Atlanta residents get honor

Food For The Poor Honors Atlanta Residents

	(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.
Related Items: Help Provide Water for the Hospital Watch a Video of the Haiti Mission Trip See Photos from the Gala

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.

Haiti Hospital Gets Well

	The group visited several water projects in Grand Boulage, Haiti, that were built in partnership with Water-Life-Hope and Food For The Poor.
Related Items: View Photos from the Trip Dreams Across The Sea Reservations

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 4, 2014) – Inside the pastel orange and green courtyard of the Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the hospital’s top surgeons greeted members of Food For The Poor and Water-Life-Hope. The group traveled there to celebrate the life of a Decatur, Georgia, nurse, through the inauguration of the hospital’s new water well and cistern.

“You are more than welcome, and it is a great thing you are doing here,” said Edward Buckley, to the twin Haitian surgeons, Dr. Jerry Bitar and Dr. Marlon Bitar, who were dressed in scrubs and on their way to perform surgery.

Thanks to the generosity of Atlanta residents, the hospital now has access to clean water. Previously the hospital had to truck in clean water for the doctors and patients, and in some parts of the hospital there was no running water at all.

“It never would have occurred to me that a hospital would not have access to water,” said the Rev. Greg Tallant, the Episcopal priest at Holy Trinity Parish in Decatur.

A sign across the street from the hospital in front of the water projects reads, “… dedicated to Susan Parry, nurse and healer of many.” 

“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. “She brought me back to the land of the living. I feel a huge debt of gratitude to her.”

“I felt immediately the link between her life and this project,” said Richard Parry, Susan’s husband, and parishioner at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta. “I was deeply touched.”

Like the Bitar brothers, Susan was a major voice in healthcare. During her distinguished career at DeKalb Medical Center, she served as head nurse on several floors. After a brief retirement, she returned to DeKalb Medical Center as chief nursing officer and Vice President for Patient Care Services. After finally retiring in 2005, Susan served on the board of DeKalb Medical Center, and organized the Healthcare Ministry at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in downtown Atlanta.

On December 28, 2013, Susan succumbed to the complications of a stroke suffered earlier that year.

“Susan was a consummate nurse who cared deeply about her patients, one of whom was Ed Buckley,” said Richard Parry, who is a Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Agnes Scott College, in Atlanta. “She was very sensitive and responsive to the suffering of others; nothing could be more appropriate to her memory than the dedication of this project.”

On their recent May 20-23, trip to Haiti, Atlanta attorneys Buckley and Amanda Farahany posted daily blog entries and photos online, in an effort raise awareness about living conditions in the country.
“The clean running water for the hospital allows for the care from the youngest of the patients to the oldest,” blogged Farahany, a partner at Barrett & Farahany, LLP. “Bernard Mevs recently graduated Haiti’s first class of professionally trained EMTs, who are operating Haiti’s only coordinated rescue service from the hospital in ambulances donated by the City of Miami Beach.”

Travelers included Melissa Barrett (student at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio), Benjamin Francis Barrett III (student at Georgia State University in Atlanta), Edward Buckley (Decatur), the Rev. William Thomas Deneke (Decatur), Amanda Farahany (Atlanta), the Rev. George Maxwell Jr. (Atlanta), and the Rev. Greg Tallant (Avondale). 
The group also visited several potential water project sites for Water-Life-Hope and Food For The Poor’s 2014 Dreams Across The Sea. 

“For 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, President of Water-Life-Hope and Dreams Across The Sea committee member. “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.”  

Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma traveled to Haiti with Buckley and the group.

“We are so grateful for what Ed has done, because not only has he worked tirelessly, even through illness, he has been a catalyst to inspire others to help bring clean water to Haiti,” Aloma said. “Witnessing firsthand the work he has accomplished in that country is something I won’t forget.”

Food For The Poor’s 7th annual Caribbean-themed Dreams Across The Sea, presented by The InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga., will be Friday, Oct. 24. Paul Goodloe, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel, will serve as master of ceremonies. The event 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.

Dreams Across The Sea 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, Edward Buckley, Renee Corey-Lubin, Rev. Lebon Faustin, Gina Fraiser, 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.

