Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Through Dec. 31, gifts for feeding Haiti’s children are being doubled

Can you imagine having to tell your children that "today is not your turn to eat?"

While visiting earthquake-devastated Haiti earlier this year, Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma witnessed one child eating a handful of rice while his older brother merely watched. "Today is not my turn to eat," the boy told Aloma.

Haiti is home to entire families that have not eaten for days. With these families in mind, please send us your greatest gift possible. Gifts made by Friday, December 31, are tax-deductible and will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $250,000. Time is running out to save lives.

Please visit www.foodforthepoor.org/yearendfoodgift to give these children a gift -- the gift of food.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Palm Beach Philanthropists Support Food For The Poor’s Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala

Food For The Poor’s eighth annual Palm Beach gala, Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures will be held Sunday, January 30, 2011, at The Breakers, Palm Beach. The annual event is chaired by distinguished Palm Beach philanthropists Robert G. and Arlette Gordon (Grand Honorary Chairpersons), Elizabeth Bowden (Gala Chairwoman), and Paul Marino (Event Chairman).

With a passion for both culinary achievement and charitable giving, Grand Honorary Chairpersons Robert and Arlette Gordon and Gala Chairwoman Elizabeth Bowden, invite you to become involved in this philanthropic cause and transform lives of poverty and suffering into ones filled with hope and thanksgiving. Proceeds will be used to build desperately needed homes for destitute families in developing countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.

Food For The Poor’s gala will begin with a superb wine tasting reception with selected wines compliments of Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., and Republic National Distributing Company. Throughout the reception, unique wine selections, jewelry and exotic escapes are among the varied silent and live auction prizes. Specially selected fine wines will be chosen to enhance each course and to highlight the executive chefs and restaurants of The Breakers. Additionally, Broadway-inspired performances by La Mystique are certain to enthrall guests.

Patrick Park and Nathalie Fernandez have graciously committed to be the charity’s platinum benefactors. Silver benefactors include Elizabeth Bowden, Florence DeGeorge, Robert and Arlette Gordon, and Howard and Michele Kessler. Gala benefactors include Helen Bernstein, Stanley and Helene Karp, Henry Fong and Mary Virginia Knight, Anneliese Langner, Hermé de Wyman Miro – The International Society of Palm Beach, and Ari Rifkin.

Ray Mou, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami (Taiwan), has been named the gala’s Grand Benefactor. Joint initiatives between Taiwan ICDF and Food For The Poor include feeding the destitute, and the in-country production of food through agriculture, farm-raised fish and livestock breeding – self-sustainable initiatives that teach people how to earn a living.

Gala sponsors to include American Nicaraguan Foundation, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., Russ Reid Company, Republic National Distributing Company, and TerraGroup.

Master of ceremonies for Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures is CBS WPEC Channel 12’s weeknight anchor Curt Fonger. Fonger is an avid philanthropist, who has supported Food For The Poor’s mission for many years. Immediately following the Jan. 12 earthquake Fonger reached out to Food For The Poor to ask how he and the Palm Beach community could help the people of Haiti.

For additional information regarding the Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures event, benefactor levels, and tickets, available at $450 per person, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.foodforthepoor.org/palmbeach.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. We provide 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

For more information, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

One of Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things Transforms Tragedy into Hope

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most recognized women in the world, and after 25 years the “Queen of Talk” has said good-bye to daytime TV with her Ultimate Farewell Season. Famous for her generosity, Oprah’s Favorite Things has been a hit for more than a decade, so to land a seat in the studio audience for the final season was the ultimate experience for any Oprah fan.

Shawn Long of Atlanta, Ga. was one of the fortunate few to be a guest on Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things show, which aired on Nov.19. Saving the best for the farewell season, Oprah’s audience members were showered with fragrances, gadgets, unique and expensive gifts.

“It was one of the most exciting times in my life,” said Long. “Everyone there was so nice; it was 24 hours of happiness for me, something I really, really needed.”

Long’s journey to The Oprah Winfrey Show began on a dark and painful road. Long has three daughters – her oldest, 24-year-old Tiffany Hulsey, was a victim of domestic violence. Long said Tiffany’s young life ended on May 11 when her boyfriend killed her, then took his own life, the tragedy playing out in front of Hulsey’s two daughters, 5 and 1. Now, Long and her husband Kelly are raising their two grandchildren.

Months after the tragedy, Long’s sister wanted to do something to lift her sister’s spirits so she shared Long’s story with The Oprah Winfrey Show. She was selected, for what she thought was a segment about people who had given back to help others. After Long and her sister Sherrie Reimherr flew to Chicago for a taping on Nov. 16, they learned it was really for Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things. After 24 hours of pampering, the two returned to Georgia with a number of gifts, including a Philip Stein watch, framed in diamonds and worth thousands of dollars.

One morning, while listening to “The Fish” WFSH 104.7 radio morning show, Long heard the on-air host talk about the need in Haiti, and the homebuilding work Food For The Poor is doing there. Moved with compassion, Long said she had to help, but with funds tight, she remembered the watch, called the radio station and donated it to the charity.

“We had a very rough year, and it has been hard on all of us, but in the end we have a home, we have food, and we have each other. God has blessed us, and we wanted to do something to bless someone who doesn’t have anything. I sincerely wish I could do more,” Long said.

Long went on to say she’s grateful to Oprah for giving her the beautiful time piece, but once she realized she could help a suffering family have a home, parting with the gift was easy.

So how will this watch be transformed into a shelter and hope for the future? Food For The Poor will auction the Philip Stein at its annual “Fine Wine and Hidden Treasures Gala” at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. on Jan. 30, 2011. Money from the auctioned watch will build a new two-room concrete block house with sanitation, and so much more for a family in Haiti.

“We are blessed and moved by this beautiful and selfless gift Mrs. Long has donated to Food For The Poor to further our efforts to help the suffering in the world,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We are humbled that during this time of the year when the pain of the loss of her daughter is probably at its greatest, she has room in her heart to remember the less fortunate.”

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Food For The Poor Organizes Prisoner Releases for Nonviolent Offenders in Jamaica, Guyana, and Haiti

In developing countries, the destitute sometimes have no option to feed their families other than to steal food and commit nonviolent offenses. This decision is not made lightly, as they know the consequence is imprisonment without first appearing before a judge, or receiving a prison sentence. Sometimes, by the time they are tried, they have spent years longer in jail than their prison sentence requires.

Inmates in Haiti, for example, are at the mercy of decrepit buildings and disease outbreaks, such as cholera, when prison cells measuring 16-by-16 feet sometimes hold more than 30 men. Through Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program, 28 inmates were released from prisons in Cap-Haitien.

In anticipation of Christmas, Food For The Poor released prisoners who have committed nonviolent offenses in Jamaica, Guyana and Haiti. They were incarcerated due to their inability to pay required fines. Eighty-three prisoners have been released in these countries in time to spend Christmas with their families.

