IV Fluid Donation

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 24, 2014) – Food For The Poor is sending a container of desperately needed intravenous saline solutions it purchased from an international supplier after the Food For The Poor-Jamaica office made an urgent request to the FFP headquarters in Coconut Creek, Fla.

“We understand that one container load of these intravenous saline solutions will not solve the problem that the hospitals in Jamaica are currently facing, but it will provide some much needed assistance. If we can help save one life, then all the manpower and effort it took to obtaining this life-saving medical product was well worth it,” said Robin Mahfood, President and CEO of Food For The Poor.

The international relief and development organization’s Gifts In Kinds department reached out to several of its U.S.-based donors for help.  Food For The Poor was told that many of the pharmaceutical donors that have assisted the charity in the past were unable to help, due to a reported shortage of intravenous saline solutions in the United States.
The intravenous saline solutions purchased by Food For The Poor are being shipped by sea freight and are expected to reach Kingston, Jamaica, in mid-July.

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.

Celebrating service

Three Countries, Three Anniversaries All in One Month

	A girl at an orphanage in Guyana holds one of the chickens used in a self-sustaining development program.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 18, 2014) – Food For The Poor is celebrating decades of dedicated service in the countries of Jamaica, Haiti and Guyana in the month of June. The organization, which was founded in 1982, now includes more than 5,000 churches and institutions as partners in the distribution of food, medicine, educational supplies and other needed items.

Thirty-two years ago today, Jamaica became the first country to receive assistance from the relief and development organization. The Food For The Poor-Jamaica office and warehouse complex are located in Spanish Town at the intersection of five highways, which lead to all parts of the island. Food For The Poor has completed more than 250 projects in Jamaica over the past five years, and continues to replace dilapidated shacks with permanent housing. In 2013, Food For The Poor, through the generosity of donors, constructed 2,456 housing units throughout the country. Since inception, the charity has built 37,340 housing units island-wide.

“Thousands of people remain on a waiting list to receive Food For The Poor housing across Jamaica. This organization will continue to help as many people as possible by focusing on one family at a time. This is the only way to approach the situation, if not, then it would become overwhelming,” said Robin Mahfood, President and CEO of Food For The Poor. “Housing, education and self-sustaining projects are major areas of focus, with the goal of meeting the immediate needs of the truly destitute, and ultimately helping the poor to rise out of poverty.”

It was the plea for help from the poorest of the poor living in inhumane conditions in Cite Soleil, located in the capital of Port-au-Prince, which turned Food For The Poor’s heart toward Haiti in 1986. This long-established presence allowed the organization to respond immediately when the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake devastated the country. The same rapid response the charity mobilized during the earthquake crisis was activated when news of the October 2010 cholera outbreak reached Food For The Poor. Now the organization has once again stepped in to help on the heels of another potential outbreak – the Chikungunya virus.

“This virus or ‘the fever’ that’s being transmitted by mosquitoes is spreading fast, and now that the rainy season is here, it is on the verge of becoming an epidemic,” said Mahfood. “The Food For The Poor-Haiti office made an urgent request for medicine in May, and more than 8,000 boxes and bottles making up seven pallets have been shipped. Food For The Poor will continue to monitor the situation and will work on securing more medicines as needed.”

There also are dozens of ongoing Food For The Poor supported projects in Haiti. These projects include: aquaculture, animal husbandry, agricultural, orphan-support,  housing and sanitation, community development, water improvement, school construction and support, feeding programs, fishing villages, alternative energy, and medical initiatives.

Since the 2010 earthquake a total of 4,605 two-room homes have been constructed in Haiti. Clean water also is a critical need in the Caribbean country. Food For The Poor installed 121 water wells in 2013, and with the help of Water Missions International, has installed a total of 78 water filtration units, plus three chlorinators since 2010. Each unit purifies and chlorinates up to 10,000 gallons of water a day. 

Twenty-three years ago this month, Food For The Poor began working in Guyana, delivering food and other basic items to Guyana’s poor. Since then, the South Florida-based nonprofit has expanded its services to meet the growing needs of the country’s impoverished residents. It is now the leading organization providing relief to the people of Guyana.

In 2012, the organization constructed the Hosanna Village in the community of Mashabo, Essequibo Coast, and started the construction of 40 homes and a water project for the Swan Village located close to the Soesdyke Highway.  Last year, work continued on the development of the Swan Village, with 25 additional homes and a community center.

This year, an ambitious project has stretched to build a village in an extremely remote area in the northwestern part of the country. When completed, the village will have 40 homes, a community center and a renovated and expanded primary school. Food For The Poor has delivered more than 900 computer workstations to the South American country, and built 3,134 housing units in Guyana to date.

“When you add it all up, there’s a total of more than 82 years of combined dedicated service between these three countries. Words cannot express the gratitude we have toward the Food For The Poor staff, the donors and most importantly for our heavenly Father, who has opened up the floodgates of heaven onto this organization so that we can help others,” said Mahfood.

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.

Thanks its Donors for 32 Years of Love

	This mother and her children in Guyana were provided a new home by generous Food For The Poor donors. Since the charity's inception, more than 91,000 housing units have been built.
Related Item: See Your Donations at Work

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2014) – On its 32nd anniversary of serving the poor, Food For The Poor thanks its donors for what they have done for the most destitute in 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. The ministry that started out as a feeding program in Jamaica has grown exponentially to become the largest international relief organization in the United States, with associated charities in Haiti, Guyana, Jamaica and Canada.

“Our donors truly have heard the cries of the poor. It is amazing to think what they have done for the very poorest of the poor for all of these years,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Ranging from the smallest, most innocent child to the wisest elders of our community, our donors have one thing in common – huge hearts that have a place in them for the poor.”

