Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Miami Marlins player Bonifacio brightens boys’ home

Orphans at the Hogar Escuela Santo Domingo Savio in the Dominican Republic received an early Christmas gift when Miami Marlins player Emilio Bonifacio surprised them on Dec. 14. The 120 boys at the orphanage sponsored by Food For The Poor enjoyed a meal with the baseball star and hometown hero, who later gave each of them T-shirts with the team’s new logo.

“It was an honor to be there at the orphanage and spend time with the kids. I take pride in helping them any which way I can,” Bonifacio said. “Growing up close to that orphanage, I’m proud to have the opportunity to give back to the community I call home.”

The home participates in Food For The Poor’s Angels of Hope child sponsorship program and receives donated items from the international relief and development ministry. The charity recently completed a water project for the home and renovated the kitchen.

The boys who live at the home did not know about Bonifacio’s visit and the lunchroom erupted in cheers when he walked through the doors. One of the boys jumped up and ran to him to give him a big hug.

Many of the boys were wearing orange bands with Bible verses they had received as merit awards. “One of the boys went up to give him one, and before you know it, he had 10 of them on one arm,” said Edward Young, Food For The Poor Country Manager for the D.R. “They even matched the color of the orange in the new uniforms. They wanted to give him something, too.”

Bonifacio distributed T-shirts with the new Miami Marlins logo, and was surprised with an extemporaneous thank you from an 11-year-old who was moved to show his appreciation.

Boys come to the home for a variety of reasons. Some are orphaned; while many have families who are not able to adequately care for them by providing for their basic needs or an education. In some cases, the boys have suffered abuse or mistreatment before finding care and comfort in the home.

“Having Emilio Bonifacio surprise the boys with a visit is a wonderful gift for these young men,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “Through his presence, they know that someone cares enough to spend precious time with them. It’s a reminder that they are loved, that they have a future, and that they can dream. We are so grateful to him.”

In December 2010, Bonifacio joined Food For The Poor in a distribution of more than 2,000 mitts, bats, balls, helmets, catcher’s gear, cleats and uniforms to D.R. baseball leagues for orphans. A similar event is planned for late January 2012.

Food For The Poor and the Miami Marlins also have worked together to raise awareness of the need in Haiti, and representatives of the two groups traveled together in May to celebrate the opening of a village in Malfety. Donations to the Homes for Haiti campaign led to the construction of Inspiration Village, which consists of 41 two-room houses with personal sanitation units. The community has a water well, a solar powered water purification unit, and a community center to offer the opportunity for further education, including vocational skills and training in agriculture and animal husbandry. These services will help the farmers achieve better results, and enable them to support their families and make the community sustainable.

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Kathy Skipper
Food For The Poor
Public Relations Director
954-427-2222 x 6614
kathys@foodforthepoor.com

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Food For The Poor organizes prisoner releases nonviolent offenders freed in Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti and Honduras

In anticipation of Christmas, Food For The Poor released prisoners who have committed nonviolent offenses in Jamaica (22), Guyana (25), Haiti (36) and Honduras (2). They were incarcerated due to their inability to pay required fines. Eighty-five prisoners have been released in these countries in time to spend Christmas with their families.

“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.”

In developing countries, the destitute sometimes have no way to feed their families other than to steal food. The consequence often 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.

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).

Mahfood visited a prison in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, this year with 17 priests and pastors. Together they prayed for the inmates, who live in decrepit buildings and are at the mercy of disease outbreaks, such as cholera. Prison cells measuring 16-by-16 feet sometimes hold more than 30 men.

Since the inception of Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program in 2000, more than 1,048 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.

“Behave yourself, because in there [it is] rough,” said a 34-year-old former Jamaican inmate, when asked if he had any advice for youngsters outside of the penal institutions. “I appreciate the help from Food For The Poor,” he continued, “because my mother had been helping to take care of my children while I was in there, but they are my responsibility and I just wanted to come out and be a father to them.”

This year in Jamaica, a total of 22 inmates were released from prisons in Mandeville, Spanish Town and St. Catherine.

“All of us deserve a second chance and we have given these men and women that opportunity,” said Sandra Ramsay, administrator of the prison ministry at Food For The Poor-Jamaica.

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.

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.

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Wisconsin helping Haiti one child, one family at a time

Thanks to Worldwide Hunger Relief, Inc. and caring volunteers, more than 250,000 meals are ready to be shipped to Haiti to feed children in Food For The Poor’s feeding programs. Hundreds of volunteers filled the Wisconsin Products Pavilion at the State Fair Park in Milwaukee, for the four-day event in October to pack 18 pallets of nutritious food.

“The packers came from all walks of life, from the very young to the elderly. We had classrooms of kids and more than 60 kids from a local Islamic high school. We even had a church group bring 80 children from an after-school program,” said Karl Ralian, Founder and President of Worldwide Hunger Relief, Inc. “Most interesting of all, we had 15 people from a wedding party who came to pack food. I was completely blown away by this heartwarming testimonial to people's goodness.”

Each participant’s $20 fee was used to purchase dehydrated foods for the meal packs, which will provide nutritious food without the fear of spoiling and will prevent waterborne illness because boiling water is needed to rehydrate the meals.

In addition to the 250,000 meals, Worldwide Hunger Relief, Inc. has committed to building a village in Haiti through Food For The Poor’s “Next Step Challenge” campaign. The village will be constructed in Grand Boulage, which is nestled in the mountains between the Center and West Departments of Haiti, and is approximately an hour and a half drive from Port-au-Prince. More than 30,000 people live in this farming community.

After the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, the situation in Grand Boulage quickly worsened. Many were forced to abandon what was left of their homes to pitch tents in the mountains. Nearly two years later, many of Grand Boulage’s residents are still sleeping unprotected in the open. The closest water source is located in a town called Despinos, some five miles away from where many in the community call home.

Because of the dire need in Grand Boulage, Food For The Poor and Worldwide Hunger Relief, Inc. are committed to providing the residents there with much-needed housing. You can learn how to create your own fundraising page for this project or make secure online donations at www.FoodForThePoor.org/challenge.

“We want to thank all who are involved in this event, for keeping the needs of the people in Haiti in mind and for helping us to feed the hungry, especially the children,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Because of all your hard work, soon thousands in the community of Grand Boulage will have sturdy houses, fruit trees, and farm animals. This will provide the people with the greatest of opportunities to become a self-sustaining community.”

