Friday, May 30, 2014

Kellogg Foundation grant

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Food For The Poor has received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to build a village of 50 homes in Fond des Blancs, Haiti.
Food For The Poor has received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to build a village of 50 homes in Fond des Blancs, Haiti. Many families there are living in dirt-floor houses.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 30, 2014) – Food For The Poor has received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to build a village in Fond des Blancs, Haiti. Located in the Aquin district within the country’s peninsula, it is a dry mountainous region with a population of approximately 30,000 people.

Many of the families who call Fond des Blancs home are living in dirt-floor houses that have crumbling mud walls, no sanitation and rusted zinc roofs that leak. During the rainy season, many of these mud-based structures simply collapse from the weight of the water, making these makeshift dwellings very dangerous for the occupants.

“The goal of this grant is to address the overwhelming need for housing, sanitation and income-producing projects for the people within the community,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “With the support of the Kellogg Foundation, Food For The Poor soon will begin the construction of 50 concrete block homes for families who are in desperate need of housing.”

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. The foundation also works with international organizations that are committed to improving the lives of the materially poor with self-sustaining opportunities. 

“This is an integrated project that incorporates income-generating activities and the provision of decent homes for families in Fond des Blancs. It is an opportunity to learn and to explore how to enable communities to build safe living environments for families,” said Alix Cantave, Program Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “It is also an exercise in community collaboration, since Food For The Poor is collaborating with two organizations in the community.”

Food For The Poor will be working with in-country partners from the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, a Massachusetts-based organization with a 31-year history in Fond des Blancs. Each of the 50 homes built in the St. Boniface Community Village will have solar lighting, a cistern for water, and an indoor toilet with a dual-chamber sanitation system.

With the potential risk of cholera ever present, hygiene and sanitation classes will be provided for the residents living in the village, along with vocational and animal husbandry training. The animal husbandry projects will include 52 goats and 600 layer hens, along with shade covering and cages for the livestock. Feed, medicines and supplies will be provided for the health of these animals, which will become a source of food and income-generating assets.

Haiti imports 17 million eggs per month from the Dominican Republic. Local egg production can provide a substantial income for residents of the St. Boniface Community Village, who can sell their eggs for profit. Fond des Blancs also has very fertile soil. With the proper tools and agricultural training, the farmers can better cultivate their main crops of corn, millet, banana, avocado, bean, yam, orange and manioc.
The hope of the grant is that this new village in Fond des Blancs will provide families with the income needed to pay the tuition fees of their children. It is also the hope that opportunities for an advanced level of education will soon become available, so the town’s young people will want to stay in the region and not move to Port-au-Prince in search of better opportunities.

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.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Chikungunya in Haiti

Food For The Poor Responds to Haiti Virus Threat

Almost 8,000 boxes and bottles of medicines make up the seven pallets of medicine for children and adults. But that won’t last long, based on government forecasts and personal experiences of those in Haiti.
The Food For The Poor/Haiti office in Port-au-Prince sent an urgent request to the U.S. office for Paracetamol and acetaminophen.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 23, 2014) Food For The Poor has secured seven pallets of much-needed medicines that will be air-freighted to Haiti to help fight the spreading Chikungunya virus that has sickened more than 3,600 people in that country.

The Food For The Poor/Haiti office in Port-au-Prince sent an urgent request to the U.S. office for Paracetamol and acetaminophen. There is a shortage of these medicines in the country and they are unaffordable when they can be found. Prices have risen 200 percent since the virus was first confirmed two weeks ago, according to one of the charity’s in-country partners.

Almost 8,000 boxes and bottles of medicines make up the seven pallets of medicine for children and adults. But that won’t last long, based on government forecasts and personal experiences of those in Haiti.

“It is spreading here in what threatens to be an epidemic,” said Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma, as he traveled by bus from Port-au-Prince to Grand Boulage on Thursday. “There is an urgent need for medicines and for mosquito repellent. Food For The Poor will continue to try to get more of these supplies and get them distributed in Haiti as fast as we can.”

Chikungunya virus is transmitted to people by mosquitoes, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The most common symptoms of chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. The virus is new to the Americas, but is spreading across parts of the Caribbean. The mosquitoes that spread the illness are widespread in both the tropics and in sub-tropical regions, including Florida.

Aloma reported that even the Food For The Poor operation in Port-au-Prince has been affected with several staff members out sick with the fever. Aloma, in Haiti leading a mission trip to dedicate water wells, said the group is taking every precaution.