Since the inception of Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program in 2000, more than 880 prisoners have been reintroduced back into the community as productive citizens. Food For The Poor works with the prisoners before and after they are released to ensure they will not be repeat offenders.

Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program is based on the scripture, “When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you,” (Matthew 25:31-46).

“When you visit a prison, desperate eyes peer out of the dark cells, into the light, pleading silently for help,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s CEO/President. “They want to feel a connection with the outside world, to be a brother in Christ, to be prayed for — and to not be forgotten.”

Twice a year — during the Christmas and Easter seasons — the Food For The Poor Prison Ministry Program releases inmates who have committed minor offenses. Prison authorities have found Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program to be so successful that they have implemented a similar program themselves. Some prisons now offer inmates jobs in the prison where they are held so that they can earn money to pay off their fines.

On Dec. 13, 34 prisoners were released from Guyanese prisons. The ceremony started in prayer and with words of encouragement from Food For The Poor chairmen, directors and representatives. Some of the inmates shed tears as they learned their fines had been paid, and that they would be reunited with their families in time for Christmas. A travel stipend, clothing, shoes, and a meal were provided to the inmates prior to their release.

In Jamaica, a total of 21 inmates were released from prisons in Mandeville, Spanish Town and St. Catherine. One inmate’s story moved not only Food For The Poor staff members but also the prison superintendent who agreed he did not deserve to be incarcerated.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information please visit, www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Carnival-Themed Fundraiser Helps to Build a Home in Trinidad

When most people think of Trinidad, located at the southern end of the Caribbean chain of islands, images of people draped in exotic colored costumes parading down the street to pulsating rhythms often comes to mind. Trinidad is also a country peppered with mountains and tranquil beaches. But like many of the other islands in the West Indies, the gap between rich and poor can be wide.

South Florida teen Shannon Weisz is no stranger to the island; her mother, Blanche, was born there and Shannon has traveled there many times. But it was something the 17-year-old saw in August that prompted her to action.

“I’ve been traveling to Trinidad since I was 8 years old,” said Weisz. “But when I went to my cousin’s wedding this last trip, I had some down time, so I ventured out. I saw the condition of the houses some of the people were living in. I love the people of Trinidad and Tobago and I was compelled to do something because everyone deserves to have a decent roof over their head.”

While in Trinidad, Weisz volunteered with Living Water Community, a Catholic Lay Ecclesial Community in Port of Spain. It was there through a chain of events that she learned about Food For The Poor and the charity’s home building projects. Food For The Poor has been serving in Trinidad for 19 years and has built homes there since 2005.

When Weisz returned to her Boca Raton residence, she met with her parents and shared her idea for a fundraiser with her older sister and two younger brothers. Since carnival has become synonymous with Trinidad, which was brought to the island by French settlers in the late 18th century, it was no surprise the spunky Cardinal Gibbons High School Senior decided on a carnival theme for her Nov. 13 fundraiser at Bayview Park located in Fort Lauderdale.

Weisz says about 300 people attended the game-filled fundraiser and 30 volunteers helped her to raise money to build a house in Trinidad. The teen presented Food For The Poor’s President/CEO Robin Mahfood with a check at the charity’s headquarters in Coconut Creek.

“We are blessed and humbled by the philanthropic spirit of many of our young people today. Food For The Poor provides a number of services to millions throughout the Caribbean. Some islands need more help than others, but in the end sustainable housing for as many people as possible is a top priority. Shannon’s donation will soon provide a home for a family in Trinidad,” said Mahfood.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

From Louisiana, With Love: Child Sends Shoes to Girl in Honduras

When little Bailey Guillotte heard a Food For The Poor speaker talk about barefoot girls climbing rocky Honduran hillsides to fetch water for their families, the solution seemed simple to her. Bailey, 4, handed her pair of black patent shoes to Fr. Barry Thiering on the way out the door, and accepted a ride in her father’s arms to their car.

She asked one thing – that the shoes go to a little girl in Honduras. The international relief and development agency Food For The Poor did just as she requested.

The little girl who received the shoes lives on the island of Roatan, Honduras, with her mother, father, a brother and three sisters. The family lives in a village of 38 houses built by Food For The Poor. The terrain is steep and rocky, just as Bailey learned in her New Iberia, La., church service. The good news for the little girl in Honduras is that she has new shoes, and because of the new village, she and her sisters no longer will have to go for water. Now, they will be able to go to school instead, thus completing another step in breaking the cycle of poverty.

“Bailey is only 4, and I wasn’t sure how much of the message she understood,” said Gwen Guillotte, her mother. “But she wanted to give her shoes, and I watched as this really tiny girl looked up at the very tall speaker and told him she wanted to give her shoes to another girl ‘so she won’t cut her feet.’ ”

The Rev. Canon Larry Wilkes, rector of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in New Iberia, unsurprised by Bailey’s generosity, said, “The Guillotte family has a wonderful heart, and this demonstrates that Bailey is learning from her parents to be a loving and giving child.”

In many developing countries, it is the mothers and daughters who are charged with the responsibility of finding and hauling clean water. They often have to go many miles to find the water, and it consumes so much time that getting an education is out of the question. Providing housing with sanitation, and clean water sources is a proven way to get the girls in school and start to break the cycle of poverty.

“Bailey’s simple, sacrificial gift shows all of us the powerful difference that one person – even a very tiny one – can make. That is how we measure what we do,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We count our victories by saving one child at a time, one family at a time, one village at a time.”

Food For The Poor, the third-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 agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

Food For The Poor’s Christmas Catalog Offers Gifts of Love For Those Who Have Everything and Those Who Have Nothing

In today’s current economy, the South Florida-based humanitarian organization Food For The Poor offers unique gift ideas that will continue to provide comfort and joy long after Christmas has passed. Food For The Poor’s gift catalog is filled with opportunities to change lives in this season of love and hope.

The heartfelt gifts offered through Food For The Poor’s gift catalog epitomize the spirit of giving – and will positively change the lives of those who have nothing. For $36, you can give the gift of life by feeding a malnourished child for a year. Or you can even choose to give farm animals – like chickens, pigs, goats, donkeys and cows – to provide an income and source of nutrition for destitute families.

Across Latin America and the Caribbean, Food For The Poor remains committed to investing in water projects.

“What we can easily access with the twist of a tap is considered a precious gift by the poorest of the poor,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “Your Christmas gift to provide clean water will help answer the prayers of villagers who desperately need this lifesaving resource.”

Food For The Poor is equally committed to building safe and sturdy permanent housing. Families, companies or groups of employees can jointly fund the cost of $3,100 for a one-room home with latrine. Food For The Poor homes can be built in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua. The family who is moved out of a leaking, dilapidated shack into a real home will always remember that they are blessed.

