“Fight Hunger” Challenge

	Food For The Poor feeds hundreds of thousands a day in the 17 Caribbean and Latin American countries it serves. A donation of $14.60 will feed a family of four for a month. Rice and beans is an excellent source of protein and are the foundation for the nutritious meals Food For The Poor provides.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2014) – For 32, years Food For The Poor has faithfully cared for the basic needs of people living in unimaginable poverty in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America. The ministry got its start in Jamaica in 1982, but has since grown to become an international relief and development organization that feeds hundreds of thousands a day in the 17 countries it serves.

Rising food and fuel costs are straining the charity’s ability to buy food and transport it to people who are desperate for nutrition. To help overcome this obstacle, the organization will be participating in the 17th Annual $1 Million Giveaway to Fight Hunger Challenge. Food For The Poor is one of dozens of nonprofits that will benefit from this challenge, but the more donations made on behalf of the ministry, the more money the organization will receive.

Here’s how this will work:

• Click on www.FoodForThePoor.org/feedingchallenge to make a donation.
• Donations must be made between March 1 and April 30, 2014.

The funds for the challenge are coming from the Feinstein Foundation, which is based in Cranston, R.I. The money will be divided proportionately among all charities. A minimum of $250 and a maximum of $35,000 will go to each participating organization.

Food For The Poor is very efficient – and can feed a family of four for one month for just $14.60. A donation to the “Fight Hunger” Challenge will help the charity stretch its dollars even further.

“We are extremely grateful to the Feinstein Foundation for providing our donors with this unique opportunity to grow their donations by taking part in this unparalleled campaign, which will help us to feed thousands of hungry families,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor.

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: 30 years of aid, efficiency and hope

Named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the nation’s largest international relief and development agency, Food For The Poor was  able to offer aid to millions of people last year, as a result of support from its dedicated donors.  For three decades, Food For The Poor has given hope to the hungry, the destitute, and the abandoned throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.

As the agency celebrates its 30th anniversary, Food For The Poor has set a goal in 2012 to build 12,000 homes, dig 1,200 water wells, and ship 1,200 containers of food to help those suffering within the 17 countries it serves.

According to Food For The Poor’s 2011 Annual Report:

• Operating expenses were under 4 percent – ensuring that more than 96 percent of donations go directly toward programs that help the poor.

•  More than 24.9 million pounds of rice, 7.7 million pounds of beans, 10.3 million pounds of canned foods, and other life-sustaining foods were delivered to the hungry.

• The charity built 6,294 housing units – bringing the total to more than 77,417 since 1982. In Haiti alone, Food For The Poor built 2,184 permanent two-room homes with sanitation units.

• 588 trailers of medicines and medical supplies and 310 trailers of educational supplies were shipped.

• 56 fishing village initiatives, tilapia ponds, fruit tree planting projects, animal husbandry and agricultural programs provided food and income, which helped to create self-sustaining communities.

• Food For The Poor continued to provide clean water, build schools, training centers, and clinics, and to support nursing homes and orphanages.  

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

Ruby Tuesday partners with Food For The Poor: GiveBack Program on May 15 will help feed children

Enjoy a meal at Ruby Tuesday on May 15, and the restaurant will give back 20 percent of the purchase to the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor. Twenty-two locations across the state of Florida are participating in the program that will help feed hungry children in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The program works very simply. Restaurant patrons take this flyer to participating restaurants, and the restaurant will give back 20 percent of the purchase. The Food For The Poor GiveBack day is May 15, the International Day of Families. Ruby Tuesday customers also can visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/rubytuesday and help make a difference in the lives of the poor. Since August 2011, Ruby Tuesday has given back more than $267,000 to various charities.

Ruby Tuesday’s Community GiveBack Program with Food For The Poor comes at a time when global food prices are rising. The United Nations food agency reported in the first week of April that food prices have risen for the third straight month, adding to fears of hunger in developing countries. For $14.60, Food For The Poor can feed four children for one month. As an example of the power of the GiveBack program, a family that spends $40 on dinner could feed two children for a month.

“Generous partners such as Ruby Tuesday make our work possible. We encourage families to enjoy a meal together at one of their restaurants on May 15 and make a huge difference,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We are grateful for such a caring company, because through their donation, lives literally will be saved.” Ruby Tuesday was founded in 1972, and is a publicly owned company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (RT). The company has nearly 900 company-owned and franchised restaurants throughout the United States and all over the world. More than 40,000 corporate and franchise team members are employed by Ruby Tuesday. For more information, please visit www.rubytuesday.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.

