Monday, September 29, 2014

Haiti Clinic Revived

Rockford Residents Celebrate the Expansion of Their Biggest Village Yet in Haiti

The Sokulskis.
Andy and Florette Sokulski want to save as many lives as possible and have extended the fundraising for Food For The Poor’s Our Lady Of The Poor Medical Clinic in honor of their daughter, Julie Sokulski Hesser.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2014) — Nine months of operational costs at Food For The Poor’s Our Lady Of The Poor Medical Clinic at the Bernard Mevs Hospital, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, will be covered, thanks to a Chicago couple intent on honoring the memory of their daughter. The Sept. 10 fundraiser in Streamwood, Illinois, was the ninth year the couple has gathered generous friends to help the poor.

Dedicated to saving as many lives as possible, Andy and Florette Sokulski have asked that fundraising in honor of their daughter, Julie Sokulski Hesser, be extended through the end of the year.

Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma and Food For The Poor Haiti Project Manager Delane Bailey-Herd spoke at the event and thanked attendees for their support.

“The compassion you show tonight will save lives,” said Aloma. “The majority of the clinic’s beneficiaries live in makeshift shacks, and struggle to earn a living. When the poor come to Our Lady Of The Poor Medical Clinic, they have full assurance that they will receive superior quality medical treatment.”

Thousands of patients benefit from and rely on the lifesaving medical services offered at this Food For The Poor sponsored clinic. The clinic’s AIDS Pediatric Care Center provides the poor with quality outpatient services, emergency treatment, diagnostic services through its state-of-the–art laboratory, surgical procedures, pharmaceutical products, and long-term chronic disease management.

“The lifesaving treatment patients receive at Food For The Poor’s Our Lady Of The Poor Medical Clinic is transformational,” said Bailey-Herd. “The clinic is an oasis and safe haven for babies that are born with malformations and need immediate medical attention. Here, they are loved and cared for, and given second chances.”

Since 2011, event proceeds have been used to modernize the Haiti hospital by building operating and recovery rooms, and purchasing new equipment. In 2012, Andy and Florette traveled to the Bernard Mevs Hospital to meet the hospital’s surgeons, and to see how patients benefited from their projects. Share in the Sokulski’s experience by watching their video at www.foodforthepoor.org/julie.

To make a donation to help cover the clinic’s monthly operational costs, please call 888-404-4248 or email carolc@foodforthepoor.com.

“When we face struggles, anxieties, joys and sorrows in our lives, it is good to know God has sent us help, and good people to laugh, support and have some fun as well,” said Florette Sokulski. “So much in this world is temporary, but friendships founded in Christ can be a lovely source of comfort and joy.”

When Andy and Florette lost their daughter at the age of 32, they were inspired to help others by Julie Sokulski Hesser’s strength, faith and courage during her final days. They began raising money in 2006 with Father Medard Laz and members of the Holy Family Catholic Community in Inverness, Ill., to create a living legacy in honor of their daughter through Food For The Poor projects.

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, September 26, 2014

Movers and Shakers Honor

Food For The Poor Supporter and Charity to Receive Special Honor

Jose Perez-Jones, Senior Vice President of Seaboard Marine, will be honored by South Florida Caribbean American Movers and Shakers.
Jose Perez-Jones, Senior Vice President of Seaboard Marine, will be honored by South Florida Caribbean American Movers and Shakers.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 26, 2014) – The 2014 South Florida Caribbean American Movers and Shakers will be honoring 12 civic-minded individuals, including longtime donor and supporter of Food For The Poor, Jose Perez-Jones, Senior Vice President of Seaboard Marine.  For more than three decades, Seaboard Marine has shipped thousands of containers filled with food and supplies, provided by Food For The Poor, to families in need throughout 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Perez-Jones, born in Sancti SpĂ­ritus, Cuba, came to the United States when he was 11. Never forgetting the impression his Uncle Humberto Del Valle made on him 45 years ago, Perez-Jones’ dream of a shipping company became a reality in 1983. Today, Seaboard Marine serves 40 ports, including PortMiami, in 28 countries. Because of his compassion for the truly destitute, Perez-Jones formed a bond with Food For The Poor that continues to this day to benefit tens of thousands of families each year.

