Thursday, February 24, 2011

Swipe Your Credit Card; Get a Donation in Your Name

Helping Food For The Poor serve the destitute has never been easier, and now a two-day campaign in March with SwipeGood will provide a bigger boost to charitable giving.

On March 2 and 3, anyone who signs up their credit card for a SwipeGood donation to Food For The Poor will have a $10 donation made by SwipeGood to the charity. Food For The Poor has teamed up with SwipeGood, a company that helps nonprofit organizations make fundraising more efficient for those who are not into texting or online giving.

"Food For The Poor partnered with SwipeGood with the goal of increasing our help to the poorest of the poor by implementing new fundraising efforts. We believe this latest campaign will allow anyone who wants to help the charity to multiply their donation during this two-day period. We rely on the generosity of our donors, and we're grateful for the help they provide," said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor.

Here’s how it works: SwipeGood rounds up all of your credit card purchases to the nearest dollar on a monthly basis with your spare change going to the charity. You can also cap your monthly donations, so you‘re in complete control of the amount of money you donate each month.

Your spare change can go a long way to help a starving child. The average monthly donation of a SwipeGood user can empower Food For The Poor to feed a child for 6 months.

Please visit Food For The Poor's SwipeGood profile and sign up your card, round up your purchases, and donate the change to Food For The Poor. If you do this on March 2 or 3, even more lives will be saved.

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.

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

Monday, February 21, 2011

"This is Life," Leader Says on Visit to Boca Grande Village

When Ben Scott walked into Boca Grande Friendship Village in Pierre Payen, Haiti, on Valentine’s Day, he was struck first by the hope and confidence he saw in the eyes and faces of the people who live there. “They are a community, they have a leader, they are content,” he said. “This is life.”

Scott, chairman of the Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee, traveled to Haiti on Feb. 14 to meet the residents, walk through the concrete block two-room homes, watch classes in action, and taste the fresh, clean water that means life and health in the country. More than 200 mothers, fathers, and children have moved from homes made of mud and sticks into 40 sturdy homes in the village.

Building on last year’s successful mission to change lives in Haiti, the Boca Grande committee is launching its second phase of the campaign. The committee’s fundraising event will be on Wednesday, March 2, at 6 p.m. at the historic Power House Boca Bay Pass Club. Everyone living on Boca Grande is invited to attend the cocktail reception and learn more about how the village already is changing lives, as well as plans for future growth.

The 25-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.

The Boca Grande Friendship Village consists of:
• 40 double-unit concrete homes with kitchenettes. Each house also includes sanitation, and a 200-gallon plastic water cistern to collect rainwater.
• A water treatment system with the capacity to process clean water for the entire community.
• 500 fruit trees, including mango, avocado and citrus
• Animal husbandry, with one goat for each family
• A community chicken farm
• Community Center
• Solar charging system to provide the community center with electricity
• A five-room vocational school

“Seeing the people in classes gave me the best feeling,” Scott said. “There were about 40 men in the plumbing class. I talked to one man who doesn’t have a job, he has to walk to get there, and he wants to learn a trade because he is sure that there is a future for him in rebuilding Haiti. I could tell that he felt sure, confident that this is going to come out for the good.”

Plans for the next phase go directly toward helping people become even more self-reliant. At the March event, the committee will raise money to continue to build out the village with more homes, a school, and a cow farm.

“How appropriate that we traveled to Haiti to visit the Boca Grande Friendship Village on Valentine’s Day,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “The Boca Grande community has poured out its heart to the people of Haiti, and what a blessing it was to stand with Ben Scott and see what a difference one idea and a dedicated group of individuals can make.”

To watch a short video from the village and hear a thank you from Executive Director Aloma, please visit Food For The Poor on YouTube.

To find out information about the event on March 2, please call Ben Scott at 941-964-9848 or Kathy Leggatt at 1-888-404-4248.

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.

Contact:
Kathy Skipper
Director of Public Relations
954.427.2222, ext. 6614
kathys@foodforthepoor.com

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Young Philanthropist Wins National Award For Building Homes in Haiti

A South Florida fifth grader who raised more than $162,000 to build homes for Haiti's poor has been named one of Florida's top two youth volunteers for 2011.

