Monday, September 30, 2013

Hope Takes Root in Dominican Republic Greenhouses

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On Sept. 12, Operation Starfish inaugurated its first project in the Dominican Republic. The 3,000 square-foot greenhouse in Pedro Santana will produce 2,400 pounds of vegetables four times a year. Built by Food For The Poor and Caritas D.R., and operated by San Francisco de Asis parish, the business model calls for using a portion of the profits to replicate the greenhouse in more locations. Nativity's Operation Starfish provided the initial capital for this self-sustaining project.
On Sept. 12, Operation Starfish inaugurated its first project in the Dominican Republic. The 3,000 square-foot greenhouse in Pedro Santana will produce 2,400 pounds of vegetables four times a year. Built by Food For The Poor and Caritas D.R., and operated by San Francisco de Asis parish, the business model calls for using a portion of the profits to replicate the greenhouse in more locations. Nativity's Operation Starfish provided the initial capital for this self-sustaining project.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 30, 2013) – Dozens of families living in the rural community of Pedro Santana, Dominican Republic, are learning how to plant, grow, and harvest the fruits of their labor thanks to greenhouse projects taking root in the Caribbean country.
On Sept. 12, the latest greenhouse project was inaugurated in a meadow near Pedro Santana, which is located about 165 miles west of the capital city of Santo Domingo, near the border of Haiti. This is the eighth greenhouse built in the Dominican Republic by Food For The Poor and its local partner, Caritas D.R. Funding for this greenhouse project was provided by Church of the Nativity in Burke, Va., through Food For The Poor’s Operation Starfish program.
“Pope Francis is urging us to give priority to the needs of the poor and this project will do just that,” said Fr. Richard Martin, Pastor of the Church of the Nativity.

The Church of the Nativity has been working with the relief and development organization Food For The Poor for 15 years, and has built more than 1,000 homes in eight Nativity Villages in neighboring Haiti, but this is Nativity’s first Operation Starfishâ project within the Dominican Republic.

“It is almost impossible to put into the words the love and gratitude Food For The Poor has for Fr. Martin and the Church of the Nativity’s parishioners. Because of their loving kindness thousands of families in Haiti have a secure home and are working on self-sustaining projects and receiving vocational training,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We are equally excited about working with Nativity on the greenhouse projects in the Dominican Republic.”

Food For The Poor began working in the Dominican Republic 13 years ago, and has built 2,786 homes there. The two-room homes provide shelter, safety and brighter futures. Food For The Poor also has Community Development Projects that include elements necessary to break the cycle of poverty. Some of these projects include the construction of rural schools, clinics and community centers, self-sustaining agriculture and animal husbandry projects, and women’s vocational training.

The greenhouse in Pedro Santana is one of those self-sustaining projects and will provide 2,400 pounds of produce, four times a year, to feed families in this mountain community. The greenhouse will be operated by local farmers with oversight provided by Fr. Keith O’Hare, the pastor of San Francisco de Asís parish in nearby Bánica. Fr. O’Hare is a mission priest from the Diocese of Arlington, Va.
“We have good farmers here, this project allows them to be even better farmers,” said Fr. O’Hare.
The business model of this latest project requires a portion of the profits from sales of vegetables to be set aside and used to replicate the greenhouse in additional locations. The greenhouse facility also has a drip irrigation system fed by a water reservoir and underground supply lines, which were installed by Food For The Poor.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as 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 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
                                                         

Monday, September 16, 2013

Plan to Build 1,000 Homes

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 21, 2013) – Food For The Poor signed an agreement on Tuesday with Haiti’s Fonds d’Assistance Economique et Sociale (Fund for Economic and Social Assistance) to build 1,000 homes in the northern corridor of Haiti. With the support of the Inter-American Development Bank and the United States Agency for International Development, this agreement will mean construction will begin in the fall and will take approximately 18 months to complete.
Food For The Poor and the other agencies have agreed on a regional development plan anchored by Caracol Industrial Park, which opened last October, and is located between Cap-Haitien and the border of the Dominican Republic.

Food For The Poor, with the support of its generous donors, will be responsible for the construction of the homes, which will include clean water and flush toilets.  Each house will be powered with solar energy and will be built with earthquake and hurricane resistant materials. The homes will be located on three parcels of land within the Nord-Est Department of Haiti in the towns of Terrier-Rouge, Ouanaminthe, and Caracol.  The industrial park will provide work for many of the families. Schools are nearby, and there’s an opportunity for future community-related projects.

It’s been more than three years since the earthquake devastated the epicenter of Haiti. During that time, Food For The Poor has been working to help earthquake survivors with their immediate and long-term needs. With the help of its donors it has built 4,136 two-room permanent homes. While 1.3 million people were initially left homeless by the earthquake, an estimated 279,000 remain without proper shelter, according to published reports.