The ministry, through its dedicated donors, has built more than 91,000 housing units, shipped almost 67,000 containers filled with essential goods, and delivered more than $10 billion in aid since its inception in 1982.  In 2013 alone, 33 schools were built or expanded, 12 of which were in Haiti, a country that lost most of its schools in the 2010 earthquake. Almost 300 water wells and other clean water projects were completed.

The charity’s desire to align ever more closely with its generous supporters resulted this year in a Pledge to Donors, written by Executive Director Angel Aloma. The pledge reads, in part:

Because you have a desire to give,
We have an opportunity to fulfill that desire.
Because you have choice in charitable giving,
Our service must be superior.
Because you have a sense of urgency,
We must act promptly.
Because you have expectations,
We must exceed them.

“An intense feeling of gratitude inspired me to write this for our donors in appreciation for their generosity and compassion, and my dream is that it inspires us to continue to work closely together for those who have nothing and are counting on us for their very lives,” Aloma said. The pledge can be read in its entirety at www.foodforthepoor.org/pledge

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.

Jamaican Fishermen Saved after Spending Weeks at Sea

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2012) – Two fishermen are expected back in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday, after a day on the water in late November turned into a three-week adventure that landed them in the territorial waters of Colombia.


Everton Gregory, 54, and John Sobah, 58, are professional fishermen from the Food For The Poor fishing village in the town of Lyssons, which is located in St. Thomas Parrish on the eastern coast of the island.

When the men boarded the 28-foot fishing boat, they went with their tackle and just enough food and water for a few days.  When the time came to head back, the boat’s motor failed.

After a day, when the men did not return, Food For The Poor sent out a search team that included a chartered plane and scanned the waters near Jamaica. When days turned into a week and when a search party turned up empty-handed, family and friends of Gregory and Sobah feared that both men were forever lost at sea. Out of radio range, the boat drifted for more than 20 days and more than 500 miles.

The men survived by eating dried fish and sipping melted ice from their cooler. Before the fishermen were saved off the Caribbean island of Quitasueño near San Andrés, they went six days without water.
“With provisions running low, I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for these two fishermen who were adrift for weeks in the Caribbean Sea without a soul or land in sight,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “We are thankful to God and to Colombia’s officials for rescuing these fishermen and for helping us to return these men back to Jamaica in time to celebrate Christmas with their families.”   

After the fishermen were picked up by a Colombian naval ship, they were taken to San Andrés where they received food and medical treatment. San Andrés is among the Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and is more than 400 miles away from Colombia’s mainland. It is close to Nicaragua.
The matter was reported to the Jamaican Embassy in Bogota, where the necessary paper work was processed for the fishermen to return to Jamaica. The fishing boat was towed to Providencia, which is one of several islands in Colombia’s chain of Caribbean islands.   

Both men say they are excited and grateful to be heading back to Jamaica and are calling their sea rescue a real life miracle.

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.

Olympian Leads Food For The Poor 5K Walk/Run to Feed Record Number

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 29, 2012) – Approximately 700 South Floridians gathered at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach on Saturday, Nov. 17, to stomp out hunger alongside Olympic medalist Yohan Blake. Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger raised enough money to feed 1,500 destitute children and their families in the Caribbean and Latin America for a year.

Blake, a Jamaican Olympic Gold and Silver medalist and Jason Martinez, co-anchor for WPLG-TV ABC Local 10 Morning News and Local 10 News at Noon, handed out bottles of WATA brand bottled water and motivated participants across the finish line. The racers ranged between 8 and 78 years old.
 
“I know what it is to be hungry and so I respect what Food For The Poor is doing,” said Blake, one of the world’s fastest sprinters.

Thanks to the charity’s low administrative ratio and purchasing power, Food For The Poor can feed a family of four for $14.60 a month. Donations to this effort are accepted at www.FoodForThePoor.org/walk.

The fastest male was Kevin Channer with a time of 17:45.2. The fastest female was Ann Rodriguez with a time of 24:12.2.

Additional race results are available online at http://tinyurl.com/cx9ctuy.

Cans of food donated by 5K Walk/Run participants and a check to purchase turkeys were presented to “Big Mama,” Essie Reed, founder of Team of Life nonprofit, to benefit needy families in South Florida in time for Thanksgiving.

The 5K Walk/Run was presented by Winn-Dixie.  Event sponsors included Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Bru’s Room, The Consul General of Jamaica, Corner Bakery Cafe, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Humana, Kona Ice, KPA Promotion, Muffuletta, PNC, Polyglass, Runners Edge, Sun-Sentinel, TeamReliv, The WOW Factory, Tijuana Flats, WATA, Wells Fargo and World of Beer.

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.

The WOW Factory Supports Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 8, 2012) – On Friday, Nov. 9, The WOW Factory will give thanks and donate 20 percent of the $20 admission fee to Coconut Creek-based nonprofits, including Food For The Poor. Come register for Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger and play unlimited video games from 5 to 8 p.m. at The WOW Factory, 5891 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Fla. You will have a great time while benefiting the charity.

"The WOW Factory appreciates all that the Coconut Creek-based non profits do for our community," said Tom Head, owner of The WOW Factory. “Come out and have an amazing, awesome, fun and all-around entertainment experience with games and attractions for all ages on Friday and we will donate 20 percent to support their good works.” The WOW Factory has more than 50 games and attractions, including Laser Tag, Ballocity, Adventure Climbing Wall, Sky Trail Elevated Ropes Course, Lazer Frenzy and video and redemption games. Food For The Poor will also have representatives available at the event to help register participants for the walk/run.

You can also register or make a donation to stomp out hunger alongside Jamaican Olympic medal winner Yohan Blake on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 a.m. at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, Fla. While on the website, take advantage of free fundraising tips designed to help you reach your fundraising goal by sharing your ideas with family, friends, co-workers and contacts.

