Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Mary Wong to be Named Ambassador of the Poor

Food For The Poor to Honor Mary Wong of Office Depot Foundation

Mary Wong's philanthropic endeavors are recognized throughout the community. She is president of the Office Depot Foundation.

Mary Wong's philanthropic endeavors are recognized throughout the community. She is president of the Office Depot Foundation.

 

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 26, 2014) – Food For The Poor will recognize Mary Wong, President of the Office Depot Foundation, as the charity’s Ambassador For The Poor at the 20th annual Building Hope Gala on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton. Attendees will be invited to create a legacy of compassion and generosity by pledging to build critically needed houses for destitute families.

"I am deeply grateful to Food For The Poor for selecting me as the honoree of its 20th annual Building Hope Gala and applaud this outstanding organization's dedication to providing homes and hope for the residents of Pon Batay in Haiti,” said Wong.

“Mary Wong’s charitable giving, and her compassion have inspired many nonprofits and individuals to give generously,” said Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma. “Above all, it is the tears of compassion that I have seen Mary shed each time she watches a Food For The Poor video or looks at our photos, or even when she listens to a story from the field about our children that makes recognizing her a sincere privilege.”

During the past three years, the Office Depot Foundation has donated 14,000 sackpacks filled with essential school supplies to Food For The Poor’s Angels Of Hope child sponsorship program.

“The Office Depot Foundation has partnered with Food For The Poor in our National Backpack Program for several years and is proud to know that, together, we have given thousands of children essential tools to succeed in school,” said Wong.

Wong, whose philanthropic endeavors are recognized throughout the community, was named President of the Office Depot Foundation in 2006, after serving as Director of Community Relations for Office Depot since 2000. She serves on the boards of several organizations and on an advisory board for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Wong also was included in the 2013 list of “America's Top 20 Women in Philanthropy, Social Innovation & Civic Engagement” by Michael Chatman, host of #whyigive on Twitter.

Shaggy and The Hot Shot Band will perform at the gala. Shaggy, a longtime supporter of the South Florida based-nonprofit Food For The Poor, believes that “to whom much is given, much is required.”
Another bona fide champion of Food For The Poor’s mission, chef Ron Duprat – who appeared on the reality TV show “Top Chef” – has offered to share his passion for cooking with attendees to help build homes in his native homeland of Haiti. At the event, attendees can bid on a 12-course dinner prepared by the French-trained executive chef for 25 guests at the home of the winning bidder. Additional silent auction prizes will include electronics, jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages. This year’s theme is old Hollywood glamor.

Since inception, Food For The Poor has built more than 91,000 housing units for people desperately in need of adequate shelter. A gift of $3,200 will move a destitute family from their dirt-floor makeshift shack in Pon Batay, Haiti, into a permanent home. The community’s dire living conditions are compounded by the lack of clean drinking water in the area. Pon Batay residents must walk miles to the nearest community to fetch water from a well.

For additional information regarding the Building Hope Gala, sponsorship opportunities and tickets, available at $250 per person, please call 888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/boca.

The Building Hope Gala Chairwoman is Rene Turner-Mahfood, and additional committee members include Wedler Alexandre, Carlos Bodden, Linda Brendli, Matthew Bryant, Becky Carlsson, Ronda Ellis Ged, Erin Heit, Susan Krassen, Julie Mahfood, Tashia Rahl, Kara Seelye, Dr. Deborah Shapiro and Renee Stetler.

Gala sponsors to date include Aviv Vodka, Club Managers Association of America, Dennis Charley & Associates, Leslie L. Alexander Foundation, McFFe Group, Oceans 234, Seaboard Marine, TD Bank, Trinity Direct, and The Boca Raton Observer.

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, November 25, 2014

What Does Giving Mean to You?

Spending with a Purpose: What Does Giving Mean to You?

Food For The Poor can help you start a #GivingTuesday tradition this holiday season by giving a gift that will change lives. Your gift of bees for honey production will provide a reliable, lasting source of honey and income for bee farmers like Stephen Williams. The 54-year-old owner of Queen Bee Honey Production says support from Food For The Poor helped to build his business, which is based in Irish Pen, St. Catherine, Jamaica.

