Bankers Healthcare Group Donates Furniture

Donated Office Furniture to Serve New Purpose in Jamaica

	Bankers Healthcare Group donated more than 150 pieces of office furniture, including several large filing cabinets and drawers to Food For The Poor. The donated items will be shipped to Jamaica and reused in schools and orphanages supported by the relief and development organization.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2015) – More than 150 pieces of office furniture that once filled the South Florida corporate headquarters of Bankers Healthcare Group soon will be heading to Jamaica. BHG, a provider of financing solutions for healthcare professionals, relocated from Southwest Ranches to Davie, Fla., and decided to donate their extra furnishings to Food For The Poor.

“Through Food for the Poor, we were able to take our seemingly everyday items and pass them on to communities that could really benefit from them,” said Bob Castro, president and co-founder of Bankers Healthcare Group. “BHG is truly grateful for the opportunity to support Food for the Poor and contribute to their global impact. We hope Jamaican schools and orphanages will be able to get good use out of this furniture.”

For more than three decades, Food For The Poor has been a dedicated servant of the poor, supplying the basic needs of housing, food, and water to the people in 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. The organization relies on the gift-in-kind donations it receives from corporations, businesses and individuals to provide essential goods like school furniture, medical equipment, and medicines.

“Once these items are delivered to our warehouse, they are sorted and shipped to where the need is greatest as quickly as possible,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “The office furniture we received from Bankers Healthcare Group is a perfect example of how something that was once used in one capacity can be reused to serve a new purpose.”

The furnishings donated by BHG will be reused in schools and orphanages supported by the charity. 

Since 2001, Bankers Healthcare Group has been committed to providing financing solutions for healthcare professionals, allowing them to remain focused on delivering high quality care. BHG has provided more than $2 billion in funding to thousands of customers nationwide. Inc. has recognized the company nine times for growth and job creation. For additional information, please visit www.bhg-inc.com or follow Bankers Healthcare Group on Twitter.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Celebrating 33 Years of Service

Food For The Poor Celebrates 33 Years of Lovingly Serving the Poor

	In 2014, Food For The Poor contracted to build 33 schools. This little girl in Honduras is using one of the many computers donated to the organization. Since its inception, Food For The Poor has shipped more than 70,000 tractor-trailer loads of essential goods.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2015) – Thanks to loyal support from a diverse group of donors, Food For The Poor will celebrate 33 years of devoted service to the poor on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Committed to helping one person at a time, one family at a time, Food For The Poor’s core life-transforming strategies are food, housing, water and education. With its offices in Jamaica, Haiti, and Guyana, the organization is helping people in 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America to break the cycle of poverty.

“It’s very hard for many poor families to think about the future, when their primary focus is finding food, water and a safe place to sleep for the night. For more than three decades, this ministry has met many of those basic needs, but the goal of this organization is to provide families with an opportunity to become self-sustaining,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “With the help of our donors, Food For The Poor has implemented animal husbandry, agricultural and aquaculture projects, and provides technical training that is helping families to generate income and to care for their own.”

Food For The Poor started out as a feeding program in Jamaica in 1982 and is now ranked by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international charity in the United States. Through its dedicated donors, the charity has built more than 98,000 housing units, shipped more than 70,000 tractor-trailer loads filled with essential goods, completed more than 1,943 water projects, and has delivered nearly $11 billion in aid since its inception. 

Food For The Poor is also committed to helping the victims of the Haiti earthquake, which devastated the Caribbean country in January 2010. Since the tragedy in Haiti, the ministry has built 5,015 permanent two-room concrete block homes with water and sanitation components, drilled 372 water wells, which provide more than 1.1 million people with clean water each day and built or restored 35 schools in the Port-au-Prince area.

Food For The Poor is also building villages, community centers, and clinics for people in need. Click www.FoodForThePoor.org/tour to see how Food For The Poor is fulfilling its mission to save and to transform lives, while renewing hope.

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.

Cheryl Ladd is an Angel

Honoree Cheryl Ladd Helps Food For The Poor Build Homes

	Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma presents Cheryl Ladd with the Ambassador For The Poor award at the Jan. 22, 2015 Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (January 27, 2015) – Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma named actress Cheryl Ladd an Ambassador For The Poor at the charity’s 12th annual Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, at The Mar-a-Lago Club.

“This was the most successful Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala ever,” said Arlette Gordon, Gala Co-Chair.