Food For The Poor’s gift catalog is based on the scripture, “…give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,” (Matthew 19:21).

The catalog offers a wide variety of gifts to fit any budget – from a fruit tree for $10, or a gift of a donkey for $150, to providing a community with a lifesaving water pump for $205.

Some of the catalog’s creative gift ideas enable communities to sustain themselves economically. Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Tilapia ponds provide entire villages with an ongoing food source; fishing villages provide the boats, engines, tackle and equipment needed for the fishermen to support their families.

All gifts are tax-deductible. To send a gift, the catalog can be accessed through the charity’s secure Web site or a printed version of the catalog is available by calling 800-427-9104.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. We provide 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

For more information, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Food For The Poor’s Boca Raton Gala to Build “Dreams Across the Sea”

South Florida residents are invited to attend Food For The Poor’s Boca Raton Gala Dreams Across the Sea at the Boca West Country Club on Saturday, Feb. 5. Proceeds will be used to meet the dire housing needs of developing countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.


“Abdol and I are honored to support the international humanitarian efforts of Food For The Poor,” said Cathy Moabery, event co-chairperson. “We are excited to chair this annual event, an evening of building hope and dreams across the sea.”

Master of ceremonies for Dreams Across the Sea is Emmy Award-winning newscaster Calvin Hughes. Hughes co-anchors ABC Local 10’s 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news with Laurie Jennings. Immediately following the Jan. 12 earthquake, Hughes traveled to Haiti to report how nonprofits such as Food For The Poor were striving to improve lives and living conditions throughout the country.

“Less than an hour and a half plane ride from South Florida, there are Third World countries with unimaginable levels of destitution,” said Rene Mahfood, event co-chairperson. “We are blessed to live in the United States, where we have opportunities and the necessary resources to help those who have literally nothing.”

Dreams Across the Sea will feature an elegant cocktail reception, live music, an exclusive silent auction, house rally, dancing, and a memorable dinner with friends. Bidding on silent auction prizes offers opportunities for guests to donate to the cause at the same time. Prizes include exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages.

During the charity’s 16th annual Boca Raton gala live house rally guests are given the opportunity to donate funds to build much-needed permanent housing for destitute families. By providing simple, sturdy homes, the nonprofit can change the lives of entire families by giving them the security of a safe place to live.

Food For The Poor will honor South Florida residents whose generosity and dedication to the organization have been inspirational. Food For The Poor’s 2011 Ambassadors for the Poor honorees include Altadis USA Inc. (Monte Cristo Relief Org.), Broetje Orchards, GOYA Foods of Florida, Lawrence Hambach, Hospital Corp of America, Alfredo & Theresa Pellas, Publix Super Markets Inc., Royal Caribbean International, TD Bank N.A., and Whole Foods Markets.

The event co-chairpersons are Cathy and Abdol Moabery, and Rene and Francis Mahfood. Committee members include Rhonda Gluck, Julie Mahfood, Pamela Matsil, Natasha Singh, Patricia Wallace and Traci Wilson.

Event sponsors include Aljoma Lumber, American Nicaraguan Foundation, Bernuth Agencies, Inc., Dennis Charley & Associates, Inc., Dusco Doors, Japs-Olson, Haiti Shipping Lines, MSP, The Pereira Family, Quadriga Art, Inc., SEACOR Holdings Inc., Seaboard Marine Ltd., and TD Bank, N.A.

For additional information regarding the Dreams Across the Sea event and tickets, available at $225 per person, please call Kathy Leggatt at (954) 427-2222 x 6646, or visit the Web site www.foodforthepoor.org/boca.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the United States, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information please visit, www.foodforthepoor.org.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Former WNBA Star Awarded for Making a Slam Dunk for Education

For nearly a decade, Simone Edwards dominated the sport of women’s basketball, where she was known by many as the ‘Jamaican Hurricane’ and finished as the team’s all-time leader in rebounds. When Edwards played in the WNBA for the Seattle Storm, she captured the hearts of both fans and spectators.

But it’s a project off the court that’s dear to Edwards’ own heart that’s putting her back in the spotlight. The former pro athlete and current assistant coach of the George Mason University women’s basketball team says she’s passionate about giving back. So she established the Simone4Children Foundation, a nonprofit created to uplift underprivileged children.

"It’s important to give back; it’s something I feel very strongly about," said Edwards. "I started my foundation because I believe it’s a way to help children to become self-sustaining adults."

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, her dream to build a learning center in St. Andrew quickly became a reality due to a chance meeting and help from Food For The Poor.

One day in 2006 the president of the Women’s National Basketball Association was on a flight; seated next to her was Fr. Tony Palazzolo who works as a speaker with Food For The Poor. The priest was put in contact with the player, and he helped to orchestrate Edwards’ next move toward building a school.

In 2007, the new Hermitage Learning Center officially opened its doors. It’s a place where remedial work is offered in preparation for important school examinations. In the evenings, the facility is used for adult literacy education. In addition to the new facility, which has the capacity to comfortably house 50 students and their teachers, Food For The Poor has donated office and classroom furniture, plus a furnished kitchen. More than 100 students have benefited from Hermitage’s homework, masonry and skills training programs.

“I have always known about Food For The Poor, being from Jamaica, but I didn’t realize the charity did so much. I am extremely grateful for all they have done to help me build this school, and to help the children of Jamaica,” said Edwards.

Since the early 1990s, Edwards’ talents on the hardwood in college, the WNBA, and now as a college basketball coach, have earned her countless awards. But on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010, the Immaculate Conception High School Alumnae Association, New York Chapter will present her with the Ad Astra Award for using her sport to uplift others and for being a shining example for Jamaicans and Caribbean Diasporas.

“We can celebrate with Ms. Edwards and the residents who live in the community of Hermitage because they now have a sturdy structure in which to learn,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “They no longer have to sit under tents during classes, or worry about classes being cancelled when it rains. When her organization requested our assistance in constructing a safe, sturdy building for the Hermitage school, Food For The Poor was eager to answer this call for help.”

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

WLRN Campaign Helps Haiti’s Children

For the second time this year, Friends of WLRN has reached out to Food For The Poor by hosting a distinctive fundraising drive that will benefit the nonprofit organization. When radio listeners support WLRN through the station’s fund drive, Friends of WLRN will in turn donate a portion of the proceeds to feed hungry and malnourished Haitian children.

Friends of WLRN has dedicated today to Food For The Poor. For every $100 committed by listeners who call to support the station, Friends of WLRN will donate $18 to feed a hungry child in Haiti for six months. Through the station’s generosity earlier this year, more than 730 children were fed through Food For The Poor’s feeding programs.

Wagner Previato, Director of Marketing and Membership for Friends of WLRN, called the March campaign a huge success, and is hoping for additional support this time for Haiti as the country continues to endure crisis after crisis.