Atlanta Residents Travel to Haiti to Inaugurate Development Projects

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 12, 2012) – Embraced by students at Lycee Charles Belair School in Arcahaie, Haiti, Paula Adesokan reflected how just two and a half months earlier she and her husband committed to fund the school’s water project at Food For The Poor’s Dreams Across The Sea Gala in Atlanta. She was astonished to witness how their gift of life-giving water already was available to approximately 2,000 grateful students.

The Adesokans attended the gala as guests when they learned about the nonprofit’s mission to provide clean drinking water to children and their families in Haiti. Paula Adesokan was part of a group of 12 from Atlanta-area communities to travel to Haiti, December 4-6, to inaugurate several water projects and a community center built in collaboration with Food For The Poor.

“For nearly a mile we danced our way into Vialet, stopping to see the water filtration system funded by Water-Life-Hope,” said John Beasley, a partner at JF Beasley, LLP. During the trip Beasley posted photos on the group’s travel blog.

Atlanta attorney Amanda Farahany was inspired to raise money to build a community center for residents in Vialet, when she visited the village in Dec. 2011. A year later, she and the group were welcomed back by a marching band and grateful residents holding signs that read, “Justice at Work a project of Food For The Poor.”

At the inauguration of the center, Farahany gave a heartfelt address commending the residents for their strength. The Association de Peches des Deuxieme Plaine (ADP) is the community group that will supervise the care of the community center.

“The Haitian people inspire hope in me,” said Farahany, a partner at Barrett & Farahany, LLP. “Their daily struggles are so great, and yet they celebrate life with joy and love. And with each visit here, I can see how the Haitians have used our helping hand to lead themselves to the next level of self-sufficiency.”

Food For The Poor donors Edward and Patricia Buckley also traveled to dedicate the water treatment unit they raised the money to install in Vialet. The unit provides approximately 1,500 residents access to life saving water. The Living Water Treatment System, manufactured by Water Missions International, treats up to 10,000 gallons each day and helps to prevent the spread of waterborne illnesses.

“Throughout history, the Haitian people have had to make do with what they had,” said Beasley. “Today in Vialet, a place I visited on one of my first trips, I saw that resilience and determination multiplied by the compassion of Food For The Poor and Water-Life-Hope donors.”

The next stop for the group was Grand Boulage. Schoolchildren sang welcome songs as the group arrived at the top of the mountain, 2,000 feet high, to dedicate the 25,000 gallon concrete cistern. Hundreds from the community gathered to praise God and celebrate the water project that will serve approximately 10,000 families. The people of Grand Boulage lined up to assist group members as they walked the steep, rocky slope to the stream where the 25,000 gallon reservoir will pump the fresh water to the neighboring communities. Children ranging in age from five to 12 marched up the mountain with water buckets balanced on their heads.

The installation of this water project guarantees children access to safe drinking water, allowing them to spend more time in the classroom learning, rather than walking miles to gather water to drink and cook with that might be contaminated.

“For 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 Edward Buckley, President of Water-Life-Hope and partner at Buckley & Klein, LLP. “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.”

Water-Life-Hope has partnered with Food For The Poor on a new project to drill 200 artesian water wells in Haiti. To support the initiative, please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code “SC# 88473” so your donation may be tracked to the initiative. Donations may be mailed to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. All gifts are tax-deductible. Online donations can also be made through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/200.

Travelers included Paula Adesokan (Buckhead), John Beasley (Watkinsville), Simone Beasley (Watkinsville), Edward and Patricia Buckley (Decatur), Christopher Curry (Atlanta), Amanda Farahany (Atlanta), Verlyn Foley (Alpharetta), Gina Fraiser (Alpharetta), Nekeidra Frederick (Alpharetta), and Garvin Stewart (Alpharetta).

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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Atlanta attorneys host wine tasting to bring water, hope to Haiti

Atlanta-area attorneys will host an evening of art and wine tasting at The Art House Gallery Atlanta on March 21. Hosts Edward Buckley (Decatur), Amanda Farahany (Atlanta), and Sheryl McCalla (Avondale Estates) will talk about the realities of life in developing countries and discuss long term solutions. The event will be on the eve of World Water Day.