Cost of registration is $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-10. There’s no fee for children 5 and under. The registration cost includes a T-shirt for the first 1,500 who sign up. There will be refreshments, live music, balloon artists, face painters and more at this family event. Registration on the day of the event starts at 6:30 a.m., the walk/run begins at 7 a.m. and the awards ceremony is at 8 a.m.

Proceeds from this year’s 5K Walk/Run will assist in feeding destitute families throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. A generous donor has agreed to match every dollar raised with an additional dollar’s worth of food.

Participants are also encouraged to bring cans of food to the 5K Walk/Run to benefit needy families in South Florida. Requested Thanksgiving-themed sides include canned corn, sweet potato, green beans, pumpkin and cranberry sauce.

“We want to help spread Thanksgiving blessings to needy families in our community, too,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO. “With local food pantry shelves practically empty, we want to be able to bring the community together to address the need."

The 5K Walk/Run is presented by Winn-Dixie.  Event sponsors are Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Bru’s Room, The Consul General of Jamaica, Corner Bakery Cafe, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Humana, Kona Ice, KPA Promotion, L.A. Fitness, Muffuletta, PNC, Polyglass, Runners Edge, Sun-Sentinel, TeamReliv, The WOW Factory, Tijuana Flats, WATA, Wells Fargo and World of Beer.

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.

Orlando Residents Celebrate the Joy of Rebuilding Homes in Haiti

ORLANDO (Oct. 30, 2012) – Thanks to the generosity of Orlando residents attending Food For The Poor’s 13th annual A Celebration of Hope gala on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa, funds were raised to construct a village in Haiti. Families who have remained homeless since the devastating 2010 earthquake will receive safe, permanent Food For The Poor homes in Emmanuel Village VII, the seventh village constructed from funds raised through the yearly gala.

“Emmanuel Village VII will be a living example of how lives can be changed and hope can be restored,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “You have made a tangible difference in the lives of those who suffer, and those who have felt abandoned by the world in Manneville, Haiti.”

In August, Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, who serves on the Food For The Poor Board of Directors and as the gala’s Chairwoman, traveled to Manneville with several committee members. There they met the families who will receive the new homes.

A Celebration of Hope gala committee members included Anibal and Maritza Beltran, Linda Bonnewitz, The del Campo Family, Janice Chong, Trevor and Freda Dieffenthaller,
Cynthia Hawkins, Jackie Heaps, Marissa Iannaccone, Rebecca James, Dr. Anis Khalaf, Kathy Kinchla, Donna Larson, Bernadette McComb, Laura McDonald, Paul Mylod, Dr. Desirae Nasrallah, Nicole Nasrallah, Robin Neel, Lisa Padilla, Nancy Padilla, Patricia Perfito, Anne Pinkosh, Amira Rodriguez, Roseline and Pelfrine Saint-Fort, The Santana Family, Marie Schwarz, Ryan Shaughnessy, Kelly Wilkes, Holly Wilson, and Jean and Donna Wilson.

“A great deal remains to be done, but together with your tremendous support, we can continue to help desperate and homeless Haitians,” said Mahfood. “You will forever change the lives of those who live in cardboard shacks and fragile tents with little or no protection from natural disasters, insects and rodents.” At the gala, Winter Park Construction built a prefabricated 12-by-12 foot house in the ballroom so that guests could see first hand how a modest house in Haiti can make a significant difference in the lives of the truly destitute.

Food For The Poor builds safe, permanent two-room houses with sanitation and access to water for families in need of shelter. Thanks to the ongoing support of Orlando residents, gala proceeds have relocated more than 636 families from garbage-filled swamps, and moved them into secure two-room Food For The Poor homes.

For additional information regarding A Celebration of Hope gala and future sponsorship opportunities, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/orlando.

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.

Jolinda Wade’s Journey to Haiti: Mother of NBA Star Wants to Make a Difference with Food For The Poor

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2012) – It’s a hot October morning, and the sounds of shuffling feet are masked only by the joyful voices from a parade of people trotting along a well-worn path. The drum beat in the distance and a rustling wave of tree branches appear to be keeping this crowd in step.

This is a day of celebration for hundreds who were once homeless, but now have a home of their own in a new Food For The Poor built village in Olivier, Haiti. Right in the middle of this celebratory scene was Jolinda Wade, a pastor from Chicago, Ill. Pastor Wade, the mother of Heat star, Dwayne Wade, decided to take her first trip to Haiti with the international relief and development organization. She was able to see first-hand what’s being done by Food For The Poor to help the people of this Caribbean nation get back on their feet.

“Language-wise they may not understand everything you’re saying, but they do understand hopes, dreams, family and Food For The Poor,” said Jolinda Wade.
No stranger to hard times, Pastor Wade speaks and writes openly about her past struggles with alcohol and drug abuse, and her time in prison.  She also knows what it is like to be homeless. When an elderly woman invited her inside her crumbling mud hut, with only a few modest items and a wafer-thin mattress on a dirt floor, Pastor Wade stood speechless for a moment before sharing a brief glimpse into her past experience.  

“When I was in a homeless situation, we got into a building that we had to call home, and we had to sleep on a mattress, such as the mattress she has to sleep on,” said Pastor Wade. “We had to eat what we could eat, we had to bathe the best way we could bathe, and we had to use the bathroom the best way we could use the bathroom. But, I can say this here – never was one of those instances as bad as where I am now.”

Just as night is followed by the light of a new day, Pastor Wade and her four children have moved beyond that dark time in their lives. Son Dwyane Wade has been called one of the best NBA players in the world, and Jolinda is now dedicated to helping those less fortunate. She believes that with God, anyone can overcome their circumstances if they’re given an opportunity to do so – and she’s determined to help as many as possible to do just that.