“The South Florida community and supporters of our public radio station responded generously when we mentioned that a portion of their contributions would be going directly to feeding children in Haiti through Food For The Poor,” said Previato. “Our partnership with Food For The Poor helped mobilize our efforts in making a gift that nourishes Haiti’s most vulnerable citizens, and supports 91.3 WLRN’s news coverage of Haiti and all other local news stories.”

In Haiti, more than half of the population, including two-thirds of the children, suffers from malnutrition. About 76 of every 1,000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday.

“The need for food in Haiti right now is tremendous, and we are continuously working to reach the most desperate,” said Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma. “We are so grateful that Friends of WLRN and their supporters are helping us serve the poorest of the poor in Haiti. The earthquake now has been compounded by a deadly cholera outbreak, and our joint actions are needed now more than ever.”

Through Thursday, Dec. 2, supporters can make a donation to the pledge drive by calling
1-866-247-9576 or by visiting www.wlrnradio.org.

Food For The Poor, the third-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 agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Palm Beach Philanthropists Prepare for FFP gala

Food For The Poor’s eighth annual Palm Beach gala, Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures will be held Sunday, January 30, 2011, at The Breakers, Palm Beach. The annual event is chaired by distinguished Palm Beach philanthropists Robert G. and Arlette Gordon (Grand Honorary Chairpersons), and Elizabeth Bowden (Gala Chairwoman).

With a passion for both culinary achievement and charitable giving, Grand Honorary Chairpersons Robert and Arlette Gordon and Gala Chairwoman Elizabeth Bowden, invite you to become involved in this philanthropic cause and transform lives of poverty and suffering into ones filled with hope and thanksgiving.

Food For The Poor’s gala will begin with a superb wine tasting reception with selected wines compliments of Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., and Republic National Distributing Company. Throughout the reception, unique wine selections, jewelry and exotic escapes are among the varied silent and live auction prizes. Specially selected fine wines will be chosen to highlight each course prepared by the executive chefs of The Breakers. Additionally, Broadway-inspired performances by La Mystique are certain to enthrall guests.

Early event benefactors include Helen Bernstein, Elizabeth Bowden, Florence DeGeorge, Robert and Arlette Gordon, International Society of Palm Beach, Stanley and Helene Karp, Howard and Michele Kessler, and Henry Fong and Mary Virginia Knight. Gala sponsors to include American Nicaraguan Foundation, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., Russ Reid Company, and Republic National Distributing Company.

For additional information regarding the Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures event, benefactor levels, and tickets, available at $450 per person, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.foodforthepoor.org/palmbeach.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. We provide 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Taiwan Official Visits Food For The Poor

The new Director General of the Taipei Economic Cultural Office in Miami visited the Food For The Poor headquarters on Nov. 24 to offer support of the work that the organization is doing for the poor, especially in Haiti.

Director General Ray Mou and Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood met to talk about the agency’s work, and how Taiwan can offer further assistance. The two leaders followed the tradition of exchanging symbolic gifts between the organizations.

“As Haiti has endured storms, a food shortage, an earthquake, and now a cholera outbreak, the Taiwanese have helped us feed and take care of the people of Haiti,” Mahfood said. “We are grateful for their continued partnership with us -- not only to meet the immediate food needs, but in helping us come up with solutions for long-term hunger problems.”

From 2005 to 2008, Taiwan sent 40 containers of rice every month to Haiti. This monthly donation of 1,000 tons of rice helped Haiti through a critical time of storms and food shortages. And then again, immediately after the earthquake, Taiwan partnered once again with Food For The Poor to ship 500 tons of rice to Haiti. Taiwan’s President Ma traveled to the Dominican Republic to personally oversee the handing over of 10 tons of relief supplies, and Taiwan offered food aid to meet emergency needs, working through Food For The Poor and other agencies.

“I am deeply impressed by the work that Food For The Poor has done for the people in need, especially for the Haitian people who are now facing many challenges,” Director General Mou said. “On behalf of the government and people in Taiwan, I expect to work closely with Food For The Poor in the area of humanitarian aid. It is a high priority on my list to fulfill my mission in Miami.”

The Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF) has extensive experience in the development of fish farms, especially in growing tilapia, and has partnered with Food For The Poor to establish basa farms in the poverty-stricken, food-deficient countries served by the nonprofit.

Taiwan’s first lady Chow Mei-ching and daughter, Lesley Ma, traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in August to assess the situation and meet with Mahfood. The mother-daughter humanitarian team eagerly rolled up their sleeves in Food For The Poor’s feeding center as they helped serve rice donated from the people of Taiwan to Haiti’s destitute.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the United States, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Charity Spends Tens of Millions in Relief for Haiti

Since the Jan. 12 earthquake left Haiti in dire straits, there have been many reports of what’s not being done to meet the country’s needs. News about the Caribbean nation slowed to a crawl soon after the quake and resurfaced only when the cholera outbreak and Hurricane Tomas threatened to take what little the Haitian people have left. According to the Associated Press, more than 1,300 people have died from cholera, and more than 23,000 are sick.

“Our generous donors allowed us to respond immediately and consistently with aid to Haiti,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “We stated from the outset that housing, clean water and sanitation would be priorities in helping the people. That was affirmed again when we learned of the cholera outbreak. We have delivered, with support from our donors and with God’s help we have delivered, and we will continue to walk with the Haitian people every step of the way.”

Food For The Poor’s relief efforts in Haiti have been substantial.

• As of mid-November, Food For The Poor has sent 1,287 containers valued at $175 million in relief to help the people in Haiti. These containers included food, water, and water filtration systems, medicines, building supplies, tools, boots and hygiene kits in response to the cholera.

• The $20.5 million Food For The Poor raised for Haiti emergency earthquake relief had been spent entirely on those efforts by the end of September. The funds were used for purchasing food and other critical items that were not donated, as well as for shipping containers of relief to the country. Some of the relief money went toward building emergency sanitation facilities as well as providing clean water sources.

Since the first days after the quake, Food For The Poor has worked to alleviate suffering and the rebuilding of the lives of the Haitian people.

• Nine months after the earthquake, Food For The Poor had sent more than $155 million worth of aid to Haiti. The charity accelerated homebuilding in the earthquake-ravaged country, and had built more than 1,500 permanent two-room homes outside of Port-au-Prince.

• Six months after the earthquake, Food For The Poor had sent more than $100 million worth of aid to Haiti. That aid was sent in many forms and has transitioned over the weeks and months from emergency relief to relief/rebuilding actions.

1. The charity shipped 845 tractor- trailer loads of goods, including:
-361 containers of food and water
-35 containers of medical supplies
-449 containers of various relief supplies

2. Completed 45 water projects.

• Three months after the earthquake, Food For The Poor delivered 530 tractor-trailer loads of food, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, building materials and other goods. As of May 31, Food For The Poor had spent $10.7 million in cash outlays. As of June 24, 779 containers of goods were delivered to Haiti, valued at $120.5 million.