Rachel Wheeler, 11, was recognized by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program to honor young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The Lighthouse Point resident raised enough money to build 25 two-room Food For The Poor homes in Haiti. Rachel, who attends Zion Lutheran Christian School in Deerfield Beach, launched the campaign two years ago.

Rachel also has qualified to receive the President's Volunteer Service Awards, a prestigious national award that recognizes Americans of all ages who have dedicated their free time to serve both their country and their community. The awards will be distributed to more than 2,800 local honorees this year on behalf of President Barack Obama.

Rachel’s house-building initiative started when she visited Food For The Poor’s South Florida-based office and heard President/CEO Robin Mahfood speak about the desperate living conditions in Haiti, where mothers sometimes feed their children mud cookies to quell their hunger pangs.

“When I saw the before and after pictures of the families he has helped, I knew he was doing God’s work and I had to help,” said Rachel.

As donations flowed in, Rachel decided that instead of just reaching her original goal of building 13 houses, she would build an entire village, complete with sanitation, kitchenettes and potable water. Rachel’s village has been constructed in Leogane, Haiti, near the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake.

“I would tell other young people that we are the future, and we need to stand up for those who have nothing,” said Rachel, who hopes to visit the village she has helped to build in Haiti later this year.

“From the first time we met, I knew to expect great things from Rachel,” said Mahfood. “Rachel has provided more than 25 families with more than a key to a permanent Food For The Poor house. Thanks to Rachel and her supporters – lives have been changed and saved.”

From April 30 to May 3, Rachel and the other 101 state honorees will travel to Washington, D.C., where they will tour the capital’s landmarks, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. In addition, 10 of them – five middle level and five high school students – will be named National Honorees on May 2. These honorees will receive $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies, and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for nonprofit, charitable organizations of their choice.
To continue to support Rachel’s house building initiative, tax-deductible donations can be made through the charity’s secure website.

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.

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

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Soft, Stuffed and Special...Teens Donate Thousands of Toys to Charity

Lions, tigers, and every imaginable creature ever turned into something soft and snuggly were collected by two South Florida teens on a mission to put smiles on the faces of children in Haiti who have lost so much.

“With everything that has happened in Haiti, it seems like the kids there don’t have much to smile about,” said Kristin Temple. “I didn’t want to ask people for money, so I thought slightly used stuffed animals would be a good idea.”

This idea of collecting the toys took root in the mind of the 16- year-old, she said, after watching the movie Toy Story 3, where the lead character, Andy, gives away his beloved toys. So two months ago, Temple got to work, and got permission to hold drives in Boca Raton at the Ascension Catholic Church where she worships, the Publix where she works, and at Cardinal Newman School in West Palm Beach where she’s a junior.

Temple’s 17- year-old classmate, Christopher Olowin, also played a vital part in this project. He turned it into a family affair when he enlisted the help of his younger sister, who attends All Saints Catholic School in Jupiter. Olowin says that group of preteens collected 668 stuffed animals toward the cause.

“I am sure the tent cities can be a scary place at night for the young children who live there. Kids should not be afraid to sleep at night, and I am hoping these stuffed toys will provide them with a feeling of some security,” said Olowin.

After the duo collected more than 3,400 stuffed animals, Temple contacted Food For The Poor and the charity was happy to accept these toys on behalf of the children of Haiti.

“It’s amazing what young people can do when they really set their mind to it,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “The need in Haiti is so great on so many levels, and something as simple as a stuffed toy can do wonders to lift the spirits of that nation’s youngest victims.”

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.

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Public Relations
(954) 427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Building Hope Gala’s House Rally Sets Record of 60 Housing Units

More than 350 compassionate South Florida residents attended Food For The Poor’s sold-out Building Hope Gala on Saturday, Feb. 5 at the Boca West Country Club. As the gala’s names implies, attendees gathered to create a legacy by pledging to build critically needed houses during the charity’s live house-rally. This year, the energized crowd pledged to construct a record 60 housing units – to restore hope and to shelter the destitute in the Caribbean and Latin America.