“In our view, the right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental human right we have,” said Buckley, who for eight years has partnered with the nonprofit Food For The Poor to drill and install lifesaving water wells throughout Jamaica and Haiti. “The water wells that have already been installed in Haiti have made an extraordinary difference to the people in the communities they serve.”

As the rainy season approaches, the Associated Press reports that Haiti may experience a surge in cholera cases. An outbreak of the waterborne disease has killed nearly 7,000 people and sickened a half-million. When the cholera outbreak was confirmed in Haiti in 2010, Buckley donated a water filtration unit to help prevent the spread of the waterborne illness. Each water filtration unit has the capacity to purify 10,000 gallons of water a day.

Photos taken during the trio’s travels to remote villages in Haiti with Food For The Poor will be on display at the art gallery as guests sip wine selections from Cellar 13 Wine Merchant. Through their journeys, they experienced how access to clean, safe drinking water is the first step in revitalizing parched communities.
“I thought that it would be worse, but in many ways, it is better,” said Farahany in December after her first trip back to Haiti since the devastating 2010 earthquake. “There is still great poverty and most don't have access to running water, but there is a lot of progress too. I saw communities of people who have taken the helping hand and have lifted themselves up.”

Attendees will be asked to donate toward the cost of a water system in the village of Grand Boulage, Haiti or to build a community center in Vialet, Haiti. To support these initiatives, and provide a village in Haiti with the gift of clean water, and a community center, donations can be made online through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/water-haiti or www.FoodForThePoor.org/JusticeAtWork.

An anonymous donor will match up to $50,000 in donations to complete the installation of the Grand Boulage water system. Buckley and his supporters have funded the construction of more than 100 artesian wells throughout Haiti. Each well provides an average of 5,000 people access to potable water.

Event sponsors include Barrett & Farahany, LLP, Buckley & Klein, LLP, Cellar 13 Wine Merchant, and The Art House Gallery Atlanta.

Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

Atlanta residents rally to build a village in Jamaica

Philanthropic residents and sponsors unite to host the fourth annual Atlanta Food For The Poor event, Dreams Across the Sea this Saturday, at The Westin Buckhead Hotel. Proceeds from this year’s event will build a self-sustaining community in McCooks Pen, St. Catherine, Jamaica.

"It's a delight to partner with Food For The Poor in this event for Jamaica, as we bring focus to reducing poverty and creating possibilities for the poor and disadvantaged,” said committee member Garvin Stewart. “Through our obedience to the teachings of Christ their needs will be met, they will be overwhelmed with joy, and they will express their thanks and praise to God."

The McCooks Pen Community Development project will fund the cost of 25 two-room permanent homes with access to clean water and sanitation for destitute residents who currently live in dilapidated shacks made of corrugated zinc with dirt floors. The entire community will benefit from the community center and the agriculture and animal husbandry projects. These projects will provide villagers with a subsidiary income and much needed nutrition.

“The reason I am involved with this event is multifaceted,” said co-chairperson Sylvia McClure. “I truly believe in the work that Food For The Poor is doing and the impact that it has on so many families. Furthermore, I was really impressed with how quickly the project last year was completed with the accountability of all funds.”

The evening will include live entertainment, a silent auction, dancing, and a memorable dinner with friends. Bidding on silent auction prizes such as exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages offer opportunities for guests to shop and donate to the cause.

For additional information regarding the Dreams Across the Sea event, sponsorship levels, and tickets, available at $125 per person, please call, 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/atlanta.

Masters of ceremonies, Atlanta’s 104.7 The FISH morning team hosts Kevin Avery and Taylor Scott, have traveled with Food For The Poor on mission trips to Jamaica and Haiti. At the event they will share a few of their personal travel experiences, and introduce a documentary that was recently filmed in one of the poorest parts of Jamaica, McCooks Pen.

In the video Pastor Keith Pitt says, “I believe once you get people empowered, they will be able to help others.”

Dreams Across the Sea Co-Chairpersons are Sylvia McClure and Dr. Jason Regis. Additional committee members include Kathy Murphy, Carolyn Shadeed, Nawal Shadeed, Arlene Smith, Garvin Steward, and Michelle Wattley. Event sponsors are AT&T and Toca Enterprises, Ltd.