1. Food For The Poor provided millions of meals from the rice, beans, canned goods and water shipped into Haiti.
2. The agency installed latrines near tent cities where several thousand people were sharing fewer than a dozen portable toilets.
3. Food For The Poor installed solar lights near the latrines in tent cities and other communities to provide a higher level of safety for the people living nearby.

“There is a great deal of opinion and misinformation about how aid money is being spent – or not spent – in Haiti,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “While we cannot speak for other organizations, we can say with full transparency that if donors have entrusted Food For The Poor with money to be used in Haiti, it has gone to that country, and it has gone without delay. It is simply wrong to use outdated figures and lump all aid organizations into one pile, as some are doing, without the necessary research and reporting.”

The same rapid response Food For The Poor took during the earthquake crisis was activated when news of the cholera outbreak reached Food For The Poor.

Less than 48 hours after the first cholera cases began arriving at hospitals the week of Oct. 18, Food For The Poor deployed and installed five solar- powered water filtration units that each can purify up to 10,000 gallons of water a day. To date, Food For The Poor installed 30 water filtration units in the Artibonite region where the cholera outbreak started.

Critical items needed for cholera relief:

• Medicines, including antibiotics and oral rehydration salts.
• Hygiene kits with soap, toothpaste and other personal care items to help stop the spread of cholera. Approximately 31,000 personal care and hygiene kits were shipped.
• Blankets for more than 46,600 people.
• Powerade and Pedialyte.

To see video of Food For the Poor’s rapid response at the start of the cholera outbreak, visit YouTube.

Food For The Poor, the third-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 agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Monday, November 22, 2010

We Did It! Boca Grande Builds a Village in Haiti

The Boca Grande Friendship Village Committee set an aggressive goal of building an entire village in Haiti, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the struggling country. More than 200 mothers, fathers and children have moved into 40 two-room homes in the village, and committee members will travel there in February to celebrate with the residents.

“When we set out to build the village, we knew it was a big goal, but we also knew that the people in the community have generous hearts and a spirit to get things done,” said Committee Chairman Ben Scott, who led the initiative to raise $410,000. “Even then, we were surprised when we were able to accomplish it in a year.”

The 24-person committee joined forces months before the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti, and their resolve was further strengthened when they learned of the devastating impact the quake had on Haitian families. Since then, the country has faced an outbreak of cholera and a late-season storm that threatened the million-plus people still living in tents.

In Pierre Payen, at the Boca Grande Friendship Village, lives already are being transformed. The village is providing impoverished families with safe housing, clean water, sanitation, agriculture, animal husbandry, a community chicken farm, a vocational center, a community center and a solar-charging system for electricity.

“This community has poured out its hearts to the people of Haiti, and what a blessing it will be to witness what a difference one idea and a dedicated group of individuals can make,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor.

To watch a short video from the village and hear a thank you from Aloma, please visit Food For The Poor's YouTube channel.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the United States, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Woman Hopes to Turn Trash to Treasure for the Poor

Paying for a home with money raised from a yard sale may seem a like a stretch, but it’s not out of reach if the house on the market is selling for $2,600. That’s all it takes to move a family living in poverty on the island of Jamaica into a cozy new home built from the ground up.

With that thought in mind, and with the holidays quickly turning the corner, one Georgia woman came up with an idea of doing something different this year. It’s an idea, she says, that resulted from of a life-changing trip to Jamaica.

Sara Nix is a 43-year-old woman who lives in the quiet town of Dallas, Ga. She’s a wife and a mother of three children, but last December Nix suffered a devastating blow when she gave birth to a baby boy who did not survive. Four days after the delivery, she suffered heart failure and had to wear a defibrillator vest for several months.

In April, Nix says she decided to go on an eight-day mission trip with Food For The Poor to Jamaica, where she helped with the construction of two houses in St. Elizabeth. She says reaching out to others helped her to heal from her pain.

“God’s grace was so amazing!” said Nix. “It helped me so much, and it allowed me to get up and go help other people.”

With the support of her family, Nix decided to dedicate this holiday season to the memory of her son, whom she and her husband named Luke. Nix says building a home for a family in Jamaica for Christmas is a tribute to him, and a blessing for someone in need.

“With the love of my family, and the support of my spiritual family at Fortified Hills Baptist Church, we decided a yard sale would be a great way to raise the needed funds to build a home in Jamaica. The holidays are supposed to be about helping others,” said Nix.

The yard sale is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 19, and Saturday, Nov. 20, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 95 Valleyside Dr., Dallas, Ga. Nix says they still need merchandise to sell; if you have items to donate please call (404) 663-5549. All unsold items will be donated to charity.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Cholera Deaths Double in Aftermath of Hurricane Tomas

Haitian and international health officials acknowledged today the cholera epidemic continues to grow at an alarming rate, and is now “a matter of national security.” Food For The Poor has shipped and airlifted containers of critically needed supplies such as desperately sought-after medicines, hygiene kits, fluids to rehydrate patients, and blankets. Rains and severe flooding associated with Hurricane Tomas facilitated the spread of the quick-killing disease.

With thousands infected, the situation continues to act as a reminder of the importance of access to clean water and to moving earthquake survivors into permanent housing. Food For The Poor remains committed to investing in sanitation and water projects throughout the country. Since the earthquake, Food For The Poor has shipped more than 1,250 containers of aid and has built more than 1,500 permanent, concrete block two-room homes with sanitation units.

Three weeks after cholera was confirmed in the Caribbean nation, the waterborne sickness has claimed at least 643 lives, mostly in the countryside, according to Associated Press reports from Haiti. The AP reported that approximately 10,000 people are infected and have been hospitalized for cholera throughout Haiti with symptoms including serious diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Consensus is that the deaths usually come from the extreme shock brought on by dehydration.

“Due to the lack of sanitary conditions for more than a million displaced earthquake survivors the threat of an epidemic has been a real possibility for months,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor President/CEO. “The painful reality is that death has become all too common for the people of Haiti. We have heard from the clinics that mothers continue to rock their sick children in their arms in hopes of keeping their babies’ hearts beating.”

“There are so many people who are suffering in Haiti. Their anguish truly hurts my heart,” said Mahfood, whose agency’s 24-year tenure in Haiti has aided the nonprofit’s quick response.

“Many [in Haiti] try to live without knowing really where to go,” said Rev. Duken Augustin, who partners with Food For The Poor in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. “However, as we visited the victims yesterday, I was reminded how much the people count on Food For The Poor. A lady who lost her small business in the waters told me with tears, ‘My situation has never been so difficult. I don’t know what I am going to do to feed my five children, but seeing you here today is comforting. I know that I am not alone.’”