“Pastor Jolinda Wade is a tremendous woman. She has such a passion for life and for making life better for others,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “There are many reports about what’s not being done in Haiti, so we’re honored that Pastor Wade was willing to travel with us to see how our caring, compassionate donors have enabled this organization to help one person, one family and one village at a time."
It was the loving support of the Building Hope Gala committee members from the communities of Boca Raton and Parkland, Fla., that helped to make the village in Olivier, Haiti, a reality for the hundreds of grateful new homeowners. Pastor Wade also had the privilege during her visit to present keys to the new homeowners and to tour the new houses. While in Haiti she also visited the Food For The Poor feeding center, Bernard Mevs Hospital and the Little Children of Jesus home for disabled orphans near Port-au-Prince.
“My time in Haiti has been bittersweet.  I laughed and cried a lot. As devastating as their lives had become, the thing that brought tears to my eyes was the faith of these people,” said Pastor Wade.

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.

Building Hope Gala committee members travel to Haiti to open doors

 Building Hope Gala committee members from the Boca Raton and Parkland communities traveled to Haiti Oct. 8-9 with the South Florida-based nonprofit Food For The Poor. They were celebrating the inauguration of newly constructed homes, built with proceeds from February’s gala, giving 50 families a new start in life.

“It is so great to know that our gala was able to build safe and secure homes for the people of Olivier,” said Becky Carlsson, gala committee member. “Because Haiti has been out of the media for a while, I think that people don’t realize that the devastation still exists. You should come and see it with your own eyes.”

In November 2011, committee members traveled to Olivier, Haiti, to see the community’s deplorable living conditions and to learn how they could help the nonprofit improve the residents’ lives.

“It’s really nice to be able to see something that you worked so hard toward,” said Allison Venditti, gala committee member. “There’s so much energy in this village. I got the impression that they feel powerful now and they believe they can do anything.”

 “I was unsure what to expect,” said LaMae Klos after her first day in Haiti. “What impressed me the most was the pride on the people’s faces. It was incredibly moving.”

Since the 2010 earthquake, Food For The Poor has built more than 3,899 permanent two-room homes in Haiti. Tropical Storm Isaac’s recent path through the Caribbean reminded many how vulnerable the poor are who live in tents and makeshift shacks.

“It was important for members of the committee to return to Olivier to rejoice with villagers on the completion of their village in only five months,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO. “The conditions that we have found so many needy children and their families living in are heart wrenching and unimaginable.”

The 2013 Building Hope Gala will be Saturday, February 2, at The Polo Club of Boca Raton. Attendees will be invited to create a legacy by pledging to build critically needed houses in Jamaica during the charity’s live house-rally.

Master of ceremonies, Jason Martinez, co-anchor for WPLG-TV ABC Local 10 Morning News and Local 10 News at Noon, traveled to Jamaica in August to cover the island’s golden jubilee.

“I saw the poverty with my own eyes and there is much work needed to be done to provide housing and assistance to the people of Jamaica,” said Martinez.

For additional information regarding the 2013 Building Hope Gala, sponsorship levels, and tickets, available at $250 per person, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/boca.

The Building Hope Gala committee will host a pre-event on Dec. 6, in time for the holiday season. Join the committee for champagne and hors d’oeuvres at Gregory’s Fine Jewelry in Delray Beach’s The Addison Shops to purchase a dazzling piece of jewelry for your loved ones. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated toward the gala’s home building efforts in Jamaica.

Committee members for the 2013 Building Hope Gala include Laurie Braden, Kelly Brauner, Becky Carlsson, Melissa Davimos, Ronda Ellis Ged, Ronda Gluck, Michele Greene, LaMae Klos, Robin Ranzal Knowles, Julie Mahfood, Rene Mahfood, Pamela Matsil, Cathy Moabery, Jill Perea, Tashia Rahl, Kara Seelye, Natasha Singh, Renee Stetler, Holly Strogoff, Allison Venditti, Patricia Wallace, and Traci Wilson.

Gala sponsors include Aljoma Lumber, AKA Printing and Mailing, American Nicaraguan Foundation, Bluegreen Corporation, Dennis Charley & Associates, Inc., Dusco Doors, Franklin Dodd Communications, Gregory’s Fine Jewelry, Haiti Shipping Lines, Inc., Quadriga Art, LLC, Seaboard Marine, TD Bank, and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care.

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.


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

Government of Taiwan Donates 110 Containers of Rice to the People of Haiti

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 12, 2012) – Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will donate 110 containers of rice, the equivalent of 2,200 tons, to the people of Haiti in November, through the nonprofit Food For The Poor. The generosity of Taiwan’s MOFA donation is magnified by floods, droughts, and crop failures that continue to cause food costs to rise globally.

In developing countries, families typically spend 80 to 90 percent of their income on food, as opposed to Americans who spend about 9 percent. Escalating food and fuel prices mean destitute families are not able to buy as much food for their families as they once were, and cases of malnutrition, especially in children, are increasingly common.

“This rice is an answered prayer,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “On behalf of those Food For The Poor serves, we are grateful to the Taiwanese government for their lifesaving donation. The volatile situation with the increasing food and fuel prices have stretched our charity's ability to get food and other supplies where they are most needed.”

Food For The Poor will distribute the donated rice to sponsored programs, one of which is Food For The Poor’s feeding center in Port-au-Prince. Approximately 15,000 hot meals are cooked and distributed from this location six days a week.

Taiwan’s First Lady Chow Mei-ching and daughter, Lesley Ma, have served rice donated from the people of Taiwan to Haiti’s destitute at this Food For The Poor feeding center. The mother-daughter humanitarian team eagerly rolled up their sleeves to serve the steaming rice and stew to the needy families.

This is the second year Taiwan’s MOFA has worked through Food For The Poor to send containers of rice to Haiti. In 2011, Taiwan MOFA stepped up to help with a donation of 40 containers of rice, which is approximately 800 tons.

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.