Food For The Poor, 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com

One of Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things Transforms Tragedy into Hope

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most recognized women in the world, and after 25 years the “Queen of Talk” has said good-bye to daytime TV with her Ultimate Farewell Season. Famous for her generosity, Oprah’s Favorite Things has been a hit for more than a decade, so to land a seat in the studio audience for the final season was the ultimate experience for any Oprah fan.

Shawn Long of Atlanta, Ga. was one of the fortunate few to be a guest on Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things show, which aired on Nov.19. Saving the best for the farewell season, Oprah’s audience members were showered with fragrances, gadgets, unique and expensive gifts.

“It was one of the most exciting times in my life,” said Long. “Everyone there was so nice; it was 24 hours of happiness for me, something I really, really needed.”

Long’s journey to The Oprah Winfrey Show began on a dark and painful road. Long has three daughters – her oldest, 24-year-old Tiffany Hulsey, was a victim of domestic violence. Long said Tiffany’s young life ended on May 11 when her boyfriend killed her, then took his own life, the tragedy playing out in front of Hulsey’s two daughters, 5 and 1. Now, Long and her husband Kelly are raising their two grandchildren.

Months after the tragedy, Long’s sister wanted to do something to lift her sister’s spirits so she shared Long’s story with The Oprah Winfrey Show. She was selected, for what she thought was a segment about people who had given back to help others. After Long and her sister Sherrie Reimherr flew to Chicago for a taping on Nov. 16, they learned it was really for Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things. After 24 hours of pampering, the two returned to Georgia with a number of gifts, including a Philip Stein watch, framed in diamonds and worth thousands of dollars.

One morning, while listening to “The Fish” WFSH 104.7 radio morning show, Long heard the on-air host talk about the need in Haiti, and the homebuilding work Food For The Poor is doing there. Moved with compassion, Long said she had to help, but with funds tight, she remembered the watch, called the radio station and donated it to the charity.

“We had a very rough year, and it has been hard on all of us, but in the end we have a home, we have food, and we have each other. God has blessed us, and we wanted to do something to bless someone who doesn’t have anything. I sincerely wish I could do more,” Long said.

Long went on to say she’s grateful to Oprah for giving her the beautiful time piece, but once she realized she could help a suffering family have a home, parting with the gift was easy.

So how will this watch be transformed into a shelter and hope for the future? Food For The Poor will auction the Philip Stein at its annual “Fine Wine and Hidden Treasures Gala” at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. on Jan. 30, 2011. Money from the auctioned watch will build a new two-room concrete block house with sanitation, and so much more for a family in Haiti.

“We are blessed and moved by this beautiful and selfless gift Mrs. Long has donated to Food For The Poor to further our efforts to help the suffering in the world,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We are humbled that during this time of the year when the pain of the loss of her daughter is probably at its greatest, she has room in her heart to remember the less fortunate.”

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Fulton County 6-Year-Old Boy Sets Giving Pace for Atlanta Gala

With his hair neatly brushed, and his button-down shirt tucked-in, Will Merchant, 6, confidently entered the W. Atlanta – Buckhead hotel to deliver an original piece of his artwork and a $500 check to representatives of the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor.

Before the Atlanta gala started, Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director, had not only an opportunity to speak to the bighearted boy, but also the privilege of receiving his thoughtful gifts. Later that evening, as Aloma addressed attendees, he beamed proudly as he shared Will’s message of spirit and love.

The youngster’s generosity warmed hearts and reaffirmed the importance of investing in children’s futures. Proceeds from this year’s annual Atlanta Food For The Poor event, New Hope, New Beginnings, will be used to build schools in Jamaica. As master of ceremonies, the Emmy Award Winner, Jovita Moore, from WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News, emphasized the importance of an education.

Funds raised at the event will be used to construct Mount Hindmost Basic School in Clarendon, Jamaica, and water and sanitation projects will replace dangerous pit-latrines at existing schools. Educational opportunities like safe facilities, and supplies, like folding desks and reading books, give impoverished families island-wide hope for the future.