“This is the kind of support that we are trying to bring, especially now that everything seems to go against the country,” said Augustin. “We know that we are not alone. Thank God and many blessings to all of you.”

Access to clean water is a matter of life and death for the people of Haiti. In Haiti, there are a lot of misconceptions about how cholera is spread. The people are afraid now about food and water supplies.

Food For The Poor has moved quickly to ship and install 30 solar-powered filtration units in Haiti’s affected Artibonite region since the cholera outbreak. Water Missions International, in partnership with Food For The Poor, has helped to install the water filtration units. The filtration systems each can treat up to 10,000 gallons of water per day and reduce waterborne diseases by removing suspended pathogens.

A Food For The Poor-Haiti employee recently spoke to a woman near one of the water filtration units in Petit Reviere, in Haiti’s affected Artibonite region. She had recently lost several friends to the cholera outbreak and was desperately trying to keep her family safe. She told the officer, “If it was not for Food For The Poor, I would be dead by now.”

"The epidemic of cholera, a highly contagious disease, is no longer a simple emergency, it's now a matter of national security,” said the director of Haiti’s health ministry, Gabriel Thimote, at a press conference on Nov. 9.

Right now, Food For The Poor is in a race against time to collect much-needed supplies: evaporated and condensed milk, canned mackerel, canned corn beef, canned chicken, sardines, Spam, and Vienna sausages with an expiration date six months or longer; Powerade, Gatorade, and Pedialyte; hygiene kits: with soap, toothpaste, feminine personal-care items, and diapers. Food For The Poor will not accept clothing, shoes, or water; we obtain trailer loads of these items from donors.

To learn how to help, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/emergency or make a $10 donation by texting “HAITI” to 25383.

Food For The Poor, the third-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 agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Orlando Residents Replace Haiti’s Tents and Shacks with Permanent Homes

At the 11th annual Food For The Poor Orlando event, supporters gave the people of Haiti New Hope, New Beginnings. Event proceeds will be used to construct critically needed homes and sanitation in Emmanuel Village V, in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. The village will house those who have been displaced by the earthquake, and those who are living in the Prolongé swamp and the slums of Shada.

“The situation in Haiti is very serious,” said Robin Mahfood, CEO/President of Food For The Poor, at the Oct. 22 event. “The people of Haiti need everyone’s help to build safe, permanent homes in Haiti.”

Food For The Poor’s building of homes in Haiti is limited only by the nonprofit’s funding.

“I pray Food For The Poor receives a donation for $50 million so we can build as many homes as possible throughout Haiti,” said Mahfood. “There are so many people who are suffering in Haiti. Their anguish truly hurts my heart.”

New Hope, New Beginnings event sponsor, Winter Park Construction and its staff, used drills and hammers to build a 12-by-12 foot house in the hotel’s ballroom at Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa. As guests walked through the modest house, they were able to visualize and appreciate the significance that receiving a Food For The Poor home makes in the lives of the destitute. Food For The Poor can build a safe, permanent house for $2,600; one with a latrine costs $3,100.

During the past 10 years, the passion and commitment of the Orlando community has built more than 500 housing units in Haiti through the Emmanuel Village Home Building Project in Cap-Haitien, Thomazeau and Gonaives.

“More than 1 million people were displaced by the earthquake, some of whom have been forced to live under tarps, blankets and tents,” said Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, Event Chairperson. “You restore hope each time you are able to move families from their dilapidated shanties, and give them the key to a home with a concrete foundation and a roof that does not leak.”

At the gala, Nasrallah gave a detailed and compelling account of her recent journey to Haiti. In July, a handful of Orlando residents traveled to Haiti with Nasrallah on a Food For The Poor-sponsored mission trip to witness firsthand the conditions of the people and to see how the nonprofit continues to improve their lives and living conditions throughout the country. Together they journeyed through swamps, inaugurated a village, served hot meals at Food For The Poor’s distribution center in Port-au-Prince, visited a home for handicapped children, and learned how self-sustainable initiatives empower villages and increase in-country production of food.

The evening included live music, a silent auction, house rally, and a four-course dinner followed by dancing. Bidding on silent auction prizes offers opportunities for guests to shop and donate to the cause at the same time. Prizes included exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages.

Committee members include: Anibal & Maritza Beltran, Linda Bonnewitz, Vendla Daverman, The del Campo Family, Cynthia Hawkins, Jackie Heaps, Dr. Aida Jimenez and Isabel Jimenez, Kathy Kinchla, Donna Larson, Tom Murphy, Paul Mylod, Desirae Nasrallah, Nicole Nasrallah, Nancy Padilla, Lisa Padilla, Amira Rivera, Diane Rogers, The Santana Family, Lee Sayago, Marie Schwarz, Gandy Thomas, Jean & Donna Wilson, Kelly Wilkes, and The Winger Family.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Food For The Poor Preparing Haiti for Hurricane Tomas

Ten months after the merciless Jan. 12 earthquake killed hundreds of thousands and left the core of the Caribbean nation in ruins, and three weeks after a deadly cholera outbreak killed several hundred and sickened thousands, Haiti is facing down another potential disaster – Hurricane Tomas.

Weather experts are forecasting Hurricane Tomas will reach Haiti sometime between Friday and Saturday. With more than 1 million people still living in tent cities in and around Port-au-Prince, Food For The Poor is working quickly to provide aid.

“Stop and think about this situation; you have more than 1 million men, women and children living under tents. They have no protection whatsoever from the wind, rain and potential mudslides this storm is expected to bring,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood. “A hurricane is the last thing Haiti needs right now, but we can’t give up on the country and its people. We will do our best to help them to recover from these back-to-back disasters.”

Because the organization has been working in Haiti for more than 24 years, it was well-prepared to respond to the cholera outbreak last month by sending dozens of pallets of personal hygiene kits, emergency water, rehydration salts, and blankets.

Since the earthquake, Food For The Poor has shipped 1,241 containers of goods valued at $168 million and has built more than 1,500 concrete block two-roomed homes with sanitation units.

Right now, Food For The Poor is in a race against time to collect much-needed supplies: evaporated and condensed milk, canned mackerel, canned corn beef, canned chicken, sardines, Spam and Vienna sausages with an expiration date six months or longer; Powerade, Gatorade and Pedialyte; hygiene kits with soap, toothpaste, feminine personal care items and diapers. Food For The Poor is not accepting clothing, shoes or water; the organization obtains trailer loads of these items from donors.

Please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/hurricane or make a $10 donation by texting “HAITI” to 25383.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Marlins hit a homerun in their swing to build homes for Haiti

The Florida Marlins scored big when it came to helping the people of Haiti. The Marlins teamed up with Food For The Poor to raise funds and awareness following the Jan. 12 earthquake.