“For over 30 years, Seaboard Marine has nurtured and solidified a very meaningful and heartfelt friendship with Food for the Poor. We will proudly continue to support this outstanding and significant union by remaining motivated, committed, and action-driven,” said Perez-Jones. “It is in this spirit and culture that we have continued to have a lasting and caring relationship with the hopes of influencing a better life for all.”
The South Florida Caribbean American Movers and Shakers also will present this year’s Humanitarian Award to Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor.

“With the vast majority of our work taking place in the Caribbean it’s truly humbling to know that the South Florida community, especially those with a heritage that’s linked to the region, are responding to the wonderful work Food For The Poor is doing there,” said Aloma. “Thanks to the support of our compassionate and dedicated donors, this charity is impacting lives throughout the Caribbean in a very positive way.”
Since its inception, Food For The Poor has built more than 96,000 housing units and installed nearly 1,900 water wells or water components. The organization also builds schools and feeds thousands daily, and is committed to creating projects that ultimately place families onto the path toward self-sufficiency.

Perez-Jones’ commitment to the charity’s mission goes beyond shipping. Seaboard Marine has been a supporter of the organization’s annual Building Hope Gala in Boca Raton, Fla., since 2005. For the first time this year, Seaboard Marine will sponsor the organization’s annual 5K Walk/Run for Hunger on Saturday, Nov. 8, at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 North Park Road, Hollywood, Fla.
                                                                       
“Seaboard Marine considers all opportunities to assist those in need a social responsibility and a loving mandate. As consequence, we are always ready, engaged, and willing to contribute, specifically now with the 5K Walk/Run for Hunger,” said Perez-Jones.

Aloma and Perez-Jones are two of the 12 honorees, which include entertainers Gloria and Emilio Estefan. The event will be at the Frost Art Museum at 10975 SW 17th St., Miami, on the campus of Florida International University, Oct.10, 2014, 6 - 9 p.m.

This event is being held in conjunction with FIU’s Caribbean Student Association, one of the largest multi-cultural student associations in the nation. Click for a preview of the honorees www.foodforthepoor.org/honorees.

The 2014 Caribbean American Movers and Shakers Networking Series include award events throughout the year in Atlanta, New York City and Miami.

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, September 25, 2014

Rockford Fundraiser

Rockford Residents Celebrate the Expansion of Their Biggest Village Yet in Haiti

Rockford residents visited Food For The Poor-built homes in the Hope for Haitians Board's Christian Friendship Village in Terrier Rouge, Haiti, in February 2014.
Rockford residents visited Food For The Poor-built homes in the Hope for Haitians Board's Christian Friendship Village in Terrier Rouge, Haiti, in February 2014.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 25, 2014) – Thanks to the compassion of northern Illinois residents at the 13th annual An Evening in the Tropics on Saturday, Sept. 6, enough money was raised to expand the Pope Francis Friendship Village in Dumas, Haiti. The gala was presented by the Hope for Haitians Board and Food For The Poor.

Funds raised at the event will be used to build safe, permanent Food For The Poor homes for 20 more families in Dumas. Additional money raised will be used to complete the second phase of the village, which includes 30 more two-room homes and a water filtration unit.

Tom Lorden, a Founding Trustee of the Hope for Haitians Board of Directors, thanked the approximately 300 attendees for their generous donations, allowing more families than ever before to receive support.
Money to complete phase one of the village, was raised by the generous participants of the Hope for Haitians Board’s Lenten Program. Phase one will include the construction of new homes for 40 families in Dumas, complete with kitchenettes, latrines, and solar lanterns. Additionally, the money needed to build the planned community center and a cassava bakery was raised. These facilities will be available to the more than 1,500 residents who reside in the area. The Association For The Development of Dumas (ADD) will assist farmers in marketing and selling the products produced at the bakery. 

During An Evening in the Tropics, the Hope for Haitians Board members presented a statue of Christ as a beggar to priests on behalf of their parishioners’ generous, sacrificial giving during the Lenten season. Recipients of the Ambassador For The Poor awards included: Reverend Richard Rosinski, pastor of St. Thomas More in Elgin, Ill.; The Very Reverend Stephen St. Jules, V.F., Rector of The Cathedral of St. Peter, Rockford; Reverend Timothy J. Seigel, pastor of St. Gall in Elburn, Ill.; and Reverend Edward Seisser, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena in Dundee, Ill.