To learn more about future food packing events please click on WorldwideHungerRelief.org for complete details.

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

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

WLRN raises funds to feed more than 600 children in Haiti

Thanks to the generosity of Friends of WLRN and 91.3 WLRN’s radio listeners, the South Florida public radio station raised enough money to feed more than 600 children in Haiti for six months. For the second time this year, this much-needed assistance has come during a time when soaring food and fuel prices are putting a strain on nonprofits.

“Words cannot express the gratitude Food For The Poor has for the Friends of WLRN and 91.3 WLRN for helping us to provide food to feed hundreds of children in Haiti,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “This is a tremendous blessing and many lives will be saved as a result.”

Through the station’s generosity in three previous campaigns, more than 2,000 children were fed through Food For The Poor’s feeding programs. In Haiti, more than half of the population, including two-thirds of the children, suffers from malnutrition. In Haiti, 76 of every 1,000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday.

“Starving children in this world is a tragedy and unfortunately is the harsh reality of thousands of children in Haiti,” said Wagner Previato, Director of Marketing and Membership for Friends of WLRN. “We are thankful to our members in South Florida and humbled for the opportunity to help feed Haitian children through the Food For The Poor program”.

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 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Monday, December 12, 2011

Three Atlanta attorneys blog as they bring Water-Life-Hope to Haiti

Three attorneys from Atlanta-area communities traveled with the nonprofit Food For The Poor to Haiti, Dec. 5-8, to visit remote communities in desperate need of clean, safe drinking water. During their journey they posted photos and comments on their travel blog at www.waterlifehope.blogspot.com.

Travelers included Edward Buckley (Decatur), Amanda Farahany (Atlanta), and Sheryl McCalla (Avondale Estates).

“In our view, the right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental human right we have,” said Buckley. “The water wells that have already been installed in Haiti have made an extraordinary difference to the people in the communities they serve.”

For eight years, Buckley and his supporters have raised money to drill and install lifesaving water wells throughout Jamaica and Haiti with the assistance of Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States. The group has funded the construction of more than 100 artesian wells throughout Haiti. Each well provides an average of 5,000 people access to potable water.

“Water is important to life,” blogged McCalla. “Try going a day without clean water, just one. In Grand Boulage, Haiti the closest water source is 5-miles away. According to the UN the impact of diarrhoeal disease on children is greater than the combined impact of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The provision of improved sanitation and drinking water could reduce diarrhoeal disease by nearly 90 percent.”

When the cholera outbreak was confirmed in Haiti, Buckley donated a water filtration unit to help prevent the spread of the water borne illness. Each water filtration unit has the capacity to purify 10,000 gallons of water a day.

“I thought that it would be worse, but in many ways, it is better,” said Farahany. This was her first trip back to Haiti since the devastating 2010 earthquake.

“There is still great poverty and most don't have access to running water, but there is a lot of progress too,” said Farahany. “There are roads built where there were none before, people have water where there was none before, there are people working and building where there was no real employment before and I see hope for the future of the country there.”

To support their initiative, and provide a village in Haiti with the gift of water, please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code “SC# 77518” so your donation may be tracked to the Water-Life-Hope initiative. Donations may be mailed to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. All gifts are tax-deductible. Online donations can also be made through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/water-haiti.

“I saw communities of people who have taken the helping hand and have lifted themselves up,” blogged Farahany. “What I learned is that we are making a difference. That the people who reached out after the earthquake and gave of themselves and their money - have changed Haiti for the better. And that the people of Haiti are not only grateful, but are taking themselves to a higher place because of it.”

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 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org

Contact
:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Friday, December 2, 2011

Radio personalities travel to Haiti with Food For The Poor

On-air personalities from across the country traveled to Haiti this fall with the Christian relief and development organization, Food For The Poor. For many of the travelers, this was their first experience witnessing this level of extreme destitution.

“The bottom line is people, humankind, should not be living in this kind of squalor,” said Big Wave Dave, afternoon host of The Fish 95.9 FM in Los Angeles, while walking through Shada, Haiti. “This is something that we as Americans cannot fathom – the worst parts of the Bronx, the worst part of Southern California and L.A. – pales in comparison.”

In this video, standing along the seawall, Big Wave Dave describes the putrid smell of the rotting garbage in the canal and how the children surrounding him drink, fish, and wash in this water source. In the distance, the dilapidated structures that the children call home are visible.

“Now just imagine what that is doing to their bodies on top of their living conditions,” said Big Wave Dave. “The $12 a month will not only feed a family of four for a month, or $144 for a year, but, get this, Food For The Poor is building new homes to get families out of this mess and into a new environment. If you want to talk about boots on the ground, that is the core.”

With more than 600,000 Haitians still living in tent cities, one of Food For The Poor’s biggest priorities in the country is building homes. Almost 17,000 homes have been constructed by the charity in Haiti – 2,600 of those since the Jan. 12 earthquake. The charity has the capacity to build 350 two-room homes a month, and is limited only by funding.

“With your help we have made a difference here without my feet being on the ground,” said Tim Hartlage, General Manager of 94.7 FM WFIA in Louisville, Ky. in this video shot in Derac, Haiti. “These kids used to live in a house much worse than the house behind me. Across the street here this is what we are doing, this is the hope you are giving these families here, we are helping them.”

Since returning to the air in Louisville, his passionate pleas have stirred listeners to help those starving in Haiti. “Right now our mission is to help feed them,” said Hartlage.

In 2009, when Hartlage traveled to Haiti with Food For The Poor, he said he was overwhelmed to learn Haiti’s destitute children eat “mud cookies” to help quell their hunger pains.

While in Haiti, the group witnessed firsthand the work of Food For The Poor, and met the families featured in the radio campaigns, as well as those who wished to thank radio listeners for their compassion. They distributed food at a Food For The Poor feeding center which provides 15,000 hot meals six days a week. The travelers also visited a Food For The Poor school in Cité Soleíl, where the students receive what might well be their only meal for the day.

“It is unbelievable, it just brings you to tears,” said Melanie Lynn, morning on-air host for PULSE 96.9/92.1 FM from South Bend, Ind., during her first visit to Haiti.

With children seated in her lap and clinging to her in this video, Lynn encourages listeners to partner with Food For The Poor so children might have renewed hope and access to food and safe drinking water.

On-air appeals raise money to house and feed starving families in Haiti.

