Christmas Special

Food For The Poor Releases Nonviolent Prisoners in Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti and Honduras

	Seventeen prisoners were released from St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town, Jamaica, on Dec. 10.
Related Item: Photos from Prisoner Releases in Jamaica and Guyana

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 22, 2014) – Food For The Poor has released 68 prisoners who have committed nonviolent offenses in Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti and Honduras in time to spend Christmas with their families. The nonviolent prisoners were incarcerated due to their inability to pay required fines.

“There are large numbers of desperate people who are locked in jail that have been forgotten because they stole whatever they could to try to feed their hungry families,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO. “It is a serious situation. The Gospel message strengthens and reminds us to give a hand up to others who dwell in darkness.”

Seventeen prisoners were released from St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town, Jamaica, on Dec. 10. One of the inmates was a 45-year-old barber from Kingston, Jamaica. On Dec. 9, bailiffs took him from his shop because he had breached the Debtors Act, an offense that warrants 14 days in prison. As a barber, and the father of three, he found it difficult to continue to pay the back-log in rent when his business slowed. One of his last payments was made in November.

“It happened so quickly, I was not even allowed to call or talk to anyone,” said the inmate. “When I came here, I begged an officer for a call and contacted my wife and explained the situation. I begged her not to tell my children, especially my daughter in high school, because it would devastate her.

“I prayed the whole night because I am the breadwinner for the family and I didn’t know what was going to happen to them. I said ‘God, is this a trial that You are putting me through to make me develop, or is this a way to teach me a lesson? I know You are real, and You have never failed me yet’.”

Call it a Christmas miracle, but by morning the inmate’s prayer had been answered. Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry team had intervened and paid the nonviolent prisoners’ outstanding fines, granting them an early release. 

“People ask how I am so lucky, but I know God is powerful. I know He answered my prayer by sending angels this morning,” said the inmate. “I know that God was going to take care of me. Water came to my eyes this morning in the chapel when the gentlemen from Food For The Poor said that we must give the gift of forgiveness to our enemies and that is what I plan to do.” 

On Dec. 16, nine nonviolent prisoners were offered second chances when they were released from three prisons in Guyana. One of the prisoners celebrated his 42nd birthday the same day he was unexpectedly released from prison.

“I am very thankful and grateful to Food For The Poor,” said the inmate, who plans to return to work as a welder. “It is a blessing to me since today is my birthday. I wish you all the best. God bless you all. It was a pleasant surprise to me.”

In developing countries, the destitute sometimes have no way to feed their families other than to steal food. The consequence often is imprisonment, without first appearing before a judge, or receiving a prison sentence.

Prison conditions are drastically worse in developing countries than they are in the United States. Overcrowded prisons are common, and perpetuate the spread of disease and violence. The potential spread of cholera in Haiti’s prisons remains a concern.

Twice a year – during the Christmas and Easter seasons – it is a Food For The Poor tradition to release nonviolent inmates who have been incarcerated due to their inability to pay the required fines for committing minor offenses.

Since the inception of Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program in 1998, the charity has assisted in freeing, training and reintroducing prisoners back into the community as productive citizens.

Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program is based on the scripture, “…I was in prison and you visited me,” (Matthew 25: 36b).

To support Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program, checks payable to Food For The Poor can be mailed to 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Fla. 33073. Please include reference number “SC# 74122” to ensure your donation is correctly routed.

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.

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.
Related Items: Our Executive Director Talks about What Giving Means to Him View Lifesaving Gifts Watch: Our Donors Share What Giving Means to Them

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.

Inmates go home for Christmas

	(L to R) Sandra Ramsey and a prison guard at Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in Jamaica release an inmate in time to spend Christmas with his family.
Related Item: See More Photos on Facebook

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 18, 2013) – Thirty-three prisoners received a second chance from Food For The Poor at St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town, Jamaica, on Dec. 13. Only after the inmates were escorted from their cells to the center’s Chapel did they believe that generous Food For The Poor donors had paid the fines for their nonviolent offenses, and that they would be released in time to spend Christmas with their families.     

In addition to releasing a total of 37 inmates from three prisons in Jamaica, Food For The Poor also will release prisoners in Guyana (15), Haiti (10) and Honduras (22) in time for them to spend Christmas with their families.

At the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre’s newly refurbished chapel, the inmates were greeted by The Very Reverend Burchell McPherson, Bishop of Montego Bay, Jamaica; Father Richard Martin, pastor at Church of the Nativity, in Burke, Va.; Jevene Bent, Jamaica’s Commissioner of Corrections; and Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor.

“We pray the released inmates will recognize that God is merciful, and He is a God of second chances,” said Mahfood.