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.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

'Humanitarian' called to serve

Honoree Credits Prayer as His Catalyst to Serve

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Garvin Stewart and Paula Adesokan watch in amazement as students at Lycee Charles Belair School in Arcahaie, Haiti, rejoice as they taste the water at the newly dedicated water kiosk.
Garvin Stewart and Paula Adesokan watch in amazement as students at Lycee Charles Belair School in Arcahaie, Haiti, rejoice as they taste the water at the newly dedicated water kiosk. Just two and a half months earlier Stewart and his wife (not pictured) had committed to help fund the school’s water project at Food For The Poor’s 2012 Dreams Across The Sea Gala in Atlanta. He was astonished to witness how the gift of life-giving water already was available to approximately 2,000 grateful students.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 20, 2014) – Seated in the comfort of his home office, Garvin Stewart quieted his mind as he prepared to meditate on the scripture of Matthew 25:35-40. Feeling an urgent call to action, he swiftly moved to his computer, and searched the phrase “feed the hungry.” Within seconds, his search introduced him to Food For The Poor’s mission. 

“I was pleasantly surprised to see the various flags at the bottom of the [website] page, depicting the Caribbean and Latin American countries that are served,” said Stewart, who will receive the Humanitarian of the Year award Thursday at the 2014 Caribbean American Movers and Shakers Networking Series in Atlanta. “This caught my interest because I was born in Trinidad, so I quickly identified with the focus of Food For The Poor.”

Without hesitation, he called to learn more about the charity’s 2011 Dreams Across The Sea Gala in Atlanta. Stewart’s steadfast commitment to Food For The Poor since that call is why the Caribbean Media Network has chosen to recognize him on May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Caribbean-inspired Stir It Up Restaurant and Lounge in Atlanta.

“I offered to help with no idea of what I was going to do, or for that matter, what I was even getting into,” said Stewart. “I was just humbly following God's lead. He called me to go feed the hungry and I was intent on following His lead. Basically, through prayer, scripture and meditation, I was led to seek out Food For The Poor.” 

Stewart now serves as an ambassador for the charity, in addition to his duties as President/CEO of AlphaGCS Consulting Group. With more than 30 years of experience in information technology and consulting, he represents Fortune 500 Corporations and federal government agencies.

“I’m truly humbled by this recognition and accept it on behalf of the Atlanta Committee – former and current members – the Water Life Hope Board and Food For The Poor,” said Stewart, a Dreams Across The Sea Gala committee member. “We are all movers and shakers as we willingly provide our time, talents and treasures to bring hope and joy to the poor and destitute in the countries we serve.”

The 2014 list of honorees recognizes Atlanta-area philanthropists of Caribbean heritage, who strive to contribute to the multicultural community. Additional honorees include: Oscar Nominated and Grammy Award Winning Platinum Producer, Leslie Brathwaite; Producer of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Princess Banton; Former Honorary Consul of Jamaica, Vin Martin; Black Latino Council Atlanta, Tina Hart; Director of Operations WRFG 89.3 FM, Wanique Shabazz; Southern Division President of Home Depot, Ann-Marie Campbell; President of Panton Capital Holdings, David Panton; President of Georgia Association of Elected Latino Officials, Jerry Gonzalez; DJ and Radio Personality, Chubb Rock; and Chief of Staff at Emory Winship Cancer Center, Dr. Karen Godette. Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Pola Cooper and Patrick Mc Bain, founders of the Atlanta Peach Carnival, also known as Atlanta’s Caribbean Folk Festival.

“Food For The Poor is actively committed to reducing poverty and creating possibilities for the poor and the disadvantaged in the countries they serve,” said Stewart. “Partnering with Food For The Poor provides me with an established and reputable conduit through which I can effectively meet the needs of the poor and the destitute.”

To learn more about Stewart’s charity of choice and to take action, please plan to attend Food For The Poor’s 7th annual Caribbean-themed Dreams Across The Sea Gala, presented by The InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga., on Friday, Oct. 24.

Paul Goodloe, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel, will serve as master of ceremonies at the Dreams Across The Sea Gala. The gala will feature a cocktail reception with passed hors d'oeuvres and a coffee and dessert bar, live music, dancing, a silent auction and giveaways.

For additional information, or to purchase tickets, please call, 1-888-404-4248, or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/atlanta. This year, gala proceeds will be used to provide access to clean water in Haiti. The need for this lifesaving resource is urgent, as more than 9,000 people in Haiti have died since 2010 from cholera.