Master of ceremonies for this year’s An Evening in the Tropics was veteran broadcast journalist Mike Robinson. Rev. St. Jules delivered the invocation. The evening also featured a cocktail reception, silent auction, and a formal dinner with friends and members of the surrounding communities. Bidding on silent auction prizes such as electronics, jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages offered opportunities for guests to shop and support the cause.

In addition to bidding on silent auction items, the attendees learned about Food For The Poor’s ongoing projects in Haiti from the testimonials of Rockford residents who traveled to Haiti in February 2014, and guest presenter, Delane Bailey-Herd, Food For The Poor’s Haiti Project Manager.

Bailey-Herd said it was an honor to celebrate with attendees as they raised money to transform people’s lives by building their biggest village yet.

“I strongly believe that from the villages you are helping us (Food For The Poor) create, will come forth Haiti’s leaders – men and women of great character and integrity,” said Bailey-Herd.

“On behalf of Haiti’s children, I want to thank you for providing safe homes, clean water, sanitation and food,” said Destiny, Bailey-Herd’s 6-year-old daughter.

For additional information, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/rockford.

Members of the Hope for Haitians Board include: Pat Bachrodt, the Rev. David Beauvais, Virginia Canavan, William Clancy, Patti Cottrell, Michael Delany, Bill Derry, Bill Kalma, Danny Lorden, Tom and Nancy Lorden, Bob McLaughlin, Greg McQueary, Philip Nicolosi, Peter Roche, Andy Schultheis, and the Rev. Geoff Wirth.

Gala sponsors include Dick and Marg Bachrodt, Lou Bachrodt Auto Group, Lou Bachrodt Foundation, Dr. Errol and Rosemary Baptist, Paul and Annette Baudhuin, Buff and Lorrie Blackler, Comerica, William and Catherine Clancy, Tom and Mary Costello, Crowe Horwath, Mike and Colleen Delany, Tony and Jean Domino, Rebecca Dunsworth, Field Fasteners, Focus Financial, Joseph Geraghty, Giovanni’s Restaurant, Brian and Missy Hand, Msgr. Robert Hoffman Estate, JP Jewelers, JPS Inc., Kelley Williamson Company, Thomas and Lesley Killoren, Joseph and Antoinette Logli, Lorden Charitable Foundation, Robert and Mary Lou McLaughlin, James and Carole Mounier, MPEC, OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Penske Truck Leasing, R.C. and Rhonda Pottinger, Risch Family Foundation, Peter and Sandy Roche and Family, St. Rita Church, Savant Capital Management, Fern Shore, Phil and Paula Turner, Msgr. Raymond Wahl, The Warranty Group, and WIPFLi HEWINS.

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.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Fish4Hope Reception

Fish4Hope Cocktail Reception to Fund Aquaculture in Haiti

Proceeds from the 2014 Celebration of Hope cocktail reception will be used to support Fish4Hope’s second aquaculture project in partnership with Food For The Poor in Haiti.
Proceeds from the 2014 Celebration of Hope cocktail reception will be used to support Fish4Hope’s second aquaculture project in partnership with Food For The Poor in Haiti.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 9, 2014) – Fish4Hope, in collaboration with Food For The Poor, will host its first Celebration of Hope cocktail reception on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Arlington Arts Center, 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia, 22201.

The cocktail reception will feature an open bar, with a DJ and live music. Hors d’oeuvres prepared by the chefs at The Green Spoon will be served. The award-winning restaurant is known for its commitment to using local sustainable food sources. The event also will premiere Christopher Gabello Photography's Fish4Hope short film, and offer exclusive photography of Haiti from Studio Saldana in its silent auction.

For additional information regarding Celebration of Hope, tickets, and advocacy levels, please call  888-404-4248. Proceeds from the 2014 Celebration of Hope cocktail reception will be used to support Fish4Hope’s second aquaculture project in partnership with Food For The Poor in Haiti.

Vin Lam and Tu Le first became involved with Food For The Poor when they traveled to Haiti on a mission trip in February 2012.

“When we first went to Haiti we thought that we would be the ones ministering to others, but we were so wrong,” said Le, Co-Founder of Fish4Hope. “The people of Haiti opened our eyes up to so much; we learned tremendously about love, gratitude, and happiness from them. We were humbled.