Will was inspired to help victims of Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake when he heard other children calling Atlanta’s 104.7 The Fish, to donate their allowance or do odd jobs to raise money for the cause. To meet his goal, Will sold his paintings to neighbors, friends and family members.

When asked why he decided to help those he had never met before, Will said, “God led me in my heart to do that.”

“We were so delighted to see Will take such a heartfelt interest in helping the earthquake victims,” said Beth Merchant, Will’s mom. “Our hope is that Will remembers how meaningful this experience has been for him and others around him. We can’t wait to see where his heart takes him next.”

The evening included live music by Lethal Rhythms, a silent auction, dancing, and a memorable dinner with friends prepared by principal sponsors W Atlanta - Buckhead and MARKET. Bidding on silent auction prizes such as exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages offered opportunities for guests to shop and donate to the cause. Aroma Ridge, Inc. rum cakes were distributed to event guests as they left the party.

“It feels so good to support an organization that is fiscally sound; more than 96 percent of all its donations go to programs that help the poor,” said Lynn Hanna, event committee member.

“In poor Jamaican communities, schools can offer children an oasis for learning,” said Nawal Shadeed, Event Chairwoman. “School for these children is essential. Through education, they can escape the poverty that surrounds them.”

“The time I spent on the event was enjoyable and well worth it,” said Sarah Overstreet, event committee member. “A society is judged by how well we treat the less fortunate among us.”

New Hope, New Beginnings committee members include Susie Hagley, Lynn Hanna, Sylvia McClure, Kathy Murphy, Sarah Overstreet, Dr. Jason Regis, Carolyn Shadeed, Arlene Smith, Margaret Stenglein, and Michelle Wattley.

Event sponsors included: American Nicaraguan Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, The Pereira Family and Toca Enterprises, LTd.

Food For The Poor, the third-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 agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Atlanta Residents Reflect on Blogged Travels of Water-Life-Hope in Haiti

Atlanta residents Edward Buckley and John Beasley traveled to Haiti, Sept. 13-15, with the nonprofit Food For The Poor to visit remote communities in desperate need of clean, safe drinking water. During the trip, daily blog entries and photos were posted online in an effort to bring Haiti’s reality to the comfort of Atlanta residents’ homes.

“The image from our trip to Haiti that I can vividly picture happened while driving through a relatively upscale community,” said Buckley. “A man, completely naked, suddenly leaped out of a storm sewer dripping wet – and ran to hide in the bush. To our horror, he had been bathing in the sewer. Imagine the indignity of having to bathe in front of the world. Millions of people in Haiti literally have nothing. Whatever deprivation we as Americans think we are suffering on most days pales in comparison.”

Considering their trip, Buckley and Beasley said they would like to raise Atlanta’s awareness about continuing deplorable living conditions in Haiti. Community members are encouraged to take action to give the gift of water to Haiti. A donation of $205 made through Food For The Poor will provide a village with a water pump, and $5,298 is enough to drill and install a well.

While in Haiti, the group visited some of the water projects they have funded.

“The contractor that installs the wells guarantees them for life and fixes any wear and tear for free,” said Buckley. “The seven wells we looked at are just a few of the many funded by our project, Water-Life-Hope in partnership with Food For The Poor. The wells are dated and I noticed that one of them was built on my birthday this year – a nice present.”

At another site, the well’s cement basin had just been poured. In a couple of hours, the well would be operational – instantly improving the living conditions of residents within a several-mile radius. A Food For The Poor-Haiti employee used a stick to write Buckley’s name in the wet concrete.

The travelers drove through rivers, down narrow mud roads and were required to move boulders during their journey. They saw glimpses of life in tent cities that house those displaced by the earthquake, and feared for families living in shacks made only of bed sheets, sticks and tarps in an 8-foot-wide stretch of median. Together they learned how self-sustainable initiatives empower villages and increase in-country production of food and living conditions. These initiatives included tilapia ponds, fishing villages, animal husbandry and agricultural projects.