“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 some people are living, and it is dangerous to their health and safety. By working together with FAES, IDB, USAID, and with our loyal donors, we will be able to get more people out of the tents and move them into sturdy homes of their own.” 

“These agencies want to work with Food For The Poor because the organization has worked in Haiti since 1986 and has demonstrated experience of getting results, which has earned the charity a great deal of trust,” said Alvaro Pereira, Executive Vice President of Food For The Poor. “Providing families with a home is important, but we also are committed to implementing community projects such as economic development training to become self-sustaining, and support services to train and empower families on how to maintain their homes in their new neighborhood.” 

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as 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 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

High School Varsity Tennis Champion to Serve an Ace Against Poverty

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 16, 2013) – Cheryl Kalapura, a member of Holland Hall High School’s varsity tennis team, will host The Adult Child Doubles Charity Tournament Saturday, Sept. 14, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at LaFortune Park Tennis Center, 5302 South Hudson Avenue, Tulsa, Okla. Parents and children are encouraged to register, donate and enjoy an evening of tennis matches, with proceeds to benefit the nonprofit Food For The Poor.
Register online at www.FoodForThePoor.org/tennis through Saturday, Sept. 7, to compete in the tennis tournament. The registration fee is $25 per team. An award will be given to the winning team. For more information, please email fftptennis@gmail.com.

Cheryl was inspired to organize the tennis tournament and partner with Food For The Poor in June, after she heard Father Paul Wilderotter speak about the nonprofit at Saint Bernard’s Catholic Church. Cheryl was especially touched during Father Wilderotter’s homily, in which he described the experience of an 11-year-old girl who saw Jesus in the eyes of everyone she met.
Cheryl’s parents encouraged her to use her talents when trying to decide how she could best help. Working alongside several of her tennis coaches, an outline for a tournament took shape. Her longtime coach, Megan Patterson from The Grand Health & Racquet Club, suggested the tournament involve all ages.

“I would just tell them to set their mind on a goal, no matter the size, and persevere to achieve that goal,” said Cheryl, when asked what advice she would give to others who are interested in helping. “Never give up, even if others discourage you and tell you it's not possible. They shouldn't let any obstacles prevent them from helping others. They should use every resource, bit of energy, skill, and talent to make a difference because we were created to help others –
not sit back and watch the world pass by around us.”
The high school sophomore and her family recently returned from a four-week trip to India to visit relatives. During the family’s trip, she said they saw poverty throughout the country. “We are blessed to live in the United States, where we are isolated from the abject poverty that exists in developing countries,” said Cheryl, who aspires to start her own charity.

“After all this, I want to host other events to continue to raise money and awareness about Food For The Poor’s mission,” said Cheryl.
To support Cheryl’s philanthropic initiative please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code "SC# 86604" to accurately route your donation.
Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as 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 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Georgia Girl Builds Home in Haiti to Honor Aunt’s Memory

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 22, 2013) – This summer, 10-year-old Abby Collins received a photograph of a smiling family in Haiti in front of their new Food For The Poor home. For four years, Abby has sold homemade heart-shaped dog cookies, chocolate frosted cupcakes and other baked goods to raise the money needed to build this home in memory of her namesake.

“I received a letter from your grandmother telling me about your accomplishment to build a home for a family in Haiti,” Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO wrote in a letter to Abby. “I find your act of kindness to be a true testament of Christian charity. This is how God wants us to live our lives – loving one another and caring for our neighbors. You are a true blessing to this world and you have blessed your family by your most gracious and unselfish act of love.”

Abby never met her Aunt Abby Marie Ledbetter, who died at 16 shortly after being injured in a car accident the summer before her junior year of high school. Her family has kept her spirit alive by sharing stories, photographs and videos.

“This home in Haiti will allow her memory to live on with the hope and gratitude of this family – the recipients of your efforts,” said Mahfood.
Kathie Ledbetter was surprised by her granddaughter’s desire to build a Food For The Poor home in honor of her aunt, and immediately credited God for touching Abby’s heart.

Ledbetter heard Food For The Poor’s fundraising campaign on Atlanta’s 104.7 The Fish four years ago. She called her daughter Amy to help her make an online pledge to support a needy family for a year. While on Food For The Poor’s website, Amy shared the charity’s mission with Abby and her son, Walker.

“We are so proud of Abby, and hope this home is a blessing for a family in Haiti,” wrote Ledbetter, who attends Gospel Light Baptist Church, in Winder, Ga.

As Abby proudly holds a framed photograph of her Aunt Abby in one hand, and the photograph of the Haitian family in the other, you cannot help but notice the resemblance between Abby and her aunt.

“I hope God will bless them, and they will enjoy the house,” said Abby, who was glad the house was painted pink. Her brother Walker is now considering building a blue Food For The Poor house.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as 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 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.  For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.