“When we returned, we wanted to find a way to express our gratitude for what we had learned from our brothers and sisters in Haiti,” said Le.

In 2013, Fish4Hope became a reality. The new organization’s first project was to raise money to build an aquaculture project, along with safe, permanent Food For The Poor homes for destitute families in Perest, Haiti.

Lam and Le returned to Haiti in February 2013, to dedicate the Food For The Poor village that consists of four aquaculture ponds and homes for 15 families. Wearing bright turquoise Fish4Hope T-shirts that read “Take action, serve, and inspire,” the group walked into the village of Perest, as enthusiastic residents clapped and chanted songs of gratitude.

“We hope that these houses and these ponds will help build your future for a better life,” said Vin Lam, Co-Founder of Fish4Hope, during the village inauguration ceremony. “So, together, let us Fish4Hope.”

Lam and Le were inspired to build the Food For The Poor village by the adage: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

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, September 5, 2014

New Fishing Villages

Food For The Poor Opens First Fishing Villages in Honduras

The delivery of 12 yellow fiberglass boats signaled the opening last week of three fishing villages in Omoa and Puerto Cortes, along the Caribbean coast of Honduras.
The delivery of 12 yellow fiberglass boats signaled the opening last week of three fishing villages in Omoa and Puerto Cortes, along the Caribbean coast of Honduras. These are the first fishing village projects in Latin America to be selected and supported by Food For The Poor and its generous donors.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 5, 2014) – The delivery of 12 yellow fiberglass boats signaled the opening last week of three fishing villages in Omoa and Puerto Cortes, along the Caribbean coast of Honduras. These are the first fishing village projects in Latin America to be selected and supported by Food For The Poor and its generous donors.

Many of the fishermen who will benefit from the project have spent decades skimming the reef in decaying wooden boats with makeshift fishing equipment, only to come up empty on most attempts. These new vessels offer new hope for the neighboring communities that depend on the sea for sustenance.  

“We are very happy and we’re very grateful to everyone who made this project possible. We’ve been waiting a long time for this donation and now we have it,” said Juan Vega, an Omoa fisherman. “With the support of the fishing teams, we can now take better care of our families. Thank you.”

Each fishing village received four boats, which will be shared by a team of 16 to 28 fishermen. All of the fishermen will receive engine maintenance training. In addition to the boats and motors, the villages will be equipped with coolers and freezers, locking storage sheds, fishing tackle and safety equipment.

“Words cannot describe the satisfaction Food For The Poor has for the establishment of the three new fishing villages in Honduras. Now these men have the ability to fish in deeper waters in order to catch quality fish to eat and to sell,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “These boats are a necessary resource and will take each of these communities closer to self-sufficiency and better nutrition.”

This opening comes at a time of renewed importance on providing life-sustaining projects and hope for those at risk of leaving their home countries in search of a better life.  Food For The Poor has had many successes in providing safe housing, clean water, education and projects such as these fishing villages.

The fishermen also will receive training in deep-sea fishing techniques that will best protect the marine environment, while learning how to catch mahi-mahi, yellow-tail snapper, tuna, and kingfish, which can then be sold to regional markets, hotels and restaurants.

The international relief and development organization selected these small towns after learning about the overwhelming need there, and the cooperative reputation of their fishermen. Each team will be required to donate a portion of their catch to organizations within their own communities that help orphans, the elderly and the sick. 

                                                                                                                                                        

“The expression on the faces of these men as the fishing boats were delivered to the villages made my heart swell with pride. But watching the fisherman proudly return with their first catch to shore in their new boats, made me cry tears of joy,” said Linda Coello, Founder/President of CEPUDO.  “We are so honored to be the channel through which Food For The Poor is able to provide this blessing to the people of Honduras. We thank you, and it is our hope that God will continue to bless the donors who made this possible.”  

Plans also are in the works for Food For The Poor to install three more fishing villages in the region later this year.

Food For The Poor began serving in Honduras in 1999, one year after the Central American country was slammed by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The charity works very closely with its partner CEPUDO (CapacitaciĂłn, EducaciĂłn, ProducciĂłn, UnificaciĂłn, Desarrollo y OrganizaciĂłn), which is based in San Pedro Sula, in order to reach those in need throughout the country.