Olympic Medalist Yohan Blake Gives Back to Food For The Poor

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 12, 2012) – Jamaican Olympic medal winner Yohan Blake remembers how he felt when he received his first cricket bat from the nonprofit Food For The Poor.

“What makes my relationship with Food for the Poor so interesting is that as a young boy they gave me my first cricket bat,” said Blake, who professes a love for the bat-and-ball game. “I will always remember how this made me feel.  I am so proud to be a part of such an organization.”

To give back, Blake is stepping up to help more people overcome poverty by kicking-off Food For The Poor’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 a.m. at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

“I know what it is to be hungry and so I respect what they are doing,” said Blake. “Food For The Poor is one of the most important charities in the Western Hemisphere. The fact that Food For The Poor grew out of Jamaica is amazing. This is what I want to achieve with my foundation.”

Proceeds from this year’s 5K Walk/Run will raise money to purchase food to feed destitute families in the Caribbean and Latin America. A generous donor has agreed to match every dollar raised with an additional dollar’s worth of food.

“Earlier this summer at the 2012 London Olympics, Yohan Blake made Jamaicans everywhere proud as he and his teammates broke a world record,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO. “We are honored that Blake, a gold medalist, has partnered with Food For The Poor to lead the fight against hunger."

You can register online for the 5K Walk/Run at www.FoodForThePoor.org/walk. Cost of registration is $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-10. There’s no fee for children 5 and under. The registration cost includes a T-shirt. There will be refreshments, live music, balloon artists, face painters and more at this family event. Registration starts at 6:30 a.m., the run/walk begins at 7 a.m. and the awards ceremony is at 8 a.m.

Jason Martinez, co-anchor for WPLG-TV ABC Local 10 Morning News and Local 10 News at Noon, will join Blake at the run/walk. Martinez traveled to Jamaica in August to cover the island-nation’s 50-year anniversary of independence. While in Jamaica, Martinez saw the poverty firsthand.

Special awards will be given to top finishers of each age group. Food For The Poor will be using AccuChip to provide state-of-the art timing and scoring. This service is used for running, triathlon, swimming, mud runs and biking events in Florida.

The 5K Walk/Run is presented by Winn Dixie.  Event sponsors are Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Corner Bakery Cafe, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, PNC, Polyglass, Runners Edge, Sun Sentinel, TeamReliv, WATA, Wells Fargo, and World of Beer.

Yohan Blake limited edition commemorative WATA bottles will be distributed at the run/walk.

There will be several opportunities to help and have fun before the run/walk.
• On Sunday, Oct. 28, plan to gather at Bru’s Room in Coconut Creek to register for the run/walk and to watch the 1 p.m. kickoff of the Miami Dolphins v. New York Jets. Miami Dolphins cheerleaders will distribute prizes to fans from the team’s touchdown van at Bru’s Room, 5460 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Coconut Creek, Fla.

• Winn-Dixie, the event’s presenting sponsor, will host a wine sampling compliments of Barefoot Wine & Bubbly on Friday, Nov. 2 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Invite your friends and teammates to stop by to learn more about the nonprofit, and win prizes at Winn-Dixie, 5600 West Sample Road, Margate, Fla.

• Tickets to the Miami Dolphins v. Seattle Seahawks game on Sunday, Nov. 25, can be purchased for $50. Fifty percent of the ticket sales through the nonprofit will be contributed to the run/walk’s final donation tally. To order tickets, or to request additional information, please send an email to events@FoodForThePoor.com.

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.

GM Cares to Make a Difference Volunteers to Build a Food For The Poor House on Local School Campus

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 26, 2012) – What do one of the world's largest car and truck manufacturers, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States, and a Palm Beach County, Fla. school have in common?  The answer – they share a desire to make a difference in the communities in which they serve, here in the United States and abroad.

On Friday, Sept. 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the campus of Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Fla., a dozen General Motors employees will volunteer with students from the school to build a replica of homes given to families in need in Jamaica by Food For The Poor.

“Many members of our work group participate in different types of community service, but Food For The Poor is a ministry our entire team can get behind,” said Tom Thornton, District Manager Aftersales Chevrolet Miami. “We are looking forward to this service opportunity and anticipate that we will have much future opportunity to support the ministry.” 

While GM employees may have a long history of giving back, in 2011 the teamGM Cares volunteer program was formed. All across the United States, teamGM Cares volunteers have assisted with disaster relief efforts and have lent their time to many meaningful projects.

Also in 2011, Saint Andrew’s School joined the Round Square organization as a world member and will host the 'Waves of Change' International Round Square Conference in October 2013. It is only one of 80 schools on five continents to be a part of a program that promotes student and faculty exchange, and international community service, making the Saint Andrew’s campus the ideal location for this collaborative effort.
The replica house will remain on the campus of Saint Andrew’s for seven days, and will be used as a teaching tool to bring awareness to the dire living conditions of destitute families in the Caribbean and Latin America.

“The understanding that we hope our students develop over the course of the week is a heightened sense of empathy toward the lives of those who lack what so many here often take for granted,” said Nicholas Dorn, Director of Student Leadership of Saint Andrew’s School. “Most importantly we hope that everyone who visits the replica house experiences gratitude and develops a desire to help philanthropic initiatives.”

“One of the best ways to educate students or corporations about Food For The Poor is to show them what we do. We can tell them Food For The Poor started out helping a feeding program in Jamaica 30 years (More) ago, and has since grown exponentially, but when we allow them to participate in an initiative like building a  replica of an actual house on a campus like Saint Andrew’s School, the need becomes real – but the solution becomes tangible,” said Robin Mahfood, President and CEO of Food For The Poor.

Please contact Dr. Carlos Barroso, Director of Marketing and Communications at Saint Andrew’s School, about on-campus access for the homebuilding: office (561) 210-2064 or cell (561) 756-0301. The school is located at 3900 Jog Road in Boca Raton, Fla.
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.