“Cheryl Ladd is a woman of substance,” said Aloma as he introduced Ladd to the crowd of more than 175, and talked about getting to know her through her work with the charity.

Since 2011, Ladd has championed the needs of the destitute as spokesperson for Food For The Poor’s Angels Of The Poor program. During the gala’s live house rally, homes for 25 destitute families were pledged to be built in Jamaica. A generous donor has committed to match the number of homes raised.

Ladd and her husband, Brian Russell, traveled to Haiti from Jan. 20-21 with Food For The Poor representatives to see firsthand the dire situation of destitute families. The extreme poverty they saw a day before the charity’s gala was in stark contrast to the opulence of The Mar-a-Lago Club.

“I admire you for so many reasons,” said Aloma. “Especially for the many lives you have saved, and for going to Haiti. You are a woman of great faith.”

“Many times we had to stop filming because she was overwhelmed with emotion,” said Aloma. “The extreme heat from the sun beating down on the homes of plastic and metal did not deter Cheryl from entering the dirt-floor homes we visited to meet the poor. We saw many of her tears on this trip.”  

“To be in the presence of a warrior for the poor is a privilege,” said Ladd, of Aloma as he presented her with a statue of Christ as a beggar. “I know I was supposed to come and be with you tonight. I have seen what happens when you hold back death.”

Ladd’s eyes teared up as she relayed a message from one of the mothers she met while in Haiti: “You bring us so much hope, and you are an answer to our prayers. I want you to know I will be praying for you. God will speak through you to help us.”

“I hope that tonight you will open your hearts and answer the prayers of children and families living in severe poverty,” said Ladd. “Together we can bring hope and a chance for a better tomorrow for so many who fight a daily battle to survive.”

The gala was chaired by distinguished Palm Beach philanthropists Melania and Donald J. Trump (National Honorary Chairs), Patrick Park (Honorary Chair), Arlette Gordon and Elizabeth Bowden (Gala Co-Chairs), Hermé de Wyman Miro (International Chair), Mary Frances Turner (Ladies' Committee Chair) and Russell Sherrill (Gentlemen's Committee Chair).

The Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala opened with a superb wine-tasting reception provided by Dreyfus Ashby & Co. and Trump Winery, and culminated with a five-course gourmet dinner and wine pairing.

Live auction items included a Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches double magnum, signed by winemakers Laurent Drouhin and Veronique Drouhin, and by request at the gala by Gordon and Ladd – a Kaufmann de Suisse handmade 18-karat yellow gold and stainless steel callista amethyst bangle – a 12-course dinner for 25 guests prepared by Chef Ron Duprat, a star on the reality TV show “Top Chef” – and a week vacation in Italy. Additional exotic escapes, jewelry, handbags, fine wines, and golf packages were among the varied prizes in the silent auction.

The Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures 2015 committee members included Irma Anapol, Michael Cinque, Michael Dixon, Jean Dolan, Barbara Gilbert, Emilio Guerra, Lorrain and Malcolm Hall, Helene Karp, Moneca Kaufmann, Faith Morford, Michael Nadeau, Sally O’Connor, Daniella and Alfredo Ortiz, Carol Weltz, and Gail Worth.

Gala benefactors included Elizabeth Bowden, Michael Dixon, Helen Bernstein-Fealy, Arlette Gordon, Lorrain and Malcolm Hall, Helene Karp, Patrick Park (Park Foundation), Herme de Wyman Miro (The International Society of Palm Beach), Russ Reid, and UBS.

This year, members of Food For The Poor’s Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala committee hosted pre-event parties at two Worth Avenue stores. A percentage of the proceeds from sales at both events were donated to the gala’s house-building initiative in Jamaica. Moneca Kaufmann hosted a kickoff reception at Kaufmann de Suisse Jewelry Designers on Dec. 4, and Daniella and Alfredo Ortiz’s pre-event party at the Daniella Ortiz store on Worth Ave. on Jan. 13.

For additional information about Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala, please call 1-888-404-4248 or email carolc@foodforthepoor.org.

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.

Christmas Special

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Shaggy to Perform at Gala

Grammy award-winning reggae star Shaggy to celebrate gala milestone

	Shaggy (left) talks with Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood. Shaggy, a longtime supporter of the South Florida based-nonprofit, will perform at the 20th annual Building Hope Gala Feb. 6, 2015.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2014) – Come build homes and provide hope for Haiti with award-winning reggae artist, Shaggy, at Food For The Poor’s 20th annual Building Hope Gala, Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton. Attendees will be invited to create a legacy by pledging to build critically needed houses in Pon Batay, Haiti.

