All-Nighter to “Teach A Man to Fish,” Not Cram For Exams

Are you ready to change the world?

Help break the generational chains of poverty in developing countries by offering the destitute self-sustainable solutions and skills training opportunities. Students on your campus can unite with others nationwide to commemorate World Food Day in partnership with the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor.

During the months of October and November students are encouraged to come together for one night to participate in Food For The Poor’s “All-Nighter for the Poor” on their campuses. The goal is to increase awareness about malnutrition and to fund self-sustainable solutions – such as tilapia ponds and animal husbandry projects – to alleviate hunger in developing countries.

Students at the University of Florida (UF) are gearing up to participate in Food For The Poor’s All-Nighter For The Poor. Approximately 50,000 students are enrolled at UF for the Fall 2010 semester, and organizers for “Gators for the Poor” are working to sign up as many students and faculty as possible.

“I’m so excited to make other UF students aware of Food For The Poor, an organization with which I just had the privilege of getting involved,” said Kayla Cochran, an English major from Deerfield Beach, Fla. “I pray this event strengthens unity within the campus and extends compassion to those outside.”

Last year, more than 35 colleges and universities countrywide made a commitment to make a positive, tangible difference in our world. In one night, they raised enough money to build a self-sustaining tilapia farm in Haiti’s Artibonite region.

The farm in Delonger, consists of four 5,000-square-foot ponds that can each accommodate approximately 7,000 fish. Local community members are trained in how to cultivate and harvest the tilapia, and in distribution methods for this highly marketable product. Continuous production of one tilapia pond can generate 1,800 pounds of fish every four months. Portions of each harvest are donated to local feeding centers and orphanages. Video of the four tilapia ponds is available on YouTube.

Miami Dade College (MDC) was last year’s top fundraising team. The initiative to fight hunger and poverty spurred more than 600 MDC students to participate in Food For The Poor’s “All-Nighter for the Poor.” Stephanie Del Pino was a sophomore at MDC when she helped organize the inaugural campus event and set the ambitious goal. MDC students worked with administrators leading up to the event to coordinate on-campus speaker presentations, car washes and weekly bake sales. The pre-event fundraising was critical to the success of the MDC team. The additional exposure allowed them to tell the story of the poor in the classroom and community. The MDC All-Nighter culminated in a giant outdoor party that included various types of dance, food from around the world, song, games, performances, art, poetry and more.

“Haiti’s debilitating famine and earthquake compels us to take social responsibility to help alleviate poverty and transform lives,” said Del Pino.

To register your school or join your school’s “All-Nighter for the Poor” team visit www.allnighterforthepoor.org. This site also offers a downloadable “How To” guide, publicity materials, and directions to help you create personalized donation pages and more. For more information, please call 1-877-654-2960, ext. 6988 or e-mail info@allnighterforthepoor.org.

Food For The Poor, 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.