Orlando residents answer need for housing in Haiti

Orlando’s 13th annual A Celebration of Hope gala will raise money to build safe, permanent Food For The Poor homes for at least 50 Haitian families who remain homeless more than two years after the devastating earthquake. Committee members invite those interested in rebuilding and learning about Haiti to attend the Caribbean-themed gala at Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa on Oct. 13.

Winter Park Construction will build a prefabricated 12-by-12 foot house in the ballroom so that guests can see how a modest house makes a significant difference in the lives of the truly destitute. Food For The Poor builds safe, permanent two-room houses with sanitation and access to water for families in need of shelter.

In August, Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, who serves on the Food For The Poor Board of Directors and as the gala’s Chairwoman, traveled to Manneville, Haiti, with several committee members. There they met the families who are relying on their voice to raise the money necessary to construct 50 two-room homes in Emmanuel Village VII.

“The impact of sheltering just one poor family reverberates from the heart of that family directly to the heart of God,” said Nasrallah. “I never tire of seeing a rusty tin shack being replaced by a sturdy Food For The Poor home.”

A Celebration of Hope gala will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, house rally, 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, luxury vacations, and golf and dining packages, offers opportunities for guests to support and donate to the cause.

For additional information regarding A Celebration of Hope gala, sponsorship levels, and tickets, available at $150 per person, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/orlando.

Tropical Storm Isaac’s recent path over the Caribbean nation reminded many of Haiti’s vulnerability, and of the hazardous living conditions still being endured by the approximately 390,000 Haitians who still live in tents and makeshift shacks. Thanks to the past support of Orlando residents, gala proceeds have relocated more than 636 families from garbage-filled swamps, and moved them into secure two-room Food For The Poor homes.

“There are so many more families that urgently need our help,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Dilapidated shacks made of scraps of wood, plastic and cardboard offer families little or no protection from natural disasters, insects and rodents.”

Since the 2010 earthquake, Food For The Poor has escalated its homebuilding initiative, and has built more than 3,523 permanent two-room homes for displaced families.

A Celebration of Hope gala committee members include Anibal and Maritza Beltran, Linda Bonnewitz, The del Campo Family, Janice Chong, Cynthia Hawkins, Jackie Heaps, Eva Pegan Hill, Marissa Iannaccone, Dr. Aida Jimenez and Isabel Jimenez, Rebecca James, Kathy Kinchla, Donna Larson, Paul Mylod, Desirae Nasrallah, Nicole Nasrallah, Nancy Padilla, Lisa Padilla, Patricia Perfito, Amira Rivera, Diane Rogers, Roseline and Pelfrine Saint-Fort, The Santana Family, Marie Schwarz, Kelly Wilkes, Jean and Donna Wilson, and Holly 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 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 to help restock Salvation Army’s shelves

Within days of reading about The Salvation Army’s bare cupboards in The Sun-Sentinel, the South Florida-based international relief and development organization Food For The Poor mobilized to help restock the shelter’s Fort Lauderdale pantry.

“With the continuing poor economic environment, the number of requests for support continues to grow,” said Kate Hietapelto, Assistant Director of Development at The Salvation Army in Fort Lauderdale. “We have been blessed to receive several donations from many people in the community and we are very happy to see how people come together and lift each other up in a time of need. We were in a desperate need of food to stock our shelves and the food came.”

Hietapelto was present when boxes filled with canned tuna, vienna sausage, Chef Boyardee and jars of peanut butter were delivered by representatives of the nonprofit Food For The Poor to The Salvation Army’s Fort Lauderdale office on Broward Blvd.

“When we heard about The Salvation Army’s empty pantries we knew it was important to give back to our local community,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Thanks to the generosity of Food For The Poor’s staff we were able to step forward and offer some relief.”

Each week the Salvation Army serves approximately 100 families and individuals who are in need of assistance.

“On behalf of the friends, family, staff, clients, donors and volunteers at The Salvation Army, we would like to thank Food For The Poor for their generous donation to our food pantry, said Hietapelto.

Due to the community’s positive response to The Salvation Army’s plea for food, on Thursday families will be able to receive the usual three or four bags of groceries.

“My family and I wanted to donate food to help meet The Salvation Army’s growing needs,” said Troy Delisser, Food For The Poor’s Senior Purchasing Agent.

Delisser’s donation included frozen fish, and wild game from North Fla. that included duck, geese, quail and pheasant.

Sally Gress, Director of Development for The Salvation Army, said if the meat and fish are wrapped in meal size portions they would be able to distribute it to those in need.

In addition to Food For The Poor’s international mission, the organization also supports nonprofits that serve South Florida’s neediest. In August, Food For The Poor also donated 24 pallets of supplies such as, corn, rice, shoes, bottled water and diapers to New Hope Charities in Pahokee, Fla.

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.


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

California woman answers call to save young girl’s vision

Tammy Hamilton knows what a blessing it is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need. After praying to God for guidance, Hamilton answered a call from the nonprofit Food For The Poor to save a young girl’s eyesight and to end her suffering.

“It was all about God,” said Hamilton, who was thankful God had her path in Trabuco Canyon, California, cross with Vanessa Lewis, 16, from St. Ann, Jamaica.

In excruciating pain and at risk of losing eyesight in her right eye, Vanessa said she prayed to God before she made the heart wrenching decision to have her left eye removed. Strengthened by her faith and family in Jamaica, Vanessa and her mother traveled to the United States for a second surgery at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami on July 30.

“The doctors in Jamaica could not find a cure so I had to go overseas,” said Vanessa who has endured years of bullying and taunting as a result of her eye problems. “Sometimes I feel like to give up...”