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

Canned food collected and donated by local Boy Scouts

What started out as a service project for a group of local Boy Scouts on a quest to earn their Eagle Scout Badges, turned into a passionate mission to help the poor.

Six weeks and more than 90 volunteer hours later, 17-year-old Michael Raghunandan and 10 of his fellow Boy Scouts collected 2,500 cans of beans, spam, mackerel and other food items. The boys gave up several weekends to set up collection boxes at the Publix in Cutler Bay, the Villages of Palmetto Bay, the Palmetto Bay Golf Course, and at their local places of worship.

Raghunandan, whose parents are from Guyana and the Cayman Islands, is a student at Westminster Christian School in Palmetto Bay and spearheaded this canned food collection project. He dreams of attending the University of Miami and wants to major in Health Sciences. He said this project took on a special meaning after his research of various nonprofits led him to Food For The Poor.

“We were so impressed that 96 percent of every donation to the organization is used to benefit people and different projects in both Latin America and the Caribbean. After learning the details, we knew this is where we wanted our canned foods to go,” said Raghunandan. “It makes me feel great to be able to put a smile on the faces of people who do not have the basic necessities of life, such as food, water, or even clothing. We are happy we can help.”

The group of Boy Scouts, who represent the Homestead area, personally delivered their donation to Food For The Poor’s headquarters in Coconut Creek on Friday. The donated canned items, along with dozens of can openers, will be divided and shipped to Guyana and Trinidad.

“We are so very appreciative of this group of young men who worked so hard to make this generous donation to Food For The Poor. Hundreds of children soon will benefit from their kindness, which is a blessing to both the givers and the receivers,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor.

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

Help Food For The Poor meet the “Fight Hunger” Challenge

For more than three decades, Food For The Poor has been a dedicated servant of the poor. One of the ministry’s priorities in 2012 is to ship 1,200 containers of food to feed the destitute in the countries it serves.

One way the organization is looking to meet that goal is by participating in the 15th Annual $1 Million Giveaway to Fight Hunger Challenge. Food For The Poor is one of dozens of nonprofits that will benefit from this challenge, but the more donations made on behalf of the ministry, the more money the organization will get.

Here’s how it works:

• Click www.FoodForThePoor.org/feedingchallenge to make a donation.
• Donations must be made between March 1 and April 30, 2012.

The funds for the challenge are coming from the Feinstein Foundation, which is based in Rhode Island. The money will be divided proportionately among all agencies. A minimum of $250 and a maximum of $35,000 will go to each participating organization.

Food For The Poor feeds millions a day in the Caribbean and Latin America, but rising food and fuel costs are threatening the charity’s ability to buy food and transport it to people desperate for a meal, who often have nothing to feed their children. Because of its size and reach, the charity is very efficient – it can feed a family of four for one month for just $12. A donation to the Fight Hunger Challenge will help the charity stretch its dollars even further.

“There are some truly amazing people in the world who are making a difference in this fight against hunger, in our country and around the world,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We are so grateful to the Feinstein Foundation for providing our donors with this wonderful opportunity to make their dollars grow by taking part in this unique campaign.”

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

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

Gift from America’s Heartland is a legacy for Haiti

Thanks to the kindness of strangers, hundreds of children in Haiti soon will be benefiting from a loving donation made by the Chippewa Valley Bean Company to Food For The Poor.

Located in northwestern Wisconsin, the bean company has been a loyal donor to the ministry for more than seven years and now is committed to providing a life-long legacy by helping Food For The Poor to build schools in the Caribbean nation.

“We believe that helping children to receive an education is the surest way to break the cycle of poverty,” said Cindy Brown, of the Chippewa Valley Bean Company. “Given the great need for schools in Haiti, we’ve decided to use our contributions to help provide a place where children can receive both an education and a nutritious meal.”

Food For The Poor feeds millions a day in the 17 countries it serves – more than 400,000 a day in Haiti alone. In Port-au-Prince, 15,000 hot meals are served six days a week at the Food For The Poor feeding center. Beans and rice, an excellent source of protein, provide the foundation for nutritious meals.

“This is one of the most meaningful gifts Chippewa Valley could have given us,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “It is our determination to build and re-build as many sturdy school structures as possible, so that the children can have a sense of normalcy while the adults work on rebuilding their homeland.”

For more than 40 years, the family owned Chippewa Valley Bean Company and its growers have produced premium quality kidney beans. It is the only kidney bean processing plant in the Wisconsin area still under its original ownership.

