Young philanthropist receives national recognition from The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

Samantha Kerker, a junior at Atlantic Community High School, has been recognized by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program to honor young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The Boca Raton resident was named Florida’s top high school youth volunteer in 2012 for her initiative to start Students For The Poor chapters in Palm Beach County high schools. For two years, Samantha has partnered with Food For The Poor to spread awareness about the severity of poverty and destitution in developing countries.

“I feel honored and humbled to have achieved this prestigious award and I am proud to represent the state of Florida in Washington D.C. in May,” said Samantha. “Even though I am only 5 feet 2 inches tall on a good day, and people tell me I am too small to actually have an impact on the world, I know that I can change the world by helping one student, one family, and one community at a time.”

Students For The Poor is a unique student outreach effort initiated by students and developed by Food For The Poor. The chapters are based on high school and college campuses throughout the United States, and students take time from their busy lives to serve the poor in their local communities, the Caribbean and Latin America.

“We have tried to raise our kids with an appreciation of what they have and to give back to the community whenever they can,” said Sindee Kerker, Samantha’s mother. “We have encouraged them to donate their time and energy and to make a difference in their community. Sami took this goal one step further and decided to make a difference both locally and internationally.”

At the age of 15, Samantha chose to forgo her desire to purchase a car at 16 to fulfill the dream of homeownership for a destitute family she had never met. Investing money she had earned since the sixth-grade in tie-dye materials and clothing, Samantha enlisted the support of friends and family nationwide. Samantha's initial goal was to raise money to build a safe, sturdy Food For The Poor house for a Nicaraguan family and to travel to see her dream realized in December 2010.

Emboldened by that trip, Samantha helped to start chapters of Students For The Poor at seven Palm Beach County high schools. This campaign started after she received a “Character Counts” award from the Palm Beach County School district. Soon afterward, Samantha met with Florida State Representative Bill Hager and former Palm Beach County superintendent of schools, Bill Malone, to discuss the formation of Students For The Poor chapters in Palm Beach County high schools.

In August 2011, Malone arranged for Samantha to present information about Students For The Poor to 28 county high school principals, which led to the creation of seven Students For The Poor chapters in one year. Students For The Poor is one of the largest clubs at Atlantic Community High School with more than 100 members.

“She has inspired many people to get involved,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “It goes to show you, you’re never too young or inexperienced to inspire others.”

Embarking on a new way to involve youth in philanthropy, six of the Students For The Poor chapters recently collaborated to host a benefit concert at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton. Proceeds from the Feb. 11 event will go toward building a Food For The Poor school in Chinandega, Nicaragua.

To support the building initiative of these six Students For The Poor chapters, tax-deductible donations can be made through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/students.

Samantha also has qualified to receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a prestigious national award that recognizes Americans of all ages who have dedicated their free time to serve both their country and their community.

From May 5 to May 8, Samantha and the other 101 state Prudential Honorees will travel to Washington, D.C., where they will tour the capital’s landmarks, attend a gala award ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. In addition, 10 of them – five middle level and five high school students – will be named National Honorees on May 7. These honorees will receive $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies, and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for nonprofit, charitable organizations of their choice.

Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

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

Palm Beach County students organize a benefit concert for Nicaragua

Embarking on a new way to involve South Florida’s youth in philanthropy, Atlantic Community High School junior Samantha Kerker collaborated with students and faculty members at six Palm Beach County high schools to present a benefit concert Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at Mizner Park Amphitheater, in Boca Raton. Proceeds from this evening of music will build a Food For The Poor school in Chinandega, Nicaragua.

“By all of the students coming together in these Students For The Poor chapters, it has given us the strength and power to really impact a plethora of students lives,” said Samantha. “This school in Nicaragua will benefit hundreds of students, and will allow them to have a proper education. With more students getting a proper education, the generations will become stronger and wiser, and will eventually overcome their developing country status.”