Mother and daughter have overcome many challenges, including traveling to the United States each year since 2002, with the exception of two years when they just could not afford it. Eight years ago, Vanessa was diagnosed with tractional retinal detachment at Bascom Palmer, after her first eye surgery was not successful. As a result, she permanently lost vision in her left eye.

During the charity’s Thankful Thursday prayer service on Sept. 6, a grateful and emotional Vanessa stood in front of the crowded room to share her testimonial.

“I am finally pain free,” said Vanessa, who received a standing ovation from Food For The Poor staff members.

Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO, challenged Vanessa to pursue her dream and become a doctor.

“The hardships we face provide us with opportunities to learn how we can share our talents to benefit others,” said Mahfood, as he embraced Vanessa and congratulated her for overcoming years of adversity. 

“God has done so much for me,” said Vanessa. “God, Himself would have to explain it to you. Thank you for helping to make my tomorrow a better tomorrow and my future a pain free future.”

Thanks to the generosity of Food For The Poor’s donor Hamilton who covered the cost of Vanessa’s recent eye surgery, Vanessa will receive her custom-made, artificial eye on Sept. 25.

“I always say I am not lucky, I am blessed,” said Vanessa. “Thank you all, God bless you always.”

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. 

To learn more, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

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

First Group of “Jamaica 50” Schools to Open in September. Food For The Poor is Committed to Educating Jamaica’s Youth

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 29, 2012) - In celebration of Jamaica’s golden anniversary as an independent nation, Food For The Poor has launched the “Jamaica 50 Campaign” to build 50 basic schools in 50 months. The organization has committed to build a new school or replace an existing school that has been deemed as an unfit space for children to learn. 
Holding fast to that promise, the first three schools of this initiative will be dedicated in late September. They are:

• Greenvale Early Childhood Institution (new school) in Greenvale, Manchester.

• Longville Basic School (existing school in need of proper facilities) in Whitehouse, Westmoreland. The school will be renamed to King’s Infant School upon opening.

• St. Margaret’s Real Success Basic School (existing school in need of proper infrastructure) in Kingston.

“It is important for those who have decided to leave Jamaica to pursue their dreams in Canada or the United States to remember their homeland, the homeland of their parents, their grandparents,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “The best gift of all is the gift of knowledge, and those who are in a position to help can do so by providing the children of Jamaica with safe and inspiring places to learn.”  
Education has always been a seed deeply planted into the minds of the Jamaican people. The Caribbean nation has experienced its share of economic hardship – many parents cannot afford to pay school fees, or buy the books, school supplies or uniforms necessary to send their children to basic school.  Many of the nation’s school buildings are dilapidated or in desperate need of repair.
The basic schools or Early Childhood Institutes are the backbone of the educational system in Jamaica because it is where young children develop their character, and get the educational foundation needed to advance to primary school, which is equivalent to an elementary school in the United States.
Each basic school constructed will have an office, sick bay, kitchen, bathroom/sanitation, and one large classroom that can be subdivided into three learning spaces. There’s an average capacity of 40 students per school, but depending on the size of the structure, up to 100 students could be attending one school at a time. There’s typically one teacher and a teacher’s assistant in the smaller schools, and three or more in the larger schools.
The “Jamaica 50 Campaign” is a monumental, but exciting commitment by Food For The Poor to build these schools for children ages 3 to 6 years old. The ministry is looking forward to working with its donors on making this project between Jamaica, the United States and Canada a lasting legacy for generations to come.
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.

Providing safe and secure homes for families in Jamaica

The government of Jamaica is going to help Food For The Poor double the number of homes it builds each month for the poor. This grant will provide hundreds of destitute families the opportunity to have safe shelter for the very first time.

“I cannot put into words what this project will mean for the homeless and families who are currently living in inadequate structures with no running water and no sanitation,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “This is the harsh reality for many on the island, and I truly believe this project is a step in the right direction in providing assistance to Jamaicans in need.”

The 1,200 homes scheduled to be built by Food for the Poor over the next year will be given to poor families  island-wide. Beneficiaries will be drawn from the organization's existing list of applicants, as well as those recommended by churches and community groups. More than 2,000 applications have been submitted for homes through the Food For The Poor office 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

Contact:
Kathy Skipper
Director of Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6614
kathys@foodforthepoor.org

Dreams Across The Sea to Quench Students’ Thirst

ATLANTA (Aug. 24, 2012) - Atlanta’s Dreams Across The Sea Gala will help Food For The Poor deliver life-saving, clean water to schools in communities throughout Haiti. The Caribbean-themed gala presented by W Atlanta Buckhead will be Saturday, Sept. 29.
Philanthropic-minded residents will enjoy an elegant evening of exceptional dining, live music, dancing and a silent auction. Bidding on silent auction prizes, such as exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, luxury vacations, and golf and dining packages, offers opportunities for guests to support and donate to the cause. For a $25 donation, guests can also participate in the Starfish drawing to win unique prizes, including an Apple iPad.

“In Haiti many residents do not have access to the essentials of life, like clean drinking water,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “The installation of water wells near schools will make a tremendous difference in these communities. It will guarantee that children have access to safe drinking water, allowing them to spend more time in the classroom learning, rather than walking miles to find and gather water that might be contaminated to drink, cook, and clean.”
The Associated Press reports that more than 7,000 people have died in Haiti since the cholera outbreak was confirmed in October 2010. Gala attendees can help prevent the further spread of this waterborne illness by providing a donation to supply villages with safe drinking water.

“The right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental of human rights, for without this right, we are not able to enjoy or fully participate in our other God – given rights,” said Edward Buckley, Dreams Across The Sea committee member. For eight years, Buckley, with the assistance of Food For The Poor, has raised money to drill and install water wells throughout Jamaica and Haiti. Since 1998, Food For The Poor has completed more than 1,360 water projects.