Buckley and Beasley have previously traveled to Haiti with Food For The Poor and continue to do so based upon a firm belief that access to clean water is a fundamental human right. Their most recent trip reaffirmed for them that the installation of more water wells is of paramount importance. This need can be seen throughout Haiti – in the earthquake ravaged city of Port-au-Prince, in the north of Haiti, where many of the displaced victims of the earthquake fled, and in the south, where natural impediments restrict access to clean, potable water.

On the last day of their trip, Buckley and Beasley visited the construction site for the “Journey of Hope Memorial Village” in Anse a Veau. There they saw poured housing foundations, the delivery of rebar by the truckload and workers on-site manufacturing concrete blocks for family housing. The village, scheduled to be inaugurated in January 2011, is dedicated to the 12 Lynn University students and two faculty members who were on a Haiti mission trip with Food For The Poor when the devastating earthquake struck.

“This village is likewise in need of an adequate clean water source as well as water catchments for each of the family homes and will be added to the list of funding necessities for the Water-Life-Hope project,” said Buckley.

“On the last night of our trip, I had the perfect opportunity to reflect on what it is that Haiti needs, the amazing things that Food For The Poor is doing, and what we can do to help by providing something as basic as clean water,” Beasley blogged his last night in Haiti. “Our trip is scheduled to end tomorrow but the work to help Haiti’s poor will obviously continue. We plan to be part of that work and hope others are encouraged to join us in an endeavor that is truly making a difference and changing this small part of the world.”

For seven years, Buckley, Beasley and their supporters have raised money to drill and install lifesaving water wells in Jamaica and throughout Haiti with the assistance of Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States. Recently, the group completed the funding of more than 100 artesian wells in north, central and southern Haiti. Each well serves an average of 5,000 people.

If you would like to provide a village in Haiti with the gift of water, please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code “SC# 70245” so the money can be tracked to the Water-Life-Hope initiative. Donations can be mailed to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. All gifts are tax-deductible. Online donations can also be made through the charity’s secure Web site.

Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Atlanta Residents to Blog about Water-Life-Hope in Haiti

Atlanta residents, Edward Buckley and John Beasley will travel to Haiti, Sept. 13-15, with the nonprofit Food For The Poor to visit remote communities in desperate need of clean, safe drinking water. During the trip, daily blog entries and photos will be posted online.

While in Haiti, the group will visit some of the water projects they have funded, tent cities that house those displaced by the earthquake, and fishing villages that have helped revitalize poor coastal communities. During Buckley’s five previous trips to Haiti with Food For The Poor, he witnessed how access to clean water is an unattainable luxury for many destitute families. Drinking contaminated water can cause disease, and in some cases, eventually lead to death.

"In our view, the right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental human right we have,” said Buckley. “The water wells that have already been installed in Haiti have made an extraordinary difference to the people in the communities they serve."

"Safe drinking water is one of the single most important contributions we as individuals can make to our global community," said Beasley, a partner at Buckley & Klein, LLP. "The efforts of those that have contributed to this project and the work of Food For The Poor have had tangible and immediate benefits to the people of Haiti – and we are very excited about continuing this important work."

For seven years, Buckley, Beasley and their supporters have raised money to drill and install lifesaving water wells throughout Jamaica and Haiti with the assistance of Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States. Recently, the group funded the construction of more than 100 artesian wells throughout Haiti. Each well provides an average of at least 5,000 people access to potable water.

"The installation of a water project is an answered prayer for thirsty villagers, and instantly improves the living conditions of residents within a several mile radius," said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. "Access to clean water is severely limited in developing countries. It is not uncommon for people to wash their clothes in the same water they use to bathe and cook. In Haiti, these water sources are shared with animals and are typically lined with trash that has accumulated over the years."

To provide a village in Haiti with the gift of water, please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code “SC# 70245” so the money can be tracked to the Water-Life-Hope initiative. Donations can be mailed to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. All gifts are tax-deductible. Online donations can also be made through the charity’s secure Web site.

If you live near the Atlanta area, please plan to attend Food For The Poor’s third annual Atlanta fundraising event on Sept. 10 at The W Atlanta Buckhead. Guests will enjoy an elegant dining experience prepared by the Spice Market’s Executive Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. For additional event and ticket information, go online or call 888-404-4248.

Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.