During the dedication of the chapel, the inmates received words of advice from the distinguished guests. Bent encouraged the inmates to use their experience in prison to influence someone to become a better person, and cautioned them never to return and lose their freedom again.

“I was thankful Food For The Poor intervened to release the men and women who could not afford to pay their meager fines,” said Bishop McPherson.

“I see the real stars in front of me right now,” said Fr. Martin, to the inmates at St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre. “Stars give light and you have given me that light. I feel like I am living out the scriptures today as outlined in Mathew 25. You have a great future ahead and you can shine even brighter than you are already doing.”

Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program is based on the scripture, “When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you…” (Matthew 25: 31-46).

“I have been commissioner for just under six months now and everywhere I go, every penal institution I visit, all I hear is Food For The Poor,” said Bent.  “We have had many partners over the years but Food For The Poor stands out not only in terms of material provision to the prisons and inmates but also the spiritual component that you bring. Food For The Poor, may God continue to bless you and expand your boundaries.”

In developing countries, the destitute sometimes have no way to feed their families other than to steal food. The consequence often is imprisonment without first appearing before a judge, or receiving a prison sentence. Sometimes, by the time they are tried, they have spent years longer in jail than their prison sentence requires.

“Prison conditions and poverty are drastically worse in developing countries than they are in the United States,” said Mahfood. “Overcrowded prisons are common, and perpetuate the spread of disease and violence.”

Twice a year – during the Christmas and Easter seasons – it is a Food For The Poor tradition to release nonviolent inmates who have been incarcerated due to their inability to pay the required fines for committing minor offenses.

Since the inception of Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program in 1998, the charity has assisted in freeing, training and reintroducing prisoners back into the community as productive citizens.

To support Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program, checks payable to Food For The Poor can be mailed to 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Fla. 33073. Please include reference number “SC# 74122” to ensure your donation is correctly routed.

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.

        

Food For The Poor Joins the National #GivingTuesday Movement

Related Information:

• More Photos on Facebook
• Related Story on huffingtonpost.com
• Angel Aloma's video on #GivingTuesday

COCONUT CREEK, Fla., (Nov. 27, 2012) – Today, the first #GivingTuesday, kicks off the season of giving. Food For The Poor is among more than 2,000 charities who are urging consumers to look beyond Black Friday and Cyber Monday to the importance of giving back.

Food For The Poor joined #GivingTuesday to harness the collective power of a unique blend of partners – charities, families, businesses and individuals.

“Food For The Poor is extremely excited and proud to be a part of this movement, where hundreds of nonprofits working in the United States and in various countries are spreading the news about the beauty of giving back,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “It is my hope that individuals who learn about #GivingTuesday will support their charities and causes of choice and take part in helping to create a better world.”

When Food For The Poor’s Executive Director was invited to write a blog entry for the Huffington Post as part of the #GivingTuesday initiative, he thought right away of a donor who has experienced both tribulation and triumph this past year.

Longtime donor Barbara Gilbert rejoiced at the completion of one of her Food For The Poor projects for the poor in Jamaica, but just weeks later was thrown into despair when she was told her son’s body was being assaulted by an infection and amputation of his limbs might be the only way to save him. 
Her story of the cycle of giving is on Huffington Post.

To join Food For The Poor’s #GivingTuesday initiative, visit www.foodforthepoor.org/givingtuesday.
View our gift catalog video at www.foodforthepoor.org/givingtuesdayvideo for creative ideas that will change lives long after the holiday season has ended. For $10, you can give the gift of a fruit tree, or you can choose to give farm animals such as chickens, pigs, goats, donkeys and cows, which will provide an income and a source of nutrition for destitute families.         
                                                                                       
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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Food For The Poor organizes prisoner releases nonviolent offenders freed in Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti and Honduras

In anticipation of Christmas, Food For The Poor released prisoners who have committed nonviolent offenses in Jamaica (22), Guyana (25), Haiti (36) and Honduras (2). They were incarcerated due to their inability to pay required fines. Eighty-five prisoners have been released in these countries in time to spend Christmas with their families.

“When you visit a prison, desperate eyes peer out of the dark cells, into the light, pleading silently for help,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s CEO/President. “They want to feel a connection with the outside world, to be a brother in Christ, to be prayed for – and to not be forgotten.”

In developing countries, the destitute sometimes have no way to feed their families other than to steal food. The consequence often is imprisonment without first appearing before a judge, or receiving a prison sentence. Sometimes, by the time they are tried, they have spent years longer in jail than their prison sentence requires.

Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program is based on the scripture, “When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you,” (Matthew 25: 31-46).

Mahfood visited a prison in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, this year with 17 priests and pastors. Together they prayed for the inmates, who live in decrepit buildings and are at the mercy of disease outbreaks, such as cholera. Prison cells measuring 16-by-16 feet sometimes hold more than 30 men.