“Imagine being afraid of the very structure that serves as your home,” said Robin Mahfood, CEO/President of Food For The Poor. “No one can fight poverty alone. Together, we can continue to improve the conditions of endangered communities, one family at a time.”

Food For The Poor can build a simple housing unit with a latrine for $3,200. Food For The Poor homes are built with a strong corrugated zinc roof, a solid concrete foundation, cement block walls, windows for ventilation and a front door that can be locked.

At the helm, event co-chairpersons, Cathy and Abdol Moabery and Rene and Francis Mahfood, steered a new course for Food For The Poor’s 16th annual Building Hope Gala. Committee members included Ronda Gluck, Julie Mahfood, Pamela Matsil, Natasha Singh, Patricia Wallace and Traci Wilson.

The event’s elegant cocktail reception and exclusive silent auction began with the sounds of saxophonist, Leo Casino. Bidding on silent auction prizes offered opportunities for guests to donate to the cause at the same time. Prizes included exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, luxury vacations, and golf and dining packages. The Building Hope Gala offered a full night of exceptional dining, dancing and inspirational moments.

“We are blessed to live in this country while in other parts of the world a Food For The Poor home provides a secure, dry and potentially warm place to sleep at night,” said Cathy Moabery. “It is our hope that receiving a Food For The Poor home will give them the will and determination to build stronger family units, while also building on their dreams.”

The event co-chairpersons and committee members devised a unique way to inspire gala attendees to contribute toward making a difference in the lives of others. For a donation, 50 guests purchased a starfish to see what they would win. Each starfish represented a unique gift. The grand prize was a pair of beautiful diamond earrings donated by Gregory’s Fine Jewelry in Boca Raton. Gregory’s Fine jewelry also donated necklaces and gift certificates for prizes.

Master of ceremonies, Calvin Hughes, an Emmy Award-winning newscaster for WPLG-TV ABC Local 10 News, shared stories from his personal journeys to Haiti where he reported how nonprofits such as Food For The Poor continue to strive to improve lives and living conditions throughout the country.

“What a small price to pay, to give someone the joy of having a place to call home; a place where they can have hope and, most importantly, a place where families can dream,” said Rene Mahfood.

Event sponsors included Aljoma Lumber, American Nicaraguan Foundation, Bernuth Agencies, Inc., Dennis Charley & Associates, Inc., Dusco Doors, Gregory’s Fine Jewelry, Haiti Shipping Lines, Japs-Olson Company, McFFe Group, MSP, The Pereira Family, Quadriga Art, Inc., SEACOR Holdings Inc., Seaboard Marine Ltd., Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami (Taiwan), TD Bank, N.A., United Healthcare, and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care.

For information regarding next year’s Building Hope Gala please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit the event page.

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.

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Public Relations
(954) 427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Friday, February 4, 2011

We’ll Always Be There

Musicians Hopeton and Willie Lindo, inspired by loyalty to their Jamaican homeland and by the devastating earthquake in Haiti, sat down last year to write some notes and lyrics, and the result was a love song to people everywhere who are in need. They titled their work We’ll Always Be There, and offered the finished piece to Food For The Poor as a gift.

“Helping the less fortunate gives me a great sense of purpose,” said Hopeton Lindo. “I consider it an honor to be part of the Food For The Poor mission.”

The song says, in part: “I see your troubles, I feel your pain...It doesn’t matter how long, we’ll always be there…I hear your call, it won’t be in vain…We’re here to lift you up and carry you through.” Meaning it to be broad enough for any struggling person or country, the lyrics continue: “Struggles and disasters, no matter where you are….When all the cameras are gone, even when it’s tough to just hold on. We won’t stop ‘til it’s done…We’ll always be there.” To listen to the song, go to Food For The Poor's SoundCloud profile.

“We’ll Always Be There” was used for the first time in a video produced by the organization for its Jan. 12 anniversary of the earthquake. The video can be viewed on YouTube. The charity will continue to use the song in other ways to bridge the gap between the needy and those who have a heart for those who are hurting.