Performers to include The Kinected (Pop Music), Kasper featuring Syxx Ent (Hip Hop/Rap), Amanda (Pianist, singing Adele songs), and Siren (Rock Band). Participating Students For The Poor chapters include Atlantic Community High School, Suncoast Community High School, A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach Central High School, Boca Raton Community High School, and West Boca Raton Community High School.

For additional information regarding benefit concert sponsorship levels, and tickets, available at $20 per person, please contact Monique Shaw by calling 1-877-654-2960 ext. 6069 or by emailing moniques@foodforthepoor.com. Information about how you can start a Students For The Poor chapter at your school is also available by request.

Samantha’s idea to start Students For The Poor chapters in Palm Beach County was inspired by the questions her peers asked about her Food For The Poor mission trip to Nicaragua. She found the travel experience to a developing country to be so unlike her experiences in the United States.

“The poorest children in our neighborhoods would be considered the fortunate students compared to the children living in a developing country,” said Samantha, who tie-dyed her way to building her first Food For The Poor home for a destitute Nicaraguan family in December 2010. “Here in America, we have a government structure with many resources to aid the poor. In a developing country, there are little to no opportunities for the poor. The students participating in Students For The Poor clubs have come together to help those less fortunate students abroad.”

Students For The Poor is a unique student outreach effort initiated by students and developed by Food For The Poor. Students For The Poor is an organized outreach group on high school and college campuses throughout the United States in which students take time from their busy lives to serve the poor in their local communities, the Caribbean and Latin America.

To support the students’ building initiative, tax-deductible donations can be made through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/students. Donations can also be mailed to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. Please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code “SC# 77575” to accurately route your donation to the school-building effort.

Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/students.

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

Don Moen, Food For The Poor team up to build homes

Christian music artist Don Moen is sharing his talents with the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor so that homes can be built for those who have no shelter. His upcoming six-city Canadian tour will kick off on May 30.

This isn’t the first time the artist has collaborated with the charity. In 2004, he traveled to Jamaica and was moved to partner on homebuilding. Then in 2010, after the earthquake in Haiti, he visited Port-au-Prince and an area in Cap-Haitien called Shada, and came back to the United States inspired to change lives.

"I've seen firsthand the work being done through Food For The Poor bringing hope, comfort, and encouragement in tangible ways to those who need it so desperately,” said Moen, a singer, songwriter and worship leader. “I'll never forget the look on the faces of the people who were given keys to a new home and a new life, thanks to Food For The Poor."

Since the earthquake, Food For The Poor has built more than 2,000 permanent two-room homes in Haiti. With more than 800,000 people still living in tents and other temporary structures, the need remains great. Food For The Poor can build a house in Haiti for $3,200.

“God has given Don Moen a great talent for singing and songwriting, and Food For The Poor is blessed that he has chosen to help us in our mission,” said Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director of Food For The Poor Canada. “We hope to be able to build many more homes as a result of this partnership.”

For more information and ticket outlets, go to www.UniteProductions.com.

Concert Schedule:

Monday, May 30, 7 p.m.: North Pointe Community Church, 14025 - 167 Ave., Edmonton AB T6V 1J5

Tuesday, May 31, 7 p.m.: First Assembly Church, 6031 Elbow Dr. SW, Calgary, AB T2V 1J4

Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m.: Broadway Church, 2700 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5M 1Y8

Friday, June 3, 7 p.m.: Calvary Temple, 400 Hargrave St., Winnipeg MB R3B 3A8

Saturday, June 4, 7 p.m.: Cedarview Alliance Church, 2784 Cedarview Rd., Ottawa ON K2J 4J2

Sunday, June 5, 7 p.m.: Queensway Cathedral, 1536 The Queensway, Etobicoke ON M8Z 1T5

Food For The Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.

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

Contact:
Kathy Skipper
Food For The Poor
Public Relations Director
954-427-2222 x 6614
kathys@foodforthepoor.com