Additional radio personalities on the trip included Rob Davis, Salem Radio; George Flores, WAWZ (N.Y.); Heather Lloyd, KPRZ (San Diego, Calif.); and Katherine Worthington, KKLA (Los Angeles, Calif.).

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

WLRN Radio fundraises to feed children in Haiti

Friends of WLRN is reaching out for the second time this year to help Food For The Poor. This much-needed help is coming during a time when soaring food and fuel prices are putting a strain on nonprofits. 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 children in Haiti.

Friends of WLRN has dedicated its fundraising time from 4 p.m. Nov. 30, to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, to help Food For The Poor. During the 27-hour campaign, for every $100 committed by listeners who call to support the station during that time, Friends of WLRN will donate $18 to feed a hungry child in Haiti for six months through Food For The Poor’s feeding programs.

“Haiti has suffered much since the earthquake of 2010 and through it all the South Florida community and supporters of our public radio station have responded generously. The goal of our partnership with Food For The Poor is to help the organization to provide as many nutritious meals as possible to feed the vulnerable in Haiti,” said Wagner Previato, Director of Marketing and Membership for Friends of WLRN.

Through the station’s generosity in three previous campaigns, more than 2,000 children for six months have been fed through Food For The Poor’s feeding programs. 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 rising cost of some of the most basic of provisions, such as beans and rice, is making it financially difficult to ship life-sustaining foods,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We’re not giving up on Haiti, and we are very grateful for the support of Friends of WLRN and 91.3 WLRN for supporting our efforts to feed the poor.”

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 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Big Mama and Lake Worth church parishioners turn to Food For The Poor to deliver Thanksgiving meals

As the price of Thanksgiving dinner increases this year, more people are needed to help serve the less fortunate. “Big Mama” Essie Reed, and parishioners from United Overcomer Church in Riviera Beach contacted Food For The Poor this year to ask for help to purchase turkeys for needy families.

“Big Mama’s doing great work in South Florida and what she does is important for the community,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “She said the Broward County School Board has identified families to receive the 200 turkeys we have donated to her cause.”

Parishioners from United Overcomer Church in Riviera Beach, are gearing up to go door-to-door Thanksgiving morning to deliver hot meals to an estimated 600 to 800 people living in nearby Lake Worth. To help with the distribution, Food For The Poor donated money for 40 turkeys to the church’s feeding mission.

“United Overcomer Church has a feeding ministry that serves meals twice a month,” said Norman Perkins, who will cook and deliver meals this Thanksgiving with his son and daughter before sitting down with his own family to celebrate the holiday.

United Overcomer also plans on setting up a feeding center at their church where hot meals will be available for pick up. Some of the congregation’s members are also delivering meals to the disabled in Riviera Beach and to families in Miramar.

“I am a strong advocate that if you give back you will fulfill the ministry of Jesus – you will have life in a real way,” said Perkins.

In addition to Food For The Poor’s international mission, the organization also supports charities in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

“We are blessed that we were able to help this church in Riviera Beach, and the hard workers and their families in Lake Worth,” said Mahfood. “The church is taking food directly to those who need it, and we are glad to have helped them with their mission. This is what Christ calls us to do.”

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact
:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Feeding the hungry, one step at a time

There is still time to lace up your sneakers and register to participate in Food For The Poor’s “5K Walk/Run For Hunger.” Join us this Saturday, Nov. 19, for the first “5K Walk/Run For Hunger” at Tropical Park located at 7900 Bird Road, Miami, Fla.

Pre-registration, through Friday, is at the discounted rate of $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-10; there is no fee for children 5 years old and under. You can also register the day of the event. Visit www.FoodForThePoor.org to get started!

Runners should arrive by 6 a.m. for registration/check-in and the run begins at 7 a.m. Awards will be given for top male and female age group finishers for the 5K run in each of the following brackets: 14 & under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69 and 70+.

Walkers should arrive by 9 a.m. for registration/check-in. Come and enjoy a fun family event with face painting, balloon artists and live music. T-shirt and souvenir dog-tag included!

Donations will feed families in the countries we serve. Prizes for fundraising through Dec. 1, 2011 include:

• Raise $5,000 and above – receive an Apple iPad or 32’ Flat Screen TV
• Raise $2,500 and above – receive a Wii Fit or Kindle
• Raise $1,000 and above – receive a Portable DVD Player or Digital Camera

Please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/walk to sign up, start a team or make a donation. For more information, call 1-888-404-4248 or email rachelp@FoodForThePoor.com.

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 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Friday, November 11, 2011

Caribbean region battling HIV/AIDS, needs help to win the fight

It’s been 30 years since the world first learned about the dreadful disease that attacks a person’s body by destroying specific blood cells that fight infections. According to the World Health Organization, since the beginning of this pandemic, more than 60 million people worldwide have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and nearly 30 million have died from this virus that causes AIDS or acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Many medical advances have been made, including the introduction of antiretroviral drugs like AZT in 1987 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In the mid-90s a highly active combo of medicines were introduced to treat the virus. Today, these medicines are helping those infected with HIV to live longer and to have productive lives.

“It is these medicines Food For The Poor is seeking to obtain through donors and partner organizations to help those living with HIV/AIDS and those infected by this virus get the treatment and support they need,” said Robin Mahfood, CEO/President of Food For The Poor. “This ministry has been saving lives, transforming communities and renewing hope in the Caribbean and Latin America for nearly 30 years. We are committed to using all available resources to support the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS for those we serve.”

Food For The Poor helps to empower 33 facilities throughout the Caribbean and Latin America that care for more than 10,000 individuals with this virus. In the Caribbean, in 2009, more than 240,000 people in the region were living with HIV. In that same year there were 20,000 new infections, and 12,000 deaths that resulted from AIDS-related illnesses, according to statements by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Due to these staggering statistics, Food For The Poor has been invited to participate and is on the planning committee for the very first conference on AIDS in the Caribbean region. Food For The Poor will be represented by Susan Moore, Director of Healthcare for Food For The Poor’s Jamaica office.

“Food For The Poor has always been there for the people of Jamaica, and many in the Caribbean. I am hopeful this conference will help to break down stigmas about this disease so we can continue to help as many people as possible,” said Moore.