Dreams Across The Sea Gala Co-Chairmen are Chris Curry and Saurel Quettan. Additional committee members include Dr. Paula Nelson Adesokan, Scott and Kari Bardowell, Raymond Bazile, Verlyn Britton, Edward Bruno-Gaston, Ed Buckley, Renee Corey-Lubin, Rev. Lebon Faustin, Gina Frasier, Nekeidra Frederick, Jean Hanges, Michele Jean, Loveless Johnson III, Pascale Jones, Sylvia McClure, Nnena Nchege, Dr. Jason Regis, and Garvin Stewart.

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.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Harvard donation

Kitchen Equipment from Harvard Business School
Helps Orphans Across Jamaica

Commercial-grade kitchen appliances that once filled Kresge Hall at Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Mass., have been donated to Food For The Poor.
Commercial-grade kitchen appliances that once filled Kresge Hall at Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Mass., have been donated to Food For The Poor. The items were shipped to Jamaica and are being used to equip 13 Mustard Seed Communities across the island.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 14, 2014) – Thanks to a donation of commercial-grade kitchen appliances from Harvard Business School (HBS), the lives of 400 abandoned or orphaned children living with various disabilities, some with HIV/AIDS, are getting a little easier. Kitchens in 13 Mustard Seed Communities across Jamaica are being equipped with much-needed ovens, stovetops, refrigerators, mixers and more.

“These kitchen items will certainly benefit all our homes as well as boosting the morale of the staff that will be encouraged by their new environment,” said Fr. Garvin M. Augustine, Executive Director of Mustard Seed Communities International. “To the donors at HBS and Food For The Poor, I would like to thank you for your generosity. It will enable our children to benefit from nutritious meals prepared in a healthy environment.”

The kitchen upgrade and renewals for the Mustard Seed Communities resulted from the demolition of Harvard Business School’s Kresge Hall, in Cambridge, Mass. Kresge Hall, built with a generous gift from the Kresge Foundation, opened in 1953. It served as the primary dining and social center for the HBS community until 2001 and as the Executive Education dining facility until 2014. The building was an important fixture on campus for generations of students and HBS wanted to ensure its legacy beyond the life of the physical space. Donating useful materials to worthy organizations like the Mustard Seed Communities is part of that effort.

“As Kresge Hall went offline it was very important to the HBS community that we preserve or donate as many items from the building as possible. This allowed us to pay forward the generosity of the Kresge Foundation.” said Administrative Dean Angela Crispi. “We are very pleased that these items are able to help the people of Jamaica. Food For the Poor offers a wonderful service and we are extremely happy to have contributed in a small way to help them deliver their services.” 

The donations from Kresge Hall were facilitated through Harvard’s Recycling and Waste Services. Three tractor-trailers full of items were donated to local and international non-profits. This included a donation of industrial class kitchen equipment to the Institution Recycling Network, which is located in Concord, N.H. Established in 1999, IRN began its partnership with Food For The Poor more than a decade ago. More than 2,235 container loads of various items have been donated by IRN and distributed to all the countries served by Food For The Poor. 

“I am pleased to have played a role in connecting Harvard Business School’s kitchen inventory into its new reusable role with Mustard Seed Communities,” said Jay Baldwin of the Institution Recycling Network. “HBS in its generous spirit, through IRN and Food For The Poor, will feed thousands of children for years to come. They are the ones who will benefit from this connection, and it’s a great feeling to be a part of this process.”

“Food For The Poor has provided ongoing support to Jamaica’s Mustard Seed Communities for nearly 30 years. The staff and volunteers who dedicate their lives to caring for these abandoned and disabled children are a true blessing from God,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “This organization is thankful for every donation it receives, but a donation to Food For The Poor from Harvard Business School  says a lot about the work that’s being done to help the truly destitute in the world.”

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.  

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Lighting rural schools

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This student in Managua, Nicaragua, is eager to learn how to use the computer, so he will have technical skills to offer his future employer.
This student in Managua, Nicaragua, is eager to learn how to use the computer, so he will have technical skills to offer his future employer.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 8, 2014) – Food For The Poor will use grant money to provide 28 rural schools in Nicaragua with access to solar power, the Internet and computers through the pilot program, Luces Para Aprender. The project is scheduled to begin this summer with the assistance of the charity’s in-country partners, American Nicaraguan Foundation (ANF) and Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI).