“When Hopeton called to tell us he and his friends had written and performed a song for us, we were tremendously touched,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “We are grateful to each and every entertainer involved, for they truly have given a blessing to the destitute, those devastated by natural disasters and those who believe they might have been forgotten by the rest of the world. God has not forgotten them, and it is our job to show them His love, through all the tools we have, including music.”

The song was written by Hopeton Lindo and Willie Lindo, from HeavyBeat Records. Musicians on the track are Robbie Shakespeare, Robbie Lyn, Paul Douglas, Willie Lindo, Tony Green and Nambo Robinson. Singers are Stevie Face, J.C Lodge, Esther Fortune, Dobby Dobson, Glen Washington, Ambelique, Nikesha Lindo, Hopeton Lindo, Lloyd Brown, Peter Gee, Sharon Forrester, Barry Biggs, Desi Roots, The Melodians, Kasief Lindo, and Danielle Pyton.

Willie wrote a note expressing his feelings about creating the song: “I have always been very passionate about helping people in need. We all know that when the cameras leave during or after any catastrophe, in most cases that does not mean the work is done. That is where the inspiration came from for the song We’ll Always Be There. To know that I am in collaboration with Food For The Poor gives me a great sense of comfort.” He signed it, “One love, Willie Lindo.”

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.

Contact:
Kathy Skipper
Director of Public Relations
(954) 427-2222 x 6614
kathys@foodforthepoor.com

High School Students Find Spiritual Experience on Mission Trip to Jamaica

Students and faculty from St. Joseph Academy Catholic High School in Jacksonville, Fla., traveled to Jamaica, January 17-21 on a house-building mission trip with the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor.

“Our building project was simply amazing,” said St. Joseph Academy Campus Minister, Deacon Bryan Ott. “What started as a concrete slab in the morning became a two-bedroom house by lunchtime – complete with a kitchen, bathroom, loft, front porch, windows, doors and a roof.”

The ominous clouds and eventual rains did not distract the group from their mission to build and paint a house in one day. The housing recipient’s children were at school the day of construction. When the key was presented to the single father, members of the group imagined his children’s joyful faces as they returned from school to a house ready for them to call home.

“The most meaningful project was building a house for Mr. Facey and his family,” said Rosie Chryssaidis, a student at St. Joseph Academy. “That day we worked as a team to change lives.”

There is no substitution for the firsthand experience of traveling on a mission trip. The experience required group members to use all of their senses – sight, touch, smell, taste, hearing – and their hearts.

“The experience has taught me to cherish all that I have. It also taught me that being positive is very important,” said Chryssaidis.

“I have left a piece of my heart in Kingston and would love to return to finish the work I started,” said chaperone, Tom Reed. “With God’s blessings I will be back to continue His work and make a small difference in the lives of so many. Any amount of difference helps.”

In addition to building a home in a day, the 15 students saw and heard firsthand accounts about the harsh realities of life in developing countries. A fisherman at the Bull Bay Fishing Village shared his heartfelt gratitude for Food For The Poor’s donors, saying he is thankful for the opportunity to have a job that would not be possible without their support. His personal story impacted many in the group, and motivated them to send supplies to assist those living in the fishing village.

Group members also played checkers, dominoes and Jenga at the Alpha Boys Home; hosted an impromptu soccer match and braided hair with the visually impaired children at Salvation Army School for the Blind; spoon-fed porridge to handicapped children; and played with AIDS infected children at a playground.

Food For The Poor’s Golden Age Home in Kingston, Jamaica, is home to approximately 360 elderly and handicapped residents. The students were surprised to learn that without the charity’s assistance to feed, clothe and care for the abandoned mentally and physically challenged children and adults, they would be forced to live on the streets. In the shade of a tree at Golden Age Home the group gathered to hear how a gunshot victim became constrained to a wheelchair as a youth.

“At a homeless shelter [in Jamaica], the students didn’t just serve a meal, they sat down and talked, sang, and even shared hugs with the homeless,” said Deacon Ott. “In a situation that would have intimidated most adults, the students jumped right in and gave a powerful affirmation of the dignity of those they served, sending the message that someone cares and wants to hear what they have to say.”