Food For The Poor has provided ongoing support to Jamaica’s Mustard Seed Community for more than 25 years. The Mustard Seed orphanage cares for the abandoned, the disabled, and for children who are HIV positive. Since 2003, Food For The Poor’s Our Lady of The Poor Medical Clinic at Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has been serving those affected by the disease. The clinic runs a comprehensive prevention mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission program and clinic for infected patients. In the Dominican Republic, Food For The Poor has partnered with Fundacion Cruz Jiminian, which collaborates with two organizations there to provide testing, counseling, and medication.

“We are touching the lives of the infected and those who are affected especially the children,” said Rachmani Domersant, Vice President of International Operations for Food For The Poor. “We are so thankful to be in a position to help, and to have an active role in this fight against HIV/AIDS – what a blessing!”

More than 2,500 participants, including doctors, researchers, healthcare providers, organizations and HIV patients have registered to attend the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference –Strengthening Evidence to Achieve Sustainable Action. The conference is scheduled for November 18-21, 2011 in Nassau, Bahamas, at the Atlantis Hotel & Resort. For details on the conference click on www.2011caribbeanhivconference.org.

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

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Honor Society of Nursing recognizes Food For The Poor

Food For The Poor was one of two organizations to receive Archon Awards at the 2011 International Awards for Nursing Excellence in Grapevine, Texas, on Monday, Oct. 31. The award is granted to those who have made health a major aspect of their work, and have created significant change on a national or international scope.

“We provide assistance, which includes medicines for orphans, the sick and the handicapped in the countries we serve,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “In 2010, Food For The Poor shipped more than 670 tractor-trailer loads of medicines and medical supplies. Caring donors have made this possible, and we are honored to be recognized for their generosity.”

Food Food For The Poor’s Executive Vice President, Alvaro Pereira, accepted the award.

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

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Boca committee members open their hearts to Haiti

To kick-start the much anticipated 17th annual Food For The Poor Building Hope Gala, seven committee members from the Boca Raton/Lighthouse Point communities traveled to Haiti Nov. 7-9 with the South Florida-based nonprofit. The committee members traveled as ambassadors to witness first-hand the condition of the people and to learn how the nonprofit continues to improve their lives and living conditions.

“It was a very sad day, but a great experience – a life adjusting experience,” said Rene Mahfood, the event’s Honorary Chairperson after her first day in Haiti. “What we saw today puts everything in perspective. You think about how expensive life is back home and all the things you can’t afford. Then you realize that all those material things don’t matter. None of it matters. All that matters is having a roof over your head, being able to clothe your children and having food to eat.”

The gala will be Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton. Attendees will be invited to create a legacy by pledging to build critically needed houses during the charity’s live house-rally. Last year’s energized crowd pledged to construct a record 60 housing units – to restore hope and to shelter the destitute in the Caribbean and Latin America. This year more than 350 caring South Florida residents are expected to attend.

“We’re blessed,” said Ronda Gluck, Event Co-Chairperson, after she visited a family in Cité Soleil who will soon receive a new Food For The Poor house. “We have no idea the luxuries we live in, compared to this house. It’s nothing. I feel terrible. These families are blessed to be receiving a home.”

“I don’t believe these people live in the same world that I do – only a two hour plane ride away,” said Kara Seelye, an event committee member. “It’s disturbing. You just don’t get it when you’re a Boca housewife. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. The only way we can build more houses for people is by sharing what we’ve seen. More people need to come and see it for themselves.”

Proceeds from this year’s Building Hope Gala will fund the construction of homes in Haiti. According to the United Nations’ shelter committee the catastrophic 2010 earthquake initially left 1.3 million people in Haiti homeless. Today approximately 600,000 are still without shelter. More than 2,400 two-room permanent homes have been built by Food For The Poor in Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake.

“It’s important for these people to experience poverty first hand,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO, who traveled with members of the Boca committee. “To see it, smell it and taste it. Then they know what they are raising money for, and how to do it – to help one family at a time.”

Travelers included Ronda Gluck, Rene Mahfood, Becky Carlsson, Julie Mahfood, Allison Venditti, Traci Wilson, and Kara Seelye.

Additional committee members include Cathy & Abdol Moabery (Event Co-Chairpersons), David Gluck (Event Co-Chairperson), Francis Mahfood (Honorary Chairperson), Ronda Ellis Ged, Michele Greene, Pamela Matsil,
Natasha Singh, and Patricia Wallace.

“Since Haiti’s Jan. 12 earthquake, the need for safe, permanent housing remains tremendous, said Mahfood. “Hundreds of thousands of displaced Haitians have been forced to live under tarps and tents for almost two years. As a result of these inhumane living conditions, the spread of disease and waterborne illnesses have thrived, causing even more devastation.”

Media master of ceremonies, Calvin Hughes, an Emmy Award-winning newscaster for WPLG-TV ABC Local 10 News, will share stories from his journeys to Haiti at the event. For years he has reported how nonprofits such as Food For The Poor continue to strive to improve lives and living conditions throughout the country.

For additional information regarding the Building Hope Gala, benefactor levels, and tickets, available at $225 per person, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/boca.

The Building Hope Gala committee has organized a pre-event on Dec. 15, in time for the holiday season. Join the committee for champagne and hors d’oeuvres at Gregory’s Fine Jewelry in Delray Beach’s The Addison Shops to purchase a dazzling piece of jewelry for your loved ones. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the charity’s gala.

Event sponsors include Gregory’s Fine Jewelry, TD Bank, N.A., Regal Home Health, Haiti Shipping Lines, Seaboard Marine Ltd., Dennis Charley & Associates, American Nicaraguan Foundation, Mailing Service of Pittsburg, and Jox Sox.

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Boca Grande meets goal in Pierre Payen and changes lives

Boca Grande Friendship Village, a picturesque community that’s nestled between majestic mountains, dozens of fruit trees, a river, and an ocean has transformed the lives of hundreds of people in Pierre Payen, Haiti. Thanks to the caring residents of Southwest Florida’s Boca Grande community, pastel colored houses now sit in a valley that was once occupied with mud huts.

“Boca Grande has been a tremendous blessing for many families in Pierre Payen, but most importantly, they’ve restored hope and the desire to dream again into the lives of so many,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “To help the residents of Friendship Village to become even more self-sustaining, Boca Grande completed their second phase earlier this year, which included a nine-room basic school, 22 more homes with sanitation and cisterns, two solar-powered street lamps, 150 more fruit trees and a cow farm.”

The Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee was working through Food For The Poor to build homes in the Artibonite Region of the country long before the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake in 2010. Later that year, 40 double-unit homes equipped with kitchenettes, sanitation and 200-gallon plastic water cisterns to collect rain water were constructed. A water treatment system for the entire community, 500 fruit trees, an animal husbandry project, a community chicken farm, a community center with a solar-powered system to provide electricity, and a five-room vocational school were also provided.

“I had to stand all night when it rained in the past. I had no place to lie down because of the mud inside the house. Now, I can sleep when it rains and not get wet,” said one Friendship Village resident. “No one in the past would let their kids even come to the village because it was considered too backwards. Now, everybody comes to visit us,” said another.

Ben Scott, chair of the Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee, has now turned his focus toward Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince, and the town of Michaud. Progress is taking place, but not fast enough for the hundreds of thousands of earthquake victims who are still living in tent cities nearly two years later. It has become the goal of Boca Grande to build as many homes as possible, with the help of Food For The Poor, for earthquake survivors.

“Our next project will begin in February 2012,” said Scott. “There are more than 500,000 people who are still homeless, but we have to focus on helping one family at a time.”

Michaud is a small, impoverished town with approximately 10,000 residents and was once considered the backyard of Croix-des-Bouquets. It sits in the middle of farmlands, which land owners used to cultivate sugar cane for the Haitian American Sugar Company in the mid-80s, before its closure. Today, residents rely upon seasonal agriculture for survival, mainly millet and some sugar cane, which they sell in the marketplace.

Boca Grande’s goal through Food For The Poor is to provide 40 families in Michaud with 40 double-unit houses, which will include sanitation units and water tanks. Each family will also be given two solar-powered lanterns; four solar-powered street lamps will be installed in the community in 2012.

Scott, along with donors of the Pierre Payen project and Food For The Poor staff from the Coconut Creek office will be traveling to Haiti the week of Nov. 14 for the dedication of the village and the nine room basic school.

Committee members include: Ben and Louise Scott, the Rev. Gary Beatty, the Rev. Jerome Carosella, the Rev. Read Heydt, George and Lois Castrucci, Patricia Chapman, Ray and Iliene Corcoran, Charlie and Florita Field, Lou and Corie Fusz, Stephen and Susan Jansen, Tom and Nancy Lorden, Colvin and Madelaine McCrady, and John and Pauline Mendez.

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

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Palm Beach philanthropists to celebrate life of Robert G. Gordon at Food For The Poor’s Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures Gala

Food For The Poor’s ninth annual Palm Beach Gala, Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures, will be Sunday, January 29, 2012, at The Breakers, Palm Beach. The annual event is chaired by distinguished Palm Beach philanthropists Arlette Gordon and Elizabeth Bowden (Honorary Chairwomen), and Paul Marino (Event Chairman).

The gala will honor the life of Robert G. Gordon, one of Palm Beach’s finest treasures. With a passion for both culinary achievement and charitable giving, Robert and Arlette Gordon served for five years as the gala’s Honorary Chairpersons. Together, the Gordon’s invited members of the Palm Beach community to become involved in this philanthropic cause and transform lives of poverty and suffering into ones filled with hope and thanksgiving.

“Robert and I considered it an honor to be part of Food For The Poor’s Palm Beach Gala,” said Arlette Gordon. “Robert prided himself on recognizing good company, wine, food and efficient philanthropic giving. He was impressed that more than 96 percent of all donations to Food For The Poor go to programs that directly benefit the poor.”

This year’s proceeds will be used to build a critically needed school in Robert Gordon’s honor to benefit approximately 100 disadvantaged children near Gordon’s Village in Bluefields, Jamaica. In developing countries, school classes are sometimes held under a tree or in a dilapidated building. Both of these scenarios make it difficult for the students to concentrate on their studies.

“We believe education is the foundation for a successful future,” said Arlette Gordon. “Robert would be touched by the generosity of his friends to know that so many had gathered together to build a school in his honor to extend his legacy.”

Food For The Poor’s Palm Beach Gala will begin with a superb wine tasting reception with selected wines compliments of Republic National Distributing Company, and Dreyfus, Ashby & Co. Throughout the reception, unique wine selections, jewelry and exotic escapes to such places as Hong Kong are among the varied silent and live auction prizes. The event’s wine sponsors specially paired fine wines to enhance each of the five courses and to highlight the executive chefs and restaurants of The Breakers, Palm Beach.

“Robert’s love of life was large, so it’s only fitting that at this year’s gala we honor him by serving some of his favorite things,” said Marino. “It was through his efforts and years of dedication that we were able to build an entire community in Bluefields, Jamaica. We cherish it in his memory – Gordon’s Cove.”

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.

Proceeds from Food For The Poor’s previous Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures - The Best of Palm Beach galas raised funds to establish a self-sustainable fishing village in Bluefields, Jamaica. The project replaced dilapidated shacks with more than 125 safe, permanent houses, a school for 80 children, a fish processing facility, and provided residents with access to water and sanitation.

In addition to Food For The Poor’s International mission, the organization also supports many charities in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Grand benefactors include Florence DeGeorge. Benefactors include Elizabeth Bowden, Arlette Gordon, Helene and Stanley Karp, Lois Pope, and Hermé de Wyman Miro – The International Society of Palm Beach. Gala sponsors include Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., Russ Reid Company, Republic National Distributing Company, TerraGroup and The Frankino Foundation.

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Saving lives with soybeans in Guatemala

Two containers packed to the brim with more than 88,000 pounds of soybeans have arrived to Guatemala City, Guatemala. Loaded in the tiny town of Moorhead, Minn., back in August, these fascinating little beans grown in the United States can be used to make milk, protein-rich meat substitute dishes, and flour. Soybeans, as a food source, are being credited for saving the lives of thousands, especially children, who are suffering from chronic malnutrition in the Central American country.

“The word malnutrition evokes many images in the mind of the reader, but most would be surprised or even shocked to learn that Guatemala, not Haiti, has by far the worst situation in regards to nutrition and children in the Western Hemisphere,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor.

Food For The Poor began shipping soybeans to Guatemala four years ago after learning that soybeans and its byproducts are an excellent source of protein. The parish of San José has a group of women who cook meals for the Pastoral Social de la Parroquia San José in the town of San José Pinula. It is one of dozens of parishes benefiting from soybean product factories in the country.

The women boil the soybeans using a solar-powered water system donated by the generous donors of Food For The Poor to extract the milk for drinking and to make cheese. They process the pulp, adding seasonings, and when prepared, its texture is very similar to ground beef. The mixture is added to meals the women freely give away to the sick and the elderly. They also sell meals to earn a living, allowing them to become participants in the economic growth in their own communities.