The goal of the “Homes for Haiti” fundraising campaign was to build much-needed housing in a nation where more than 1 million people have been displaced. Thanks to this collaborative effort between the baseball team and the charity the “Village of Inspiration” will soon be built.

“I could not be prouder of what the Marlins and Food For The Poor have achieved. This village is aptly named. Anyone setting foot in the country will be inspired by the will of the people and the spirit of philanthropy that has driven this project. My season was shortened by injury, but aiding the Marlins and Food For The Poor in this process has resulted in my most productive season as a Major League Baseball player. March can't come soon enough. I can't wait go back to Haiti and be inspired again,” stated Florida Marlins Catcher, John Baker.

Baker, along with members of the Marlins’ front office and Kim Bacardi, traveled to Haiti on July 6 and 7 to see firsthand the destitute living conditions of families in Port-au-Prince, as well as in Cap-Haitien, where some of those fleeing the capital have moved.

“This is truly a blessing for the people of Haiti, and we are extremely grateful to the Florida Marlins for partnering with us to help build homes in order to provide as many people as we can with adequate housing,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We understand that this is an ongoing task and that the tent cities are filled with thousands now homeless because of that devastating earthquake, but because of their generosity more than two dozen families will soon have a home of their own.”

Ground breaking for the “Village of Inspiration” will take place in an area just outside of Port-au-Prince where 25 two-room homes will be built. A community center also will be erected in the village thanks to donations generated by events local philanthropist Kim Bacardi has hosted. In addition to the two-room homes, Food For The Poor will install sanitation and water projects in the village.

On Friday, Nov. 5, Bacardi, founder of The Good Karma Group, has organized an event at Saks Fifth Avenue at Dadeland Mall with proceeds to aid in the construction of a community center in the Marlins’ “Village of Inspiration.” The event offers a 15 percent shoppers discount on select items for the day; coupons are available at the store’s registers. Five percent of sales generated will be donated to Food For The Poor. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Erwin Creed, heir to the CREED fragrance Dynasty, will be present. During the 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. cocktail reception, Food For The Poor will honor the Marlins’ completion of the “Homes For Haiti” campaign. 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Andre Dawson and Marlins’ first baseman Gaby Sanchez, will receive the honor on behalf of the Marlins organization.

Come celebrate fashion and shop for a great cause. Enjoy music by celebrity DJ Maximus 300, while mingling with baseball legends and enjoying light bites catered by Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and sweets donated by Cupcakes by Hilda. As a tribute to the Marlins generosity, celebrity designer Gustavo Cadile has created a Marlin blue gown for Bacardi to wear at the event. Winston Delawar Photography will document the occasion.

The campaign with the Marlins may have ended, but it’s never too late to support building homes in Haiti, go to the Homes For Haiti Web page.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Teen helping heal Haiti one bracelet at a time

You see them everywhere: rubber bracelets with words of empowerment, encouragement or even motivation written on them; so it didn’t take long for a South Florida teen to take hold of the idea for his own special project.

Seventeen-year-old Dylan d’Adesky, a senior at Westminster Christian School in Palmetto Bay, Fla. decided to do more than talk about the earthquake that shook Haiti to its core on Jan. 12. He decided to start a nonprofit, “Help Heal Haiti.”

“I’ve seen the poverty in Haiti firsthand before the earthquake,” said d’Adesky. “After the earthquake I had to help, I had to do something.”

A few weeks after the disaster; with the backing of his parents, three siblings and a network of extended family and friends, the teen began selling “Hope For Haiti” rubber bracelets for $1 and T-shirts for $5. Many who purchased the items would donate additional funds to support Dylan’s cause.

In the end, the teen raised enough money to support two organizations of his choice, one being Food For The Poor and presented the charity’s CEO/President, Robin Mahfood with a $1,000 check at the charity’s headquarters in Coconut Creek.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to see young people get involved and actually do something like this to help those in need. Dylan’s gift means so much to us here at Food For The Poor and is very much appreciated,” said Mahfood.

Dylan says Haiti has a special place in his heart; his father is Haitian-American, born in Miami, Florida, to parents who were both born in Port-au-Prince. He says he dreams to one day see Haiti become the paradise it has the potential to be.
“I am trying really hard, and in my heart I really want to help Haiti and make a difference there,” said d’Adesky.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Teen Tie-Dyes Her Way to Nicaraguan Home

Sami Kerker, 15, chose to forgo her desire to purchase a car at 16 to fulfill the dream of homeownership for a destitute family she had never met. Investing money she had earned since the sixth-grade in tie-dye materials and clothing, Sami enlisted the support of friends and family nationwide. Sami’s goal is to raise money to build a safe, sturdy Food For The Poor house for a Nicaraguan family and to travel to see her dream realized.

“I was inspired by the Lynn University students and faculty who went to Haiti last year to try to make a difference in this poverty-stricken country,” said Sami. “To honor their work, I wanted to follow in their footsteps. That is how I decided to volunteer with Food For The Poor. ”

Motivated by her economics professor, Sami, a sophomore at Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach, aspires to graduate from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program with the IB Diploma. To fulfill the required personal project, Sami created a business, Tie Dye Unique – designing and constructing the Web site to sell her merchandise. From the beginning, Sami has selflessly donated 100 percent of the profit to charity, and has already raised 75 percent of the necessary funds.

“Everybody loves tie-dye, and wants to do something to help,” said Sami. “Everyone in my Pilates class has purchased tie-dyed socks to wear to class. I am thankful for all the support I have received.”

First exposed to the tie-dying process in an eighth-grade chemistry project, Sami has mixed pounds of brightly colored dyes and wrapped hundreds of rubber bands, to create unique color combinations and patterns. Family members and friends flew to Florida – some from as faraway as Los Angeles – to help the Boca Raton teen tie-dye her way to Nicaragua.

With the dinning room table and kitchen countertops covered in newspaper and tarps, the team spent a week repeating the lengthy tie-die process approximately 474 times. With the exception of volleyball practice that week from 3 to 6 p.m., Sami perfected the spiral, random, circle, and striped tie-dye methods.

“My husband and son thought we were absolutely nuts,” said Sindee Kerker, Sami’s mother and professor of Criminal Justice at Lynn University. “Originally, we had planned to tie-dye in the garage, but it was too hot in August to work there.”

After months of selling tie-dye shirts, sweatpants and socks, the mother-daughter team will travel to Nicaragua in December to paint the house Sami is raising funds to build.

“For $3,100, I could make a difference that could last a lifetime for a special family,” said Sami, who confessed the journey will take her outside of her comfort zone. “I am hoping to sell all of my tie-dying projects by the end of the year so I can use my profits to fund a house in Nicaragua.”

To make a donation toward Sami’s initiative or to purchase your own uniquely tie-dyed merchandise, please visit her Web site.