“I realized the realities of poverty in Jamaica and how tough it really is for all of the disabled poor and homeless, as well as the parentless,” said Henning Ander, a student at St. Joseph Academy. “I loved the trip.”

“All the visits brought me to Christ,” said chaperone, Cathy Windish. “He lives in each one of us healthy or disabled, rich or poor.”

An important part of mission trips is the daily group reflection time, which provides students the opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings and life-changing experiences.

“The students opened their hearts to those in need, and really wrestled with how difficult some people have it in life,” said Deacon Ott. “The trip provided many lessons in love, and returning the love given so freely by the Jamaican children.”

Rosie Chryssaidis and Holly Linville were selected by their peers to receive the “Spirit of Mission” award. The criteria included spirituality, work ethic, leadership and community-building. There were many close runners-up.

Another group of St. Joseph Academy students will travel to Jamaica, March 21-25 on a similar house- building mission trip with Food For The Poor.

You can learn more about Food For The Poor’s mission trips by viewing the YouTube video, calling 1-800-427-9104 ext. 6216 or by e-mailing missions@foodforthepoor.com. You can also involve your school in Food For The Poor’s mission by calling 1-877-654-2960, ext. 6988 or e-mailing churchschool@foodforthepoor.org.

“There are real people behind the faces we may see on brochures, billboards, and TV. Those people are beautiful in their simplicity and genuineness,” said Windish.

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.

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Public Relations
(954) 427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.org

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Compassionate Palm Beach Philanthropists Unite to Build Homes

Palm Beach philanthropists Robert G. and Arlette Gordon (Grand Honorary Chairpersons) joined Elizabeth Bowden (Gala Chairwoman) and Paul Marino (Event Chairman) on stage at Food For The Poor’s eighth-annual Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala on Jan. 30 at The Breakers, Palm Beach.

Food For The Poor’s gala began 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 were among the varied silent and live auction prizes.

Once in the ballroom Arlette Gordon thanked Patrick Park and Nathalie Fernandez for graciously committing to be the charity’s platinum benefactors. She then mentioned Silver and Gala benefactors by name, thanking them individually for their support to build critically needed homes in developing countries.

Silver benefactors include Elizabeth Bowden, Florence DeGeorge, Robert G. and Arlette Gordon, and Howard and Michele Kessler. Gala benefactors include Helen Bernstein, Stanley and Helene Karp, Charlotte Kimelman, Henry Fong and Mary Virginia Knight, Anneliese Langner, Hermé de Wyman Miro – The International Society of Palm Beach, Patty Myura – Eleanor Reeves Foundation, and Ari Rifkin.

After Arlette Gordon briefly reminisced on their friendship and travel excursions, Bowden attributed her becoming a supporter of Food For The Poor to Arlette Gordon.

“Living on this beautiful island, it is hard to imagine the horrific living conditions that exist in Haiti,” said Bowden. “More than a million Haitians were displaced immediately following the earthquake, and they struggle daily to find food, safe drinking water and shelter. By supporting Food For The Poor’s “Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures” gala, you, too, can help provide permanent housing for those who have nowhere to call home.”

The Breakers Executive Chef Jeff Simms described the five-course menu that featured each of The Breakers’ restaurants, and mentioned the specially selected fine wines that were chosen to enhance each course. Robert Gordon’s epicurean reputation is known throughout Palm Beach, and for many years he has been recognized as one of the area’s most generous philanthropists and past Bailli-Confrérie de las Chaines des Rôtisseurs.

“Food For The Poor is one of those charities that does not just send money,” said Robert Gordon. “They make sure the supplies reach those who need them the most. Food For The Poor is a good steward with donations – more than 96 percent of all donations go directly to programs that help the poor.”

Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director, began by thanking the Gordons, Elizabeth Bowden and Paul Marino for all they have done through the years to introduce Food The Poor to the Palm Beach community.