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, September 4, 2014

Beach cleanup

Register for Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger at Beach Cleanup

Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, a California-based wine distributor, will host a pre-event beach cleanup and celebration on Oct. 4 to encourage participants to sign up for Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger.
The effort to keep the beach barefoot friendly will start at 9 a.m., with a group photo scheduled for 10:45 a.m. at the intersection of Taylor Street and the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (September 4, 2014) — Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, a California-based wine distributor, will host a pre-event beach cleanup and celebration on Oct. 4 to encourage participants to sign up for Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger.

The effort to keep the beach barefoot friendly will start at 9 a.m., with a group photo scheduled for 10:45 a.m. at the intersection of Taylor Street and the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk. Plan to come early to park on the street, or at the public garage on Harrison Street. From 11 to 1 p.m., invite your friends and teammates to stop by Toucan’s Oceanside Bar & Grill, 500 N. Broadwalk, Hollywood, FL 33019. Enjoy refreshments, learn about Food For The Poor’s work and win prizes from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.

Participants can register for in Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger, on Saturday, Nov. 8, at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 North Park Road, Hollywood, Fla. All registered participants will receive a T-shirt. Cost of pre-registration is $25 for adults (14+), and is free for participants 13 and under. Registration is $30 for adults on the day of the event.

The Honorable Franz Hall, Jamaica’s Consul General to Miami; Eric Yutzy, co-anchor for WPLG-TV Local 10 Morning News; and Natacha Sarthou Kalicharan, Mrs. West Indies International 2014, will join walkers and runners at the 5K Walk/Run. There will be refreshments, food available from The Food Truck Collective-Southern Florida, music, balloon artists, an appearance by Billy the Marlin (the official mascot of the Miami Marlins), and face painters at this family event. Race timing will be provided by AccuChip.

Handcrafted tin-art medallions from Haiti will be awarded to first-, second-, and third-place finishers in each age bracket for runners. The striking sun-shaped medallions were created by Louisdjy St-Jour, a Haitian metal artist who lives in a Food For The Poor-built home in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. St-Jour is an example of the Haitian people’s determination to thrive and become self-sufficient.

On the event website, supporters can register to take advantage of tips designed to help reach fundraising goals. Information about how to earn community service hours and how to download Facebook cover photos for the charity’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger is also available online.

Participants who raise more than $100 will receive a goody bag full of gifts from local businesses and unique items from the countries Food For The Poor serves. These supporters also will have the satisfaction of knowing that their donation has helped to feed starving families. For $102.20, Food For The Poor can feed seven families for a month.

Donations to this year’s event will stretch twice as far, as a generous donor has agreed to match every dollar raised with an additional dollar’s worth of food. Proceeds will provide lifesaving food to destitute families in the Caribbean and Latin America.

For more information, please call 954-427-2222, ext. 6854 or email RachelP@foodforthepoor.com. Participants can register the day of the event. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m., and the Walk/Run begins at 8:30 a.m., with the awards ceremony immediately following.

The event’s presenting sponsor is Toshiba. Additional event sponsors include Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Cruise Planners, Dennis Charley & Associates, Herbalife, Iberia Bank, Jamaica Tourist Board, Kind Snacks, Miami Marlins, Orange Theory, Paw Depot, Publix, Rockers Movement, Seaboard Marine, Square, Sun-Sentinel, TD Bank, Tri-Rail, Unum, Vitas Innovative Hospice Care, Waste Management and Wells Fargo.

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.

Kids For Housing

Food For The Poor Rolls Out Blueprints for Teachers

Students at Greater Works Christian School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania,  built a home for a family in Nicaragua.
Students at Greater Works Christian School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, built a home for a family in Nicaragua.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 4, 2014) – With school back in session, Food For The Poor has released new teacher resources to help students create positive change in the world. The charity’s Kids For Housing program incorporates the education students receive in the classroom with the opportunity to provide safe, secure housing for destitute families in developing countries.

“Teachers do an incredible job with the resources they have available,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director, who taught for 21 years at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “Participating in Kids For Housing instills deep thinking, and allows students the chance to build their confidence as they struggle to create their own unique fundraising solutions.”

“Dilapidated shacks made of scraps of wood, plastic and cardboard are very dangerous and offer families little or no protection from natural disasters, insects and rodents,” Aloma said. “The health of the children also suffers when they live in dirt-floor houses with crumbling walls, no sanitation and roofs that leak.”

