Orlando Gala Success

Orlando Gala Raises Roofs for 28 Families in Haiti

	(L to R) Nicole Nasrallah and Dr. Lynne Nasrallah. During A Celebration of Hope gala, Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma recognized Dr. Lynne Nasrallah as an Ambassador For The Poor.
Related Items: Watch a Video of Life in Manneville Donate and Help Complete the Village

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2014) – Twenty-eight families in Haiti will receive Food For The Poor homes thanks to Orlando-area residents who attended the charity’s 15th annual A Celebration of Hope gala in Orlando on Saturday, Sept. 13. The permanent Food For The Poor homes will be constructed in Manneville, Haiti.

During A Celebration of Hope gala, presented by Rosen Shingle Creek and Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma recognized Dr. Lynne Nasrallah as an Ambassador For The Poor and presented her with a statue of Christ as a beggar. 

“It’s amazing to think that for 15 years, we have been changing the lives of the poor, lifting them out of poverty and giving them hope for the future,” said Dr. Nasrallah, the gala Chairwoman and member of Food For The Poor's Board of Directors. “Working with Food For The Poor, Orlando donors have built eight villages, and more than 864 homes. With your compassionate hearts, you have rescued the lives of thousands of vulnerable people; they were living in shacks, exposed to the elements, starving, desperate for a better life. Thank you for your generosity.”

Dr. Nasrallah closed her acceptance speech by introducing a video of her last trip to Haiti.

“I want all of you to join me on my pilgrimage back to Haiti, through a video,” said Dr. Nasrallah. “You are going to see what I saw when I was there last year; the needs of the poorest people in the poorest country, and what you have done to impact their lives.”

Master of ceremonies for this year’s A Celebration of Hope gala was Tom Sorrells, an Emmy award-winning meteorologist for WKMG Channel 6.

“I'm honored to participate in so many wonderful community events, but the Food For The Poor gala stands out in my mind as an evening that touched my heart and opened my mind,” said Sorrells. “I think the organization did a wonderful job of making sure that its meaningful work was the focal point of the night. The fact that I met so many wonderful people, and that the food and entertainment were both top-notch was just a bonus. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to host this worthwhile event, and look forward to watching it grow into the future.”

In addition to bidding on silent auction items, the attendees learned about Food For The Poor’s ongoing projects in Haiti from Food For The Poor’s Haiti Project Manager Delane Bailey-Herd.

In Haiti, Food For The Poor builds two-room, concrete block homes with zinc roofs, locking doors, and a front porch. The homes also include access to clean water, solar-power technology, and a bathroom with a flush toilet and shower stall.

To invest in the house-building initiative, please call 888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/orlando.

The gala’s presenting sponsor is Rosen Shingle Creek and Rosen Hotels & Resorts. Gala sponsors include Central Florida Marriott Business Council, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, McCoy Federal Credit Union, Orlando City Soccer, QuestMark Flooring, and S1-Safety 1st Drug Testing.

A Celebration of Hope gala executive committee members include Anibal and Maritza Beltran, Cynthia Hawkins, Patty Holland, Rebecca James, Marie Morales Johnson, Anis Khalaf, Kathy Kinchla, Brad Levine, Bernadette McComb, Rob and Elizabeth O’Brien, and Ryan Shaughnessy. Additional committee members include Linda Bonnewitz, The del Campo Family, The Compas Family, Janice Chong, Trevor and Freda Dieffenthaller, Jason Gingras, Nicole Nasrallah, Lisa Padilla, Nancy Padilla, Patricia Perfito, Anne Pinkosh, The Santana Family, Kelly Wilkes, Holly Wilson, and Jean and Donna Wilson.

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.