“This project really touched my heart,” said Victor Morales, Food For The Poor’s Project Manager of Guatemala. “These people could not afford the meat and dairy products they would have to buy as a source of protein. Out of nutritional need and their willingness to try something new, they embraced the soybean idea and they made it work – they made it successful.”

In response to the great need of the people of Guatemala, Food For The Poor’s donors have stepped up by donating two container loads of soybeans. The World Soy Foundation and member companies of the Northern Food Grade Soybean Association have teamed up in this fight against hunger.

"The World Soy Foundation deeply appreciates the rapid response that the Northern Food Grade Soybean Association showed when we identified this opportunity to do so much good in Guatemala," said World Soy Foundation Executive Director Nathan Ruby.
The bags of soybeans, with help from Caritas Arquidiocesana, will be distributed to the 25 soy product factories located in Sacatepéquez, Zacapa, El Progresso and Guatemala City. From there, the soybean byproducts will be taken to orphanages, schools and feeding centers.

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

Contact
:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Orlando residents to present findings from Haiti at annual gala

Residents from the Orlando area are committed to rescuing Haitian families who call garbage-filled swamps “home.” Central Florida residents interested in Haiti’s rebuilding process are encouraged to attend Food For The Poor’s 12th annual fundraising event, A Celebration of Hope, Nov. 12, at Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa. Proceeds from the annual Orlando gala have built homes for more than 586 families.

“The impact of sheltering just one poor family reverberates from the heart of that family directly to the heart of God,” said Lynne Nasrallah. “I never tire of seeing a rusty tin shack being replaced by a sturdy Food For The Poor home. I have witnessed many fathers’ hands trembling with emotion and many mothers’ tears streaming from their eyes as they are given keys to their new front door. This scene is ‘a celebration of hope’ – a hope that tells the poor that God has indeed remembered His People.”

The evening will include live music, a silent auction, house rally, dancing, and a memorable dinner with friends. Bidding on silent auction prizes offers opportunities for guests to shop and 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.

Event proceeds will be used to construct critically needed homes and water projects in Haiti. Last year’s event raised enough funds to build 42 two-room Food For The Poor homes in Haiti.

For additional information regarding A Celebration of Hope event, sponsorship levels, and tickets, available at $150 per person, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/orlando.

A Celebration of Hope event sponsor, Winter Park Construction and their staff, will build a prefabricated, 12-by-12 foot house in the ballroom, to afford guests the opportunity to appreciate the significance a modest house makes in the lives of the truly destitute. For $6,400, Food For The Poor can build a safe, permanent two-room house with access to water and sanitation. A certificate of appreciate will be mailed to donors along with a photo of the house and housing recipients.

Committee members include: Anibal & Maritza Beltran, Linda Bonnewitz, The del Campo Family, Janice Chong, Cynthia Hawkins, Jackie Heaps, Dr. Aida Jimenez and Isabel Jimenez, Kathy Kinchla, Donna Larson, Tom Murphy, Paul Mylod, Desirae Nasrallah, Nicole Nasrallah, Robin Neel, Nancy Padilla, Lisa Padilla, Patricia Perfito, Amira Rivera, Diane Rogers, Roseline and Pelfrine Saint-Fort, The Santana Family, Marie Schwarz, Kelly Wilkes, Jean and Donna Wilson, and Holly Wilson.

In September, two Orlando residents traveled to Haiti on a Food For The Poor mission trip to witness first hand the conditions of the people and to see how the nonprofit continues to improve lives and living conditions throughout the country. The visitors traveled through swamps, blessed Emmanuel Village V, visited a home for handicapped children and the neonatal unit at Bernard Mevs Hospital, and learned how sustainable initiatives empower villages and increase in-country production of food. These initiatives include tilapia ponds, chicken rearing and animal husbandry projects.

“As pilgrims with Food For The Poor, we begin to personally understand the command: Love one another,” said Nasrallah. “We show our love by the way we look into the eyes of the poor, or by the way we greet them or by the way we clasp their hand. This love lends value to our action.”

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Atlanta residents rally to build a village in Jamaica

Philanthropic residents and sponsors unite to host the fourth annual Atlanta Food For The Poor event, Dreams Across the Sea this Saturday, at The Westin Buckhead Hotel. Proceeds from this year’s event will build a self-sustaining community in McCooks Pen, St. Catherine, Jamaica.

"It's a delight to partner with Food For The Poor in this event for Jamaica, as we bring focus to reducing poverty and creating possibilities for the poor and disadvantaged,” said committee member Garvin Stewart. “Through our obedience to the teachings of Christ their needs will be met, they will be overwhelmed with joy, and they will express their thanks and praise to God."

The McCooks Pen Community Development project will fund the cost of 25 two-room permanent homes with access to clean water and sanitation for destitute residents who currently live in dilapidated shacks made of corrugated zinc with dirt floors. The entire community will benefit from the community center and the agriculture and animal husbandry projects. These projects will provide villagers with a subsidiary income and much needed nutrition.

“The reason I am involved with this event is multifaceted,” said co-chairperson Sylvia McClure. “I truly believe in the work that Food For The Poor is doing and the impact that it has on so many families. Furthermore, I was really impressed with how quickly the project last year was completed with the accountability of all funds.”

The evening will include live entertainment, a silent auction, dancing, and a memorable dinner with friends. Bidding on silent auction prizes such as exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages offer opportunities for guests to shop and donate to the cause.

For additional information regarding the Dreams Across the Sea event, sponsorship levels, and tickets, available at $125 per person, please call, 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/atlanta.

Masters of ceremonies, Atlanta’s 104.7 The FISH morning team hosts Kevin Avery and Taylor Scott, have traveled with Food For The Poor on mission trips to Jamaica and Haiti. At the event they will share a few of their personal travel experiences, and introduce a documentary that was recently filmed in one of the poorest parts of Jamaica, McCooks Pen.

In the video Pastor Keith Pitt says, “I believe once you get people empowered, they will be able to help others.”

Dreams Across the Sea Co-Chairpersons are Sylvia McClure and Dr. Jason Regis. Additional committee members include Kathy Murphy, Carolyn Shadeed, Nawal Shadeed, Arlene Smith, Garvin Steward, and Michelle Wattley. Event sponsors are AT&T and Toca Enterprises, Ltd.