A donation of $2,600 can provide a one-room home to a destitute family. For $1,000, a latrine and shower stall will provide housing recipients with access to proper sanitation and privacy. Proper sanitation is essential to the health and welfare of a thriving family and helps prevent life-threatening illnesses.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Food For The Poor, Jamaican Diaspora Seek Closer Ties for South Florida Caribbean Communities

On Thursday, Nov. 18, Food for the Poor, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Jamaica, and the Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board for Southern United States, will host an afternoon of thanksgiving and tour of the headquarters for Caribbean community diaspora organizations in South Florida.

The afternoon will begin with Thankful Thursday service followed by a panel presentation from Food For The Poor executives and field officers on best practices and resources for meeting the needs of the poor in the Caribbean. The event will be from 1 to 4 p.m., and will end with light refreshments and networking.

“Food For The Poor has a longstanding history and relationship with nations of the Caribbean. With the Thanksgiving season upon us, we wanted to share our blessings and lessons learned over the years in responding to the needs of the poorest of the poor,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor's President/CEO. “Diaspora community organizations have much to share and learn from each other in fostering our best response to disasters and to other areas of need in the respective countries of the region.”

Consul General Hon. Sandra Grant Griffiths said that the Consulate of Jamaica felt impelled to participate in such a gratifying and useful exercise. “The focus on effective, humanitarian assistance and human development management is fitting and always timely,” she said. “The particular vulnerability of our geographic region requires that we “as communities” become better equipped to be our brothers’ keepers.”

The commitment to improve access to education is a key initiative of Food For The Poor, and the session will focus especially on how the South Florida community can make the future brighter for thousands of children.

“The Caribbean community continues to grow exponentially across America. It is critical that community organizations build capacity and foster community partnerships to respond to the needs of their local diaspora communities and also to the needs of our respective countries of heritage. Food For The Poor epitomizes this example of organizational excellence. We have much to learn for the benefit of our communities,” stated Marlon Hill, Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board member for the Southern United States.

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Food For The Poor Installs Water Filtration Systems to Aid Prevention of Cholera

Food For The Poor’s 24-year tenure in Haiti has aided the nonprofit’s immediate response to the spread of cholera. As the threat of disease has loomed over Haiti’s recovery from January’s destructive earthquake, Food For The Poor remained committed to investing in sanitation and water projects throughout the country.

“Where Food For The Poor has installed water treatment systems prior to this crisis we have not heard of a single reported case of cholera,” said Daniel Rouzier, the Chairman of Food For The Poor-Haiti, who is coordinating Food For The Poor’s in country response.

The strategy of providing long-term solutions through water filtration systems and permanent housing has benefited regions where Food For The Poor works. The filtration systems each can treat up to 10,000 gallons of water per day and reduce waterborne diseases by removing suspended pathogens. Water filtration units are operational in Poirier, Desdunes (2), Dokozel, Villard, Petit Reviere, Poteneau, Descarreaux, Marchands Dessalines, and Gros Chaudière.

“We have mobilized a good number of doctors and nurses to visit vulnerable areas,” wrote Father Duken Augustin, who partners with Food For The Poor in Cap-Haiten, Haiti. “We continue to fight. Please keep us in your prayers.”

Infected persons, seeking medical help have traveled south to the capital and north to Cap-Haitien, creating the potential for countrywide contamination – to the point where the neighbor country, the Dominican Republic, has closed its border.

Access to clean water is a matter of life and death for the people of Haiti. Food For The Poor moved quickly to install 10 solar-powered filtration units in Haiti’s affected Artibonite region and mobilized the distribution of bottled water by the container. Water Missions International in partnership with Food For The Poor has helped to install the water filtration units. An additional 10 water filtration units will be air freighted and installed in the Artibonite region, for a total of 20 since the cholera outbreak.

“Cholera and malaria do not kill people in First World countries where there is access to medicine,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “In Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, destitute children are often emaciated and their immune systems are compromised. If the disease is not contained, the problem could expand well beyond its current bounds.”

Pit latrines and sanitation blocks that include both toilets and shower stalls are critically needed to prevent the spread of dysentery, cholera and malaria. Food For The Poor’s permanent homes are constructed to meet these standards.

“Water from the rivers, where the majority of the people find water to drink, bathe, cook and wash, is the same river where animals drink, bathe and defecate,” said Aloma.

Critical items being sent are:
  • Medicines, including antibiotics and oral rehydration salts. These will be airlifted.
  • Hygiene kits with soap, toothpaste and other personal care items to help prevent spread of disease. The distribution of prepositioned supplies in the Port-au-Prince distribution center has been initiated. Approximately 31,000 personal care and hygiene kits were shipped from the Coconut Creek distribution center on Friday.
  • Blankets for more than 46,600 people. Shipment left Food For The Poor’s Coconut Creek distribution center today.
  • Powerade and Pedialyte.
To learn how to help, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/emergency.

Food For The Poor, the third-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 agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Food For The Poor Photographer’s Work Goes on Exhibit

A powerful look at the harsh reality of what life is like for some in the Caribbean and Central America has been captured in photos by Food For The Poor’s staff photographer Benjamin Rusnak.

Rusnak’s talents are used to document the life of the poorest of the poor, ultimately bringing into focus the lack of basic human needs, and ways that all of us can help. In May, Rusnak’s photo of little a girl in one of Guatemala’s massive garbage dumps was selected as the photo of the year by InterAction, an aid coalition based out of Washington, D.C.

Rusnak’s alma mater, George Mason University outside Washington, D.C. in Fairfax, Va., will showcase his work as a humanitarian photojournalist in a special exhibit: Dreams & Tempests 2007-2010. The 1992 graduate says he’s excited about returning to the place where it all started 18 years ago, and is hoping his work will make an impact on those who see it.

“It is my hope that in this body of work I have been able to transcend the traditional use of the panoramic photograph, creating not only landscapes, but also peoplescapes in a new and intimate way,” said Rusnak. “This is a world that is at once gritty and beautiful because of the dignity, faith and endurance of the impoverished people that I have the opportunity and privilege to photograph.”

Since 2000, Rusnak has documented poverty for Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development agency in the United States, based in Coconut Creek, Fla. His decade of experience as a newspaper photographer prior to joining the charity has proved vital in helping him to capture the powerful images of life in the developing world.

“Ben’s photos help us tell the story of need, and also of hope and promise in a powerful way,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “Ben serves as the eyes of those who cannot travel with us, and helps us call attention to the needs of the poor.”

The exhibition opens Monday, Nov. 1, 2010 and will be on display for two weeks at George Mason University’s Gallery 123 located in the Johnson Center from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is open to the public, but weekends are by appointment. Rusnak will be on campus to speak about his exhibit Monday, Nov.8, 2010 at 2 p.m.

Samples of Rusnak’s work is available on Food For The Poor's Web site.

Food For The Poor, is one of the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.