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