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Food For The Poor rises to #1 ranking

Food For The Poor has risen again to the number one spot as the largest international relief and development organization in the United States, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of the top 400 charities. The charity last received the number one international ranking in 2008.

The Christian ministry, which works to end the suffering of the poor across Latin America and the Caribbean, ranked sixth overall of the 400 charities in the United States that raise the most from private sources. Food For The Poor’s rankings can be attributed to faithful donors and the charity’s consistently high efficiency ratio. In 2010, more than 96 percent of all donations went directly to programs that helped the poor.

“In February 2012, Food For The Poor will celebrate its 30th anniversary. To be able to say that we now are the largest international charity in the United States, is an additional blessing,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “So many lives have been touched, so many people depend on Food For The Poor for their livelihood, but most importantly, this is God’s work. Our donors are working with us in His vineyard and with God in our lives and our work, we will never fail and all good things will be possible.”

Compassionate donors and maximum efficiency through low administrative and fundraising costs has enabled Food For The Poor to sustain excellent ratings and broaden its service to the poor through providing life-transforming homes, education and sustainable projects such as fish ponds and animal husbandry.

Since inception, the charity has built more than 76,000 homes. In Haiti alone, Food For The Poor has built more than 2,400 homes since the January 2010 earthquake.

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

To learn more, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

Contact:
Kathy Skipper
Food For The Poor
Public Relations Director
954-427-2222 x 6614
kathys@foodforthepoor.com

Four Central American countries suffer devastating effects of storm

Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador are faced with the prospect of hundreds of dead and thousands homeless, after a relentless 10-day tropical depression flooded out bridges, roads and homes. Those killed include 32 in El Salvador, 29 in Guatemala, 13 in Honduras and eight in Nicaragua, according to local officials in a Tuesday report.

In El Salvador alone, the toll is extreme. Fr. David Blanchard, who has served as a missionary in El Salvador since the late 1980s, provided this report today to Food For The Poor:

“Twelve bridges have been destroyed, isolating much of the country from the capital, ports and airport. Six provinces are completely isolated from the rest of the country. In San Salvador, 10,000 people are now in organized shelters. Across the country, there are an additional 5,000 in shelters, although many more have sought refuge with families and neighbors. The total number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 100,000.”

Food For The Poor is rushing containers of water and hygiene supplies to help, but also needs the help of the public. There is an urgent need for canned meat, canned fish, canned milk, and canned beans. Tarps also are needed. Please take these items to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL. Donations will be accepted starting Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 9 a.m. Cash donations also may be made by calling 1-800-427-9104, and referring to source code 082580.

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Kathy Skipper
Food For The Poor
Public Relations Director
954-427-2222 x 6614
kathys@foodforthepoor.com

Friday, October 14, 2011

Christmas gifts that renew hearts

During this holy season, when commercialism sometimes can obscure the true meaning of Christmas, consider giving a gift from the heart that friends and loved ones will cherish.

The creative gift ideas in Food For The Poor’s Gift Catalog will continue to change lives long after Christmas has passed. Delight your loved ones with a thoughtful gift given in his or her honor to the poor. For $36, you can give the gift of life by feeding a malnourished child for a year. Or you can choose to give farm animals such as chickens, pigs, goats, donkeys and cows to provide an income and source of nutrition for destitute families.

“Christmas is the perfect time to bless the ones you love by giving in their honor a life-changing gift to those who struggle daily to survive,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “These heartfelt gifts restore the destitute’s ability to dream, epitomize the spirit of giving and fit any budget.”

Food For The Poor’s house-building program constructs safe and sturdy permanent housing for the destitute in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua. Families, companies or groups of employees can jointly fund the cost of $3,200 for a one-room home with sanitation. The family who is moved out of a leaking, dilapidated shack into a real home this Christmas will be forever grateful.

Food For The Poor also remains committed to investing in water projects, building villages, and schools and providing micro-enterprise opportunities for poor villages.

This year, Food For The Poor has created a special rhyme to emphasize how gifts from the catalog save lives, transform communities and renew hope. To see our gifts in action please view our "Gift Giving Poem" video.

All gifts are tax-deductible. To send a gift, the catalog can be accessed through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/giftcatalog, 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 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Food For The Poor awarded USDA program funding for Nicaragua

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded Food For The Poor 4,690 metric tons of food for children in Nicaragua over the next three years. The goal is to improve the education, nutrition, and health conditions of school-aged children in under-served communities in Nicaragua. During a three year period, approximately 275 containers of food will be distributed in the country’s most impoverished communities.

The World Food Program identifies Nicaragua as the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, behind only Haiti in terms of per capita income and the market value of all goods and services produced in the country. Low literacy rates, high dropout numbers, and poor academic performance are direct measurable consequences of widespread food insecurity, where low-income households often rely on children to increase the family’s income and in some cases, assist with subsistence farming.

“For some of the students who live in extreme poverty, this USDA program may give them the opportunity to taste milk for the first time,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Malnutrition denies many children the opportunity to live life to their fullest potential. More than half of these families in rural areas live on less than $2 a day.”

Approximately 260 schools will participate in the USDA Food For Education program in Nicaragua. Plans call for 70,000 preschool to primary school-age children in northern and central Nicaragua to benefit from this feeding program. From 2011 to 2014, more than 37 million meals will be provided to students. The children will receive nutritional meals prepared from nonfat dried milk, red kidney beans, rice, textured soy protein, and vegetable oil.

The majority of beneficiaries are located in Estelí, Matagalpa, Jinotega, Nueva Segovia and Madriz. According to recent regional poverty assessments, nearly one-third of the population lives in extreme poverty. Chronic malnutrition and food deficits affect 50 percent of school-aged children and literacy levels fall below national averages – only three out of every 10 will finish high school.

Students will receive a morning snack and a hot meal for lunch each day. In addition, this program will fund the installation of 120 latrines, repairs to school kitchens, establish school gardens, and provide multi-disciplinary training for parents and teachers.

Food For The Poor has assisted Nicaragua since 1997. The American Nicaraguan Foundation has been a partner of Food For The Poor for 14 years, and during 2010 Food For The Poor shipped 343 containers of aid valued at more than $114.5 million to the country.

Food For The Poor was previously awarded a USDA Food For Education program in 2005 to benefit 65,000 school children in Nicaragua. Over the years, Food For The Poor has received additional funding from the USDA to support programs in Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad.