Since the inception of Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program in 2000, more than 1,048 prisoners have been reintroduced back into the community as productive citizens. Food For The Poor works with the prisoners before and after they are released to ensure they will not be repeat offenders.

“Behave yourself, because in there [it is] rough,” said a 34-year-old former Jamaican inmate, when asked if he had any advice for youngsters outside of the penal institutions. “I appreciate the help from Food For The Poor,” he continued, “because my mother had been helping to take care of my children while I was in there, but they are my responsibility and I just wanted to come out and be a father to them.”

This year in Jamaica, a total of 22 inmates were released from prisons in Mandeville, Spanish Town and St. Catherine.

“All of us deserve a second chance and we have given these men and women that opportunity,” said Sandra Ramsay, administrator of the prison ministry at Food For The Poor-Jamaica.

Twice a year – during the Christmas and Easter seasons – the Food For The Poor Prison Ministry Program releases inmates who have committed minor offenses. Prison authorities have found Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program to be so successful that they have implemented a similar program themselves. Some prisons now offer inmates jobs in the prison where they are held so that they can earn money to pay off their fines.

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.

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

Christmas gifts that renew hearts

During this holy season, when commercialism sometimes can obscure the true meaning of Christmas, consider giving a gift from the heart that friends and loved ones will cherish.

The creative gift ideas in Food For The Poor’s Gift Catalog will continue to change lives long after Christmas has passed. Delight your loved ones with a thoughtful gift given in his or her honor to the poor. For $36, you can give the gift of life by feeding a malnourished child for a year. Or you can choose to give farm animals such as chickens, pigs, goats, donkeys and cows to provide an income and source of nutrition for destitute families.

“Christmas is the perfect time to bless the ones you love by giving in their honor a life-changing gift to those who struggle daily to survive,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “These heartfelt gifts restore the destitute’s ability to dream, epitomize the spirit of giving and fit any budget.”

Food For The Poor’s house-building program constructs safe and sturdy permanent housing for the destitute in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua. Families, companies or groups of employees can jointly fund the cost of $3,200 for a one-room home with sanitation. The family who is moved out of a leaking, dilapidated shack into a real home this Christmas will be forever grateful.

Food For The Poor also remains committed to investing in water projects, building villages, and schools and providing micro-enterprise opportunities for poor villages.

This year, Food For The Poor has created a special rhyme to emphasize how gifts from the catalog save lives, transform communities and renew hope. To see our gifts in action please view our "Gift Giving Poem" video.

All gifts are tax-deductible. To send a gift, the catalog can be accessed through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/giftcatalog, or a printed version of the catalog is available by calling 800-427-9104.

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 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

Food For The Poor’s Christmas Catalog Offers Gifts of Love For Those Who Have Everything and Those Who Have Nothing

In today’s current economy, the South Florida-based humanitarian organization Food For The Poor offers unique gift ideas that will continue to provide comfort and joy long after Christmas has passed. Food For The Poor’s gift catalog is filled with opportunities to change lives in this season of love and hope.

The heartfelt gifts offered through Food For The Poor’s gift catalog epitomize the spirit of giving – and will positively change the lives of those who have nothing. For $36, you can give the gift of life by feeding a malnourished child for a year. Or you can even choose to give farm animals – like chickens, pigs, goats, donkeys and cows – to provide an income and source of nutrition for destitute families.

Across Latin America and the Caribbean, Food For The Poor remains committed to investing in water projects.

“What we can easily access with the twist of a tap is considered a precious gift by the poorest of the poor,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “Your Christmas gift to provide clean water will help answer the prayers of villagers who desperately need this lifesaving resource.”

Food For The Poor is equally committed to building safe and sturdy permanent housing. Families, companies or groups of employees can jointly fund the cost of $3,100 for a one-room home with latrine. Food For The Poor homes can be built in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua. The family who is moved out of a leaking, dilapidated shack into a real home will always remember that they are blessed.

Food For The Poor’s gift catalog is based on the scripture, “…give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,” (Matthew 19:21).

The catalog offers a wide variety of gifts to fit any budget – from a fruit tree for $10, or a gift of a donkey for $150, to providing a community with a lifesaving water pump for $205.

Some of the catalog’s creative gift ideas enable communities to sustain themselves economically. Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Tilapia ponds provide entire villages with an ongoing food source; fishing villages provide the boats, engines, tackle and equipment needed for the fishermen to support their families.

All gifts are tax-deductible. To send a gift, the catalog can be accessed through the charity’s secure Web site or a printed version of the catalog is available by calling 800-427-9104.

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. We provide 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.