Robin Mahfood will present The Mary E. Harverty Foundation with the 2012 Ambassadors For The Poor award for their long-term commitment to the charity’s house building initiative. Jane Haverty will receive the award on behalf of the foundation.
Gala co-chairman, Dr. Jason Regis, traveled to Jamaica and visited the McCooks Pen Community Development project built with 2011 gala proceeds. The project consists of 10 two-room permanent homes with access to clean water and sanitation. The families who moved into this project lived in deplorable conditions prior to moving into their new home.

Committee members for the 2012 Dreams Across The Sea Gala include co-chairmen Garvin Stewart and Dr. Jason Regis, Eyi Adadevoh, Treza Brooms-Johnson, Ed Buckley, Chris Curry, Jean Hanges, Sheryl McCalla, Sylvia McClure, Yetsa Osara, Nawal Shadeed, and Michelle Wattley.

"[Through this gala] we empower the people of Haiti to live independent, safe and healthy lives by helping them overcome real issues and disparities,” said Garvin Stewart, a gala co-chairman.

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

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.

Five Months, 50 Homes, 50 Families

Fifty families have moved into secure homes in Olivier, Deuxieme Plaine, Haiti, just weeks before the hurricane season traditionally heats up in the Caribbean. These permanent homes were built from funds raised in February at the Building Hope Gala in Boca Raton, Fla. Construction on the homes and community center started in March, and all of the families were moved to safety by mid-July.

“The appalling conditions that we have found so many children and their families living in throughout the Caribbean and Latin America are unimaginable,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor's President/CEO. “Without safe, permanent shelter the destitute are often wet and cold when it rains, and live in fear of landslides sweeping them into the sea.”

For more than 30 years, Food For The Poor has worked to bring relief to poor families, caring for their basic needs, and giving them a chance to live and work again. In addition to building the 50 two-room homes and community center in Olivier, chicken and cattle rearing projects have also been implemented with money raised at the gala.

“I can’t believe people have to live like this, it really breaks my heart,” said committee member Becky Carlsson, as she described the inhumane conditions she witnessed in Haiti. “They are not really houses, they are little one-room shacks of metal and tin that families live in.”

The 2012 committee chairs included Cathy and Abdol Moabery (Event Co-Chairpersons), Ronda and David Gluck (Event Co-Chairpersons), and Rene and Francis Mahfood (Honorary Chairpersons).

The 18th annual gala will be Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton. For additional information regarding the Building Hope Gala, benefactor levels, and tickets, available at $250 per person, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/boca.

Attendees will be invited to create a legacy by pledging to build critically needed houses in Jamaica during the charity’s “live house rally.” There are pockets of immense poverty throughout Jamaica, but because the country relies heavily on tourism, the harsh reality of destitution often is concealed.

“With the support of Food For The Poor’s donors and committees such as this, we have been able to raise enough funds to build 10 homes a day, seven days a week in the countries we serve,” said Mahfood. “Each home has two rooms, plus a toilet and a shower, and a porch for cooking. They are ‘a shelter from the raging wind and the storm.’ ” (Psalm 55:8).

Since the earthquake, Food For The Poor has built 3,261 two-room homes in Haiti.

Committee members for the 2013 Building Hope Gala include Laurie Braden, Kelly Brauner, Becky Carlsson, Melissa Davimos, Ronda Ellis Ged, Ronda Gluck, Michele Greene, LaMae Klos, Robin Ranzal Knowles, Julie Mahfood, Rene Mahfood, Pamela Matsil, Cathy Moabery, Jill Perea
Tashia Rahl, Kara Seelye, Natasha Singh, Renee Stetler, Holly Strogoff, Allison Venditti, Patricia Wallace, and Traci 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 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

Working Hard for Haiti, Rachel Wheeler is Honored as a ‘Huggable Hero’

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (July 05, 2012) —– Rachel Wheeler of Lighthouse Point, Fla., is a little girl with a big heart who at the age of 9 decided she wanted to build a village for families in Haiti – a task many thought was impossible. Three years later, the now 12-year-old not only raised enough money to build 27 two-room homes through Food For The Poor in Leogane, Haiti, but she also raised enough funds to replace the Ecole Reap de Morel basic school that was destroyed during the 2010 earthquake.

Wheeler’s unselfish acts of kindness earned her a nomination earlier this year as a Huggable Hero by the Build-A-Bear Workshop. Build-A-Bear Workshop received approximately 1,100 entries, which were narrowed down to 80 semifinalists in March and to 30 finalists in May. Wheeler was selected as one of the final 15, from the distinguished group of 8 to 18-year-olds from the United States and Canada in June.

“Food For The Poor is extremely proud of Rachel Wheeler for winning this award. She is a very special little girl who has a tremendous love for the poor,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Because of her generosity and strong determination to make a difference in Haiti, she has greatly improved the lives of hundreds of children and their families.”

Huggable Heroes was founded in 2004 to honor and reward young people for giving back to their communities, their schools and our world.  Nikki Giampolo, 15, who lost her battle with cancer in 2002, was the inspiration behind the Huggable Heroes program, now in its ninth year.

“I am happy to be recognized by Build-A-Bear Workshop. I had dozens and dozens of these bears when I was a little girl, and I never dreamed that someday I would be getting an award from them for helping others,” said Wheeler. “I love helping people, it makes me feel good and I will continue do it for as long as I can.”

In celebration of the company's 15th anniversary, Build-A-Bear Workshop will honor its 15 Huggable Heroes by donating $150,000 toward their education and charitable causes. Each Huggable Hero will receive $10,000, $7,500 of which will go toward an educational scholarship and $2,500, from the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation, will be donated to their charity of choice.

In addition to attending an awards ceremony at the Build-A-Bear Workshop headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., the 15 Huggable Heroes also will participate in a service project at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. The service project and awards celebration will take place July 18-20.

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.

Contact:
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
wandaw@foodforthepoor.com