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 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Caribbean-themed event opens hearts and doors for Haiti

The 10-year involvement and steadfast support from northern Illinois residents ensured The Hope for Haitians Committee and Food For The Poor’s fundraising event, An Evening in the Tropics, was a well-attended event with more than 320 guests.

Residents from the Rockford/Chicago communities showed their commitment to Haiti by funding the final phase of construction for the Hope Friendship Village in Chastenoye, Haiti, and the first phase of a self-sustaining village in Mazere, Haiti. Donors also provided school sponsorships for 200 children from the Rockford Friendship Village and the Hope Friendship Village.

Rhythmic sounds of a steel drummer started the Caribbean-themed event’s cocktail reception and exclusive silent auction. Bidding on auction prizes offered opportunities for guests to donate to the cause at the same time. Prizes included art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, luxury vacations, and golf and dining packages. An Evening in the Tropics offered a full night of exceptional dining, dancing and inspirational moments.

During the cocktail reception, guests for the first time had an opportunity to walk inside a pre-fabricated structure that portrays a 12-by-12-foot yellow Food For The Poor house. For $3,200, Food For The Poor can build a single-unit home with sanitation to replace a crumbling shack that leaks when it rains. The simple structure had a tremendous impact on the guests. Since 1982, Food For The Poor has constructed more than 76,013 new housing units with concrete foundations, locking doors, windows, and zinc roofs with hurricane straps in the countries it serves.

The event co-chairpersons and committee members devised a unique way to inspire attendees to contribute toward making a difference in the lives of others. For a $25 donation, more than 100 guests purchased a starfish for the chance to win either a Tiffany gold and silver cross necklace or a men’s Polo watch.

Five-year-old Riley Kegley’s fundraising campaign started even earlier. In July, to prepare for his birthday, he decided to donate his birthday savings to benefit the people of Haiti. With the help of his mom, who is a committee member, Riley created a YouTube video to share his birthday goal with family and friends. To his surprise he not only raised enough money to buy a cow – he raised enough money to buy two cows and three goats.

The master of ceremonies for this year’s event was veteran broadcast journalist Mike Robinson. Co-chairmen Tom Lorden, Pat Bachrodt and Peter Roche and members of the surrounding communities have traveled multiple times to Haiti to meet the people who directly benefit from this annual event’s proceeds.

Event committee members included Joseph Altenhoff, Patrick Bachrodt, Rev. David Beauvais, Virginia Canavan, William Clancy, Michael Delany, Brian & Missy Hand, Frank Haney, Msgr. Robert Hoffman, Theresa Kegley, Danny Lorden, Tom & Nancy Lorden, Bob McLaughlin, Philip Nicolosi, Patti Rangel, Peter Roche, Andy Schultheis and Jerry Weber.

An Evening in the Tropics sponsors included: AAA Quality Limo, Aurora Central Catholic, Bachrodt Motors on State, Dick & Marg Bachrodt, Lou Bachrodt Auto Group, Lou Bachrodt Foundation, Barrick Switzer Long Balsley & Van Evera, Ralph J. Baudhuin Foundation, Boylan Catholic High School, William & Catherine Clancy, Comerica Bank, Mike & Donna Cristoforo, Crowe Horwath, LLP, Mike & Colleen Delany, Diamond Envelope, Tony & Jean Domino, Focus Financial Advisors Inc., Joe Geraghty, Giovanni's Restaurant, Brian & Missy Hand and Family, Joe Hansberry – NAPA, Holy Family Church, Kelley Williamson Company, Thomas & Lesley Killoren, Jeffrey & Sally Krogh, Lorden Charitable Foundation, Robert and Mary Lou McLaughlin, Rebecca Newton, Nicolosi & Associates, OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Rhonda & RC Pottinger, Resource Dealer Group, Inc, Risch Family Foundation, Riverside Community Bank, Peter & Sandy Roche Family, Savant Capital Management, Fern Shore, St. James Catholic Church, St. John Neumann Church, St. Katherine Drexel, St. Thomas More, Warner Specialized Petroleum Services, and WIPFLi HEWINS.

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 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact
:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Tom Lorden
Event Co-Chairman
815-964-1904
tomlorden@hotmail.com>

Monday, October 10, 2011

Houses providing jobs, shelter, hope

The first phase of a major home-building project on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince is almost complete, just two months after construction started on 100 houses. Food For The Poor, the Inter-American Development Bank, and Fonds d' Assistance Économique et Social committed to building the homes on land donated by the Haitian government.

The Inter-American Development Bank funded the site development in Orangers and half of the cost of every home, while the other half is being matched by caring donors of Food For The Poor. Eighty-six of the 100 homes in the initial phase have been completed, a feat that reinforces the charity’s capacity and efficiency in the rebuilding of Haiti.

More than 2,400 homes have been built by the charity in Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake. While 1.3 million people were initially left homeless by the earthquake, about 600,000 are still without shelter, according to the United Nations’ shelter committee. Getting the people out of the makeshift tents pitched in the city’s parks, plazas and public places is a challenge because most have no place to go.

“The people who will live in these homes are among the poorest of the displaced people directly affected by the earthquake, and living in tents and other makeshift shelters around the city,” said Alvaro Pereira, Executive Vice President of Food For The Poor. “This development is not only providing the dignity and safety of homes, but also offering hope through jobs.”

Meaningful change in Haiti will come through self-sustaining programs, allowing Haitians to take the reins of their own future by providing jobs that will help support the country’s people and local economy. That kind of economic impact is evident in the Orangers project. More than 75 people who are heads of households are building the homes, directly impacting the economic wellbeing of almost 300 people. Another 140 or so are benefitting from selling supplies, foods and other commodities in the local markets.

“Since the quake, we have escalated our homebuilding in Haiti,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “It is heartbreaking to see the conditions in which people are living, and it is dangerous to their health and safety. By working together with IDB and our loyal and generous donors, we have been able to get some of the displaced out of the tent cities. There are so many more that urgently need our help.”

There are other signs of progress in Port-au-Prince. Food For The Poor celebrated the opening of the Jean-Marie Gilloux School on Wednesday. The two-level building is near the ruins of the famed Notre Dame d’Haiti Cathedral.

Three more schools are also being constructed, and each school is being built with earthquake resistant materials. More than 3,400 students will benefit from the construction of the four new schools.

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 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

To learn more, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.