Food For The Poor can help you start a #GivingTuesday tradition this holiday season by giving a gift that will change lives. Your gift of bees for honey production will provide a reliable, lasting source of honey and income for bee farmers like Stephen Williams. The 54-year-old owner of Queen Bee Honey Production says support from Food For The Poor helped to build his business, which is based in Irish Pen, St. Catherine, Jamaica.

 

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 25, 2014) – There are days for buying gifts, a day for giving thanks, and now there’s a day for giving back. For the third consecutive year, Food For The Poor will participate in #GivingTuesday, which blends charities, businesses and individuals to provide a fresh outlook to the giving season.

On Dec. 2, 2014, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday will tap into the power of social media to inspire as many as possible to do good and give back. More than 10,000 organizations, including Food For The Poor, will be promoting charitable activities that support nonprofits.

“For more than three decades the philanthropic spirit has motivated generous donors to support Food For The Poor, which has allowed the organization to help others. Having a day that’s dedicated to giving back is an opportunity for nonprofits to shine the light on creative ways donors can make a difference throughout the year,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “A day that’s dedicated to charitable deeds is a blessing for all involved, whether it’s of your time or from your resources.”

Visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/givingtuesday to read Executive Director, Angel Aloma’s blog and support Food For The Poor’s #GivingTuesday initiative What Does Giving Mean to You? See the responses from some of the charity’s donors in a short video at www.foodforthepoor.org/whygive, which will inspire you to look at gift-giving in whole new way.  

For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website www.givingtuesday.org, Facebook page www.facebook.com/givingtuesday, or follow the #GivingTuesday hashtag on Twitter.

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, November 17, 2014

5K Participants Feed Thousands

Food For The Poor’s 5K to Feed Thousands of Children

Participants line up at the 5K Walk/Run For Hunger.
More than 600 walkers and runners participated in Food For The Poor's 5K Walk/Run For Hunger at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park in Hollywood, Fla. on Nov.8. Participants raised funds to feed more than 1,600 children for an entire year in the Caribbean and Latin America, thanks to a generous donor who matched every dollar raised with and additional dollar worth of food.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (November  17, 2014) – More than 600 walkers and runners participated in Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park in Hollywood, Fla., on Saturday, Nov. 8. 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, joined walkers and runners at the 5K Walk/Run.

“On behalf of the children in the Caribbean and Latin America who will be nourished because of the generosity of strangers, please accept my heartfelt thanks,” said Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma.

Participants raised funds to feed more than 1,600 children for an entire year in the Caribbean and Latin America, thanks to a generous donor who matched every dollar raised with an additional dollar’s worth of food.

Aloma and Yutzy stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the finish line to encourage runners to finish strong.

Luis Angel Arroyo stood out from the crowd when he raised his eyes to heaven to praise God, after he crossed the finish line of his first 5K race.

“I myself used to be homeless, hungry, and addicted to drugs,” said Arroyo, who was not discouraged that he needed to catch a bus at 5 a.m. and walk 1.5 miles to be on time for the event. “I thank the Lord who saved me and used Broward Outreach Center in Pompano Beach, Fla., and all of the churches that come there to help.

“I wanted to do this for everyone who is hungry and stuck out there, to bring awareness that there is help,” said Arroyo. “I want to do this for the rest of my life.”

The fastest male was Moses Washington, with a time of 16:39. The fastest female was Alejandra Simon, with a time of 22:40. Additional race results by AccuChip are available online at www.foodforthepoor.org/accuchip.

Handcrafted tin-art medallions from Haiti were 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.

For just $14.60, Food For The Poor can feed a hungry family of four for a month. To make a donation, please visit the charity’s website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/walk.

The event’s presenting sponsor was Toshiba. Additional event sponsors included Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Cruise Planners, Dataline, Dennis Charley & Associates, Iberia Bank, Jamaica Tourist Board, Kind Snacks, Miami Marlins, Orange Theory Fitness, Publix, Rockers Movement, Seaboard Marine, Sun-Sentinel, TD Bank, The Food Truck Collective, 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.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Atlanta residents get honor

Food For The Poor Honors Atlanta Residents

Edward Buckley is a recipient of the Ambassador For The Poor award. (L to R) Patricia and Edward Buckley (gala committee member).
(L to R) Patricia and Edward Buckley at the Dreams Across the Sea gala. Mr. Buckley is a recipient of the Ambassador For The Poor award.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 11, 2014) – Food For The Poor’s Executive Director Angel Aloma named three Atlanta-area residents Ambassadors For The Poor at the charity’s 7th annual Dreams Across The Sea event on Oct. 24, at The InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Ambassador For The Poor honorees are Edward Buckley, managing partner at The Buckley Law Firm LLC (Decatur); the Rev. William Thomas Deneke, an Episcopal priest (Decatur); and Amanda Farahany, a partner at Barrett & Farahany, LLP (Atlanta).