“Shaggy is a true friend of Food For The Poor,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood. “Thanks to Shaggy, the determination of Building Hope Gala committee members, and the South Florida community, Food For The Poor is positioned to build even more homes to commemorate the gala’s 20th anniversary.” 

Shaggy a longtime supporter of the South Florida based-nonprofit Food For The Poor, will perform at the 20th annual Building Hope Gala. Shaggy’s philanthropic giving is based on the premise that “to whom much is given, much is required.”

“The gift of a safe, secure home is a tremendous blessing for a family who lives in a crumbling one-room shack, and does not know where there next meal will come from,” said Mahfood. “A home offers more than shelter to a destitute family – it offers hope.”   

Since inception, Food For The Poor has built more than 91,000 housing units for people desperately in need of adequate shelter. A gift of $3,200 will move a destitute family from their dirt-floor makeshift shack in Pon Batay, into a permanent home. The community’s dire living conditions are compounded by the lack of clean drinking water in the area. Pon Batay residents must walk miles to the nearest community to fetch water from a well.

Supporters who donate a Food For The Poor home in advance of the Building Hope Gala will be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to New York Fashion Week in September 2015. The winner and guest will travel to New York in style, wearing custom-made dresses, selected by an A-List wardrobe stylist. Hotel and airfare accommodations are included in the package. Each home donated between Nov. 1 and midnight on February 5, 2015, will generate an entry for the drawing. The winning ticket will be pulled during the gala.

At the event, attendees will be able to bid on additional silent auction prizes, such as electronics, jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages at Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive, Boca Raton, Fla. 33434. This year’s theme is old Hollywood glamor.

The Building Hope Gala committee has organized a pre-event party on Nov. 13 at Shop DNA, Royal Palm Place, 1000 Plaza Real S., Suite E, Boca Raton, FL 33432. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to Food For The Poor. Lea Black, from the cast of The Real Housewives of Miami Season 3, will attend the event. Please call Hillary Wallace at 888-404-4248 to request an invitation.

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

Committee members include Wedler Alexandre, Carlos Bodden, Matthew Bryant, Becky Carlsson, Gregory Fried, Ronda Ellis Ged, Erin Heit, Susan Krassen, Julie Mahfood, Rene Mahfood, Dan Overbey, Tashia Rahl, Candace Rojas, Kara Seelye, Dr. Deborah Shapiro, Renee Stetler and Max Tucci.

Gala sponsors include Leslie L. Alexander Foundation, Boca Raton Observer, Club Managers Association of America, Dennis Charley & Associates, Inc., Gregory’s Fine Jewelry, Oceans 234, Seaboard Marine, TD Bank, and Trinity Direct.

Shaggy won a Grammy for his album “Boombastic,” and was nominated for “It Wasn’t Me,” “Intoxication,” “Hotshot,” and “Summer in Kingston.” Shaggy has sold more than 20 million albums and has had seven number-one albums. Shaggy has also had eight number-one hit singles.

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.

Meet Jamaica's New Exec

New Executive Director to Lead Food For The Poor’s Jamaica Office

	David Mair, Food For The Poor-Jamaica’s new Executive Director, poses for a portrait during his visit to the headquarters of Food For The Poor in Coconut Creek, Fla., on July 31, 2014.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 1, 2014) – Food For The Poor-Jamaica’s new Executive Director, David Mair, visited the headquarters of Food For The Poor in Coconut Creek, Fla., on Thursday, where he was introduced to the organization’s directors and their staff.  

“This is a great opportunity for me to give back,” Mair said. “I feel it’s important to educate the public, and the nation of Jamaica as a whole about the many projects Food For The Poor is providing to improve the quality of life for families in need.”

Mair is a well-known businessman who spent nearly 20 years with the Jamaica Broilers Group. His most recent position was Managing Director of Tropical Battery, the oldest distributor of automotive consumer products and batteries on the island, before joining Food For The Poor in July.

“We are looking forward to working with Mr. Mair and are counting on his executive international experience and his track record of increasing productivity, while reducing cost. His skills are an asset for a nonprofit organization such as Food For The Poor,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “We depend on the support of the private sector and our loving donors to help the truly destitute. By the grace of God, this organization has helped thousands of Jamaican families in one way or another