Students at Greater Works Christian School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, already know which family they will build a home for this year through Kids For Housing.

“They loved the project once they understood that not everyone lives like them,” said Candy Spahr, the Missions and Evangelism teacher at Greater Works Christian School. “Last year, it took students only three months to raise the money needed to move a family out of squalor and into a new, permanent Food For The Poor home in Nicaragua.”

“They really get it,” Spahr said. “It is very touching. I am humbled that God would use me to teach someone to care about someone else in a world where it is all about me, me, me.”

Kids For Housing motivated even some of the youngest students to raise money to build the house. A kindergartener walked the neighborhood with her mother to sell coloring book artwork to neighbors, while others chose to clean their grandparents’ houses. The third-grade class sold colorful loom bracelets at lunch, while others chose to share their passion for the cause on Facebook.

Through Kids For Housing students are encouraged to purchase paper bricks that represent the materials used to build a home for a poor family. When the last brick is in place, the money needed to build the home will have been raised. Food For The Poor can then start construction on the home for the family in Latin America or the Caribbean. A picture of the family standing in front of their new home will be mailed to the school once the home is built.

To learn how you can start your school on a journey to transform a desperate family’s life, one brick at a time, please call 877-654-2960, ext. 6608, or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/kidsforhousing to access the teacher resources. Miniature model Food For The Poor houses are available by request to help students visualize a completed Food For The Poor home.

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.

Cheryl Ladd

Actress Cheryl Ladd to Speak at Food For The Poor’s Palm Beach Gala

Since 2011, Cheryl Ladd has asked others to open their hearts and answer the prayers of children and families living in severe poverty.
Since 2011, Cheryl Ladd has asked others to open their hearts and answer the prayers of children and families living in severe poverty. 

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 4, 2014) – One of Charlie’s most beloved angels now uses her voice to save lives alongside the nonprofit Food For The Poor. Actress Cheryl Ladd will speak at Food For The Poor’s 12th annual Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, at The Mar-a-Lago Club.

“I am looking forward to this very special evening,” said Ladd, who will be accompanied by producer and author Brian Russell, her husband of 33 years.

Ladd, who has a lead in the faith-based film The Perfect Wave (2014), is best known for her role as Kris Monroe, from the ABC television series Charlie’s Angels. This role as an angel prepared Ladd to champion the needs of the destitute, as spokesperson for Food For The Poor’s Angels Of The Poor program.

Since 2011, she has asked others to open their hearts and answer the prayers of children and families living in severe poverty.

“Helping those in such desperate need is what we are all called to do,” said Ladd. “I thank each and every person who has answered that call. Together we can bring hope and a chance for a better tomorrow for so many who fight a daily battle to survive.”

The annual event is chaired by distinguished Palm Beach philanthropists Donald and Melania Trump (National Honorary Chairs), Patrick Park (Honorary Chair), Arlette Gordon and Elizabeth Bowden (Gala Co-Chairs), and Herme de Wyman Miro (International Chair).

The Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures 2015 committee members include Michael Dixon, Emilio Guerra, Lorrain and Malcom Hall, Moneca Kaufmann, Tova Leidesdorf, Faith Morford, Michael Nadeau, Daniella and Alfredo Ortiz, Russell Sherrill, Mary Frances Turner, and Carol Weltz.

The Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala will open with a superb wine-tasting reception provided by Dreyfus Ashby & Co. and Trump Winery. The evening will culminate with a four-course gourmet dinner and wine pairing. Exotic escapes, jewelry, fine wines, and golf packages are among the varied prizes in the silent and live auctions.

A golf package at Trump International Golf Club is one of several golf packages that are available for bid. The course offers 27 holes of premium golfing, and Florida Golf Magazine rates it “the #1 course in the state of Florida.”

Ladd, a golf enthusiast, authored the autobiographical book Token Chick: A Woman’s Guide to Golfing with the Boys. Russell has a sequel in the works to his novel Scribe, which debuted last year to rave reviews.

For additional information regarding the Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala, tickets, sponsorship and benefactor levels, please call 1-888-404-4248 or email carolc@foodforthepoor.org. Proceeds from the 2015 Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala will be used to build homes for destitute families in Jamaica.

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.