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

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

WLRN raises funds to feed more than 600 children in Haiti

Thanks to the generosity of Friends of WLRN and 91.3 WLRN’s radio listeners, the South Florida public radio station raised enough money to feed more than 600 children in Haiti for six months. For the second time this year, this much-needed assistance has come during a time when soaring food and fuel prices are putting a strain on nonprofits.

“Words cannot express the gratitude Food For The Poor has for the Friends of WLRN and 91.3 WLRN for helping us to provide food to feed hundreds of children in Haiti,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “This is a tremendous blessing and many lives will be saved as a result.”

Through the station’s generosity in three previous campaigns, more than 2,000 children were fed through Food For The Poor’s feeding programs. In Haiti, more than half of the population, including two-thirds of the children, suffers from malnutrition. In Haiti, 76 of every 1,000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday.

“Starving children in this world is a tragedy and unfortunately is the harsh reality of thousands of children in Haiti,” said Wagner Previato, Director of Marketing and Membership for Friends of WLRN. “We are thankful to our members in South Florida and humbled for the opportunity to help feed Haitian children through the Food For The Poor program”.

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

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

WLRN Radio fundraises to feed children in Haiti

Friends of WLRN is reaching out for the second time this year to help Food For The Poor. This much-needed help is coming during a time when soaring food and fuel prices are putting a strain on nonprofits. When radio listeners support WLRN through the station’s fund drive, Friends of WLRN will in turn donate a portion of the proceeds to feed hungry and malnourished children in Haiti.

Friends of WLRN has dedicated its fundraising time from 4 p.m. Nov. 30, to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, to help Food For The Poor. During the 27-hour campaign, for every $100 committed by listeners who call to support the station during that time, Friends of WLRN will donate $18 to feed a hungry child in Haiti for six months through Food For The Poor’s feeding programs.

“Haiti has suffered much since the earthquake of 2010 and through it all the South Florida community and supporters of our public radio station have responded generously. The goal of our partnership with Food For The Poor is to help the organization to provide as many nutritious meals as possible to feed the vulnerable in Haiti,” said Wagner Previato, Director of Marketing and Membership for Friends of WLRN.

Through the station’s generosity in three previous campaigns, more than 2,000 children for six months have been fed through Food For The Poor’s feeding programs. In Haiti, more than half of the population, including two-thirds of the children, suffers from malnutrition. About 76 of every 1,000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday.

“The rising cost of some of the most basic of provisions, such as beans and rice, is making it financially difficult to ship life-sustaining foods,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We’re not giving up on Haiti, and we are very grateful for the support of Friends of WLRN and 91.3 WLRN for supporting our efforts to feed the poor.”

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

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

Feeding the hungry, one step at a time

There is still time to lace up your sneakers and register to participate in Food For The Poor’s “5K Walk/Run For Hunger.” Join us this Saturday, Nov. 19, for the first “5K Walk/Run For Hunger” at Tropical Park located at 7900 Bird Road, Miami, Fla.

Pre-registration, through Friday, is at the discounted rate of $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-10; there is no fee for children 5 years old and under. You can also register the day of the event. Visit www.FoodForThePoor.org to get started!

Runners should arrive by 6 a.m. for registration/check-in and the run begins at 7 a.m. Awards will be given for top male and female age group finishers for the 5K run in each of the following brackets: 14 & under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69 and 70+.

Walkers should arrive by 9 a.m. for registration/check-in. Come and enjoy a fun family event with face painting, balloon artists and live music. T-shirt and souvenir dog-tag included!

Donations will feed families in the countries we serve. Prizes for fundraising through Dec. 1, 2011 include:

• Raise $5,000 and above – receive an Apple iPad or 32’ Flat Screen TV
• Raise $2,500 and above – receive a Wii Fit or Kindle
• Raise $1,000 and above – receive a Portable DVD Player or Digital Camera

Please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/walk to sign up, start a team or make a donation. For more information, call 1-888-404-4248 or email rachelp@FoodForThePoor.com.

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

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

Through Dec. 31, gifts for feeding Haiti’s children are being doubled

Can you imagine having to tell your children that "today is not your turn to eat?"

While visiting earthquake-devastated Haiti earlier this year, Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma witnessed one child eating a handful of rice while his older brother merely watched. "Today is not my turn to eat," the boy told Aloma.

Haiti is home to entire families that have not eaten for days. With these families in mind, please send us your greatest gift possible. Gifts made by Friday, December 31, are tax-deductible and will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $250,000. Time is running out to save lives.

Please visit www.foodforthepoor.org/yearendfoodgift to give these children a gift -- the gift of food.