Event proceeds will be used to bring clean, safe drinking water to Dalon, Haiti, through the installation of a 10,000-gallon concrete cistern, and water kiosks. Currently, residents walk more than a mile to reach the local spring, and because of the heavy reliance on this resource, residents usually have to wait 45 minutes to collect water.

Proceeds also will partially fund necessary components for a water project at the Baptist Hospital in Quartier Morin, Haiti. There is no piped water in Quartier Morin. The several shallow, hand-dug wells at the Baptist Hospital are inefficient because they are susceptible to the region’s dry spells, as they are replenished by rainfall. When necessary, water is pumped by hand and delivered in wheelbarrows to the hospital from the nearby children’s home. That well was generously installed in 2012 by Ed Buckley and members of Leadership Atlanta.

“It is our belief that the right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental of human rights, for without clean drinking water we cannot fully exercise our other God-given rights,” said Buckley. “For example, a child can’t enjoy her right to education with parasites roiling in her belly because she does not have clean drinking water. A woman can’t engage in commerce if she has to spend five hours a day hunting for clean water and bringing a five-gallon bucket back to her home, only to repeat the same thing the next day.”

In May, Buckley, Farahany and Rev. Deneke traveled to Haiti with Food For The Poor to visit several potential water project sites to benefit from Food For The Poor’s 2014 Dreams Across The Sea event.  While in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the group also celebrated the life of a Decatur, Georgia, nurse, Susan Parry, through the inauguration of a new water well and cistern at the Bernard Mevs Hospital.

“She took care of many patients during her long career,” said Buckley, who credits Parry for organizing the best nursing staff to care for him during a recent health scare. “She brought me back to the land of the living. I feel a huge debt of gratitude to her.”

To invest in a critically needed water project in Haiti, please call 1-888-404-4248, or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/water-haiti.

Paul Goodloe, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel, served as master of ceremonies.

Dreams Across The Sea Co-Chairmen are Chris Curry and Saurel Quettan. Additional committee members include Dr. Paula Nelson Adesokan, Scott and Kari Bardowell, Verlyn Britton, Edward Bruno-Gaston, Edward 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.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Fine Wines Pre-Event

Worth Avenue Stores Open Doors to Support Food For The Poor

Unveiling of Fr. Martin's plaque.
(L to R) Arlette Gordon, Danielle Ortiz and Elizabeth Bowden. On Jan. 13, 2015, Food For The Poor’s Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala committee will host a pre-event party at Daniella Ortiz, a Worth Avenue store.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 10, 2014) – Members of Food For The Poor’s Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala committee will host pre-event parties at two Worth Avenue stores. A percentage of the proceeds from sales at both events will be donated to the gala’s house-building initiative in Jamaica.

Committee member Moneca Kaufmann will host a kickoff reception on Dec. 4 at Kaufmann de Suisse Jewelry Designers, 210 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL 33480. Sip champagne and nibble on hors d’oeuvres while shopping for a dazzling piece of jewelry for your loved one. Valet parking will be provided.

Daniella and Alfredo Ortiz also will host a pre-event party to support the house-building initiative on Jan. 13, at Daniella Ortiz, 256 Worth Ave., Palm Beach, FL 33480. Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served. A percentage of the proceeds from sales that evening will be donated to Food For The Poor.

A bag designed by Daniella Ortiz will be donated for the gala’s silent auction. Specializing in fine leather and exotic-skinned handbags and one-of-a-kind fashion jewelry pieces, Daniella Ortiz has made a splash on the fashion scene, with boutiques on Worth Avenue and at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

Food For The Poor’s 12th annual Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala is chaired by distinguished Palm Beach philanthropists Melania and Donald J. Trump (National Honorary Chairs), Patrick Park (Honorary Chair), Arlette Gordon and Elizabeth Bowden (Gala Co-Chairs), Hermé de Wyman Miro (International Chair), Mary Frances Turner (Ladies' Committee Chair) and Russell Sherrill (Gentlemen's Committee Chair).

The Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala will open with a superb wine-tasting reception provided by Antinori Winery, Dreyfus Ashby & Co. and Trump Winery. One of Charlie’s most beloved angels, actress Cheryl Ladd will speak at the gala. The evening will culminate with a five-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.

The Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures 2015 committee members include Irma Anapol, Michael Cinque, Michael Dixon, Jean Dolan, Barbara Gilbert, Emilio Guerra, Lorrain and Malcolm Hall, Helene Karp, Moneca Kaufmann, Debbie LaSorte, Toni Arpaia May, Faith Morford, Michael Nadeau, Sally O’Connor, Daniella and Alfredo Ortiz, Patsy and Leslie Spero, Carol Weltz, Gail Worth and Olimpia Zuccarelli.

To request an invitation to the Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala, or for additional information regarding 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.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Boca Grande Fundraiser

Boca Grande Committee Sets Its Sights on New Area to Help

Hope for Haitians Orphanage Care Programs in Boca Grande Friendship Village II
Hope for Haitians began working through Food For The Poor in 2009, and has built villages for families in Pierre Payen, Michaud, and Manneville, Haiti. These villages received recent upgrades, which included two dormitories for 20 boys and 20 girls who have aged out of the orphanage care programs in Boca Grande Friendship Village II, which is located in Michaud.

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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 3, 2014) – The Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee began working through the international relief and development organization, Food For The Poor, in 2009, and has built villages for families in Pierre Payen, Michaud, and Manneville, Haiti.

Now, the Hope for Haitians Committee has turned its attention to Gressier, a coastal community located between Port-au-Prince and Leogane. The town's slowly crumbling infrastructure and overcrowding was a problem long before the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, but the region suffered a devastating blow when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed nearly 50 percent of the area's buildings, leaving the town in shambles.

Fear of aftershocks sent many families seeking refuge within the rural parts of Petit Boucan, Gressier, where they have set up tents and formed a community. Today, there are still 60 families living in this makeshift camp that has become a dangerous and unsanitary place, especially for children. The Hope for Haitians Committee wants to relocate families from these tents to permanent housing.

“We can't stop now. Even after five years, we still have thousands living in tents and these conditions are not good, in fact they are deplorable. That is why we must continue,” said Ben Scott, Chairman of the Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee.

As the five-year anniversary of the earthquake approaches, Food For The Poor's compassion for the Caribbean nation has never been stronger.

“For nearly three decades Food For The Poor has stood with Haiti through a number of natural disasters. Since the earthquake, Food For The Poor has built 4,957 homes. This organization is more determined than ever to see Haiti rise out of the ashes of despair that nearly destroyed a country, but not the faith of its people,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “None of the work we do would be possible if it were not for the support of our donors. The Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee has not only shared their resources, but they’ve traveled to Haiti and gotten to know the people who are the recipients of their loving kindness.” 

Earlier this year, Boca Grande Hope for Haitians funded a fourth project of 32 two-room homes with water and sanitation in the poor community of Pon Batay, which included two solar-powered street lamps, 32 individual solar-powered lamps and 32 goats. The villages in Pierre Payen and Michaud also received recent upgrades. These included a wall and play area for the elementary school in Pierre Payen.

In Michaud, two dormitories for 20 boys and 20 girls who have aged out of the orphanage were built, and a much-needed medical clinic is now complete. The lives of these children and families within these villages have been greatly transformed and their communities are thriving.

“Those who helped with this project over the last five years should feel good about the difference they’ve made in the lives of 167 very poor families,” said Scott. “Most of these families came from tent cities and were forced to live there because of the 2010 earthquake.”

The Boca Grande Hope for Haitians will have a fundraiser on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 to build 30 more homes for the families in Petit Boucan, Gressier. Scott says he's prayerfully confident they will be able to raise enough funds to build these houses.

Committee members include: Chairmen Ben and Louise Scott, the Rev. Gary Beatty, the Rev. Brian Brightly, the Rev. Jerome Carosella, the Rev. Michelle Robertshaw, George and Lois Castrucci, Patricia Chapman, Randy and Sue Eddy, Charlie and Florita Field, Evelyn Finnegan, Lou and Corie Fusz, Stephen and Susan Jansen, Mick and Susan Johnson, Tom and Nancy Lorden, Colvin and Madelaine McCrady, Peter and Elsa Soderberg.

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.