Aloma recalled how a few days before last year’s event he returned from the devastated country of Haiti. As of December 2010, he said Food For The Poor had shipped 1,465 tractor-trailer loads of food, water, medicines and other lifesaving relief aid valued at $205 million to Haiti. More than 1,589 permanent two-room homes with sanitation units and access to water have also been built to house displaced earthquake victims. Members of the crowd applauded when Aloma said the $20.7 million dollars collected as Haiti emergency earthquake relief funds by Food For The Poor had been spent by the end of October 2010.

Then Aloma introduced Ray Mou, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami (Taiwan), the gala’s Grand Benefactor. He described Mou as a wonderful man and poet.

“Half a century ago, between 1949 and 1965, Taiwan received nearly a $1.5 billion loan and grant from the United States to reconstruct its economy after World War II,” said Mou. “Now, as the twenty-fourth largest economy in the world we are no longer a recipient state. We actively lend a helping hand to people in need. The ultimate purpose of our humanitarian diplomacy is to promote humanity and to ask for nothing back in return. We wish we could do more to help the Global Village.”

Mou said the Taiwanese did not hesitate to help following the earthquake in Haiti. 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. In 2010, Taiwan ICDF donated 1,250 tons of rice to Food For The Poor.

During the live auction, Curt Fonger, master of ceremonies and CBS WPEC Channel 12’s weeknight anchor, rallied the crowd in support of Food For The Poor’s mission. Auction prizes included exotic vacation destinations such as Hong Kong and Montego Bay, Jamaica. The third item to be auctioned was one of Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things. A donor gave the Philip Stein, diamond-bezel watch to Food For The Poor, so monies raised could assist with the charity’s house building effort.

Earlier in the evening, Aloma thanked attendees for their gift of presence, telling the audience that every dance helps to wipe away tears; every course helps bring back people on the verge of despair; and every sip of wine gives people back the ability to dream. The performances by La Mystique enthralled guests and filled the dance floor.

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

For additional information regarding the Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures event, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit the event page online.

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.

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

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Basketball Team Learns Life Lesson off the Hardwood in Jamaica

The varsity boy’s basketball team at Pine Crest School is making a name for itself. With more than a dozen wins under their belt this season, the two-time state champions tipped off two games in January – not in the “Sunshine State,” but on an island in the sun.

Located in Fort Lauderdale, the Pine Crest Panthers were invited to participate in the Caribbean Shootout in Jamaica with matchups against Kingston College and St. Georges College on Jan.14 and 15. But this trip was about much more than basketball, said Pine Crest President Lourdes Cowgill, who traveled with the team.

“This was a wonderful educational experience for our players because they got to meet kids their age and younger who live in orphanages,” said Cowgill. “Thanks to Food For The Poor, our boys got a lesson in service. I am very proud of the way they conducted themselves both on and off the basketball court.”

The Panthers’ four-day “Journey of Hope to Jamaica” trip was made possible in part because of Food For The Poor. While on the island, the young men had the opportunity to host basketball clinics at Alpha Boys Home, and the Maxfield Park Children’s Home in Kingston. The children received basketballs and soon will receive two pallets loaded with hundreds of pairs of sneakers, uniforms, and, of course, more basketballs. This trip took on a special meaning for a couple of the team’s players, co-captains Keith Parkinson, and Traveon Henry, whose parents are from the island.

“Jamaica was the first country served by Food For The Poor in 1982, and we’ve helped many to obtain suitable housing, food, and much needed goods in kind,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “But it’s the work we’ve done in the schools and with the orphanages that touches us the most. The future of Jamaica is in the hands of its young people; it was good to see Pine Crest’s basketball team spearhead this noble initiative and to see the pride of the young men with family ties to the island.”

For the last six years, the varsity basketball team has taken annual trips to Ohio, New York, Atlanta, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and to Springfield, Mass. The Panthers’ Head Coach David Beckerman said his team not only took on two of Jamaica’s top schools in the sport of basketball, but his players got a priceless experience that will last a lifetime.

“There is more to life than a game of basketball,” said Beckerman. “We need to understand that there are people who are less fortunate, and it is our obligation to 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.