morford and Lei Feng died at the age of 22 – men, he says, who lived to be agents of peace in the midst of war. Loeffke says he chose Jamaica because it is the birthplace of Food For The Poor and is the homeland of the parents of another general, his dear friend Gen. Colin L. Powell, who supported the community.

“I am glad I had the opportunity to help with the project. I offer my congratulations to Chris Wallace, my friend Burn Loeffke and all the other committed people who are bringing this project to fruition,” said Gen. Colin L. Powell.

Life for more than two dozen families living within Spring Pass has not been easy. The need for safe housing and sanitation was dire. Last summer, an outbreak of the Chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne disease that causes fever and excruciating joint pain in its victims, ripped through Spring Pass. 

“The redevelopment of the Spring Pass community is truly a blessing for the 30 or so families. These families have been living for many years in makeshift shacks, and their only water source for drinking, cooking, cleaning and washing came from a single pipe located in the middle of the town. No one should have to live like that,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “Loeffke’s passion for the poor has resulted in the Peacemakers Community of Hope, a community that has restored hope to these families by providing them with safe new homes and access to running water. For that, we are truly grateful.”

Loeffke’s desire to improve the lives of the poor extends beyond the borders of Jamaica. Fundraising for Peacemakers Community of Hope villages in Central America is in the works. So far, enough funds have been raised for the construction of 10 homes in Nicaragua, and plans are under way for a village in Honduras.

“The Peacemakers Community of Hope is the first of several villages that we want to do to honor the memory of John Gardener, former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under President Lyndon Johnson and Founder of the White House Fellows,” said Loeffke. “He authored the statement that ‘a real leader is the one who keeps hope alive,’ and that’s what we’re doing with Food For the Poor – keeping hope alive.”

Loeffke plans to share his recent experience with Food For The Poor at the 50th Anniversary of White House Fellows 2015 Leadership Conference in the Washington, D.C., October 22-24.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.