The isolated schools in the pilot program are located in the departments of Nueva Segovia and Rivas, in the municipalities of Macueliso, Jalap, Ocotal, San Fernando and Tolas.  There is a great need for solar-powered technology in Nicaragua. OEI has identified more than 6,040 schools in the country that do not have access to electricity.

The work is made possible through a grant from the Fossil Foundation.

“The generosity of the Fossil Foundation has given children in rural, often forgotten communities, a reason to rejoice,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “By harnessing solar power technology in our quest to end poverty, we are able to offer students new and exciting learning opportunities that know no boundaries.”

In addition to using solar technology to turn on lights and power computers, Food For The Poor employs solar solutions to help provide clean water. Solar technology is powering water filtration units that help prevent the spread of cholera, submersible pumps that funnel water from streams to ponds, and eco-friendly waterless toilets to replace dangerous pit latrines.

Each school will be outfitted with NComputing X550 technology that allows the sharing of one PC with up to six users. This system lowers the machines’ electrical consumption by 90 percent, making it ideal to install in developing countries.

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, May 5, 2014

Humanitarian missions

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TRobin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor and Vic Ramdass, the director of U.S. Southern Command’s Partnering Directorate inked a humanitarian partnership.
(L to R) Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor, and Vic Ramdass, the director of U.S. Southern Command’s Partnering Directorate, inked a humanitarian partnership.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 5, 2014) – Food For The Poor and the United States Southern Command have signed an agreement that formalizes the charity’s collaboration in upcoming U.S. military-sponsored humanitarian missions in Latin America and the Caribbean.

U.S. SouthCom is responsible for military operations within Latin America and the Caribbean, and has a Public Private Cooperation Program that works to build partnerships for humanitarian and disaster relief actions. Food For The Poor serves 17 countries in the same geographic area, providing relief and development programs to millions of the poor.

“The people we serve are the ones who will benefit from this partnership,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “By working together, we are able to move quickly and efficiently to help in times of disaster or even just to meet the basic needs of those in developing countries.”

As an example of how the two entities cooperate, Food For The Poor and U.S. SouthCom are in the middle of a project to deliver much-needed school furniture to the Dominican Republic.

“For years, Food For The Poor has worked to help the poor and hungry in 17 Latin America and Caribbean nations. And, in that same time, U.S. military troops have provided medical care and civic assistance to communities in need during numerous humanitarian exercises and disaster relief missions,” said Dr. Vic Ramdass, the director of U.S. Southern Command’s Partnering Directorate. “Our cooperation just makes sense. By strengthening our partnership, we can help provide even greater assistance to the nations in the region.”

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.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Gifts for Mom

Outside The Box Mother’s Day Gifts Sure to Impress

Food For The Poor gift catalog.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 2, 2014) – This Mother’s Day, let Food For The Poor’s gift catalog inspire you to think outside of the box. Forget the flowers that are destined to fade, and choose to honor Mom with a heartfelt gift from the charity’s catalog. All gifts are uniquely designed to improve the lives of poverty-stricken children and families that struggle to survive in developing countries.

Food For The Poor’s gift catalog epitomizes the spirit of giving and offers a wide variety of gift suggestions: from 20 chicks for $25, a solar-powered light kit for $125, or providing a community with a lifesaving water pump for $285

Or, for $90, you can show Mom she raised a good “kid” by giving a goat in her honor to a family in need. Your gift will grow and multiply to supply the family – and someday possibly the community –with nutritious milk and cheese. 

To maximize the value of every dollar, Food For The Poor purchases food by the tractor-trailer load. The charity’s efficiency means savings can then be passed along to supporters who want to see their donation go a long way. Food For The Poor’s effectiveness gives you the ability to surprise Mom and feed a starving family for just $14.60 a month, or a hungry child for a whole year for $43.80.

Whether you are a student, or a corporate titan, Food For The Poor’s gift catalog offers meaningful ideas for your special Mom, while remaining within your budget. Your gift to provide a year’s worth of school supplies for $20, or a new, secure one-room house for $3,200 will ultimately give children the chance of a better future. What better way is there than that to thank Mom?

Food For The Poor understands that picking the perfect gift for Mom can be a challenge, and has created a video to show you a handful of additional gift ideas in action. 

When you order from this catalog, be sure to request special gift cards to let Mom know about the gift given in her honor. Just indicate the number of cards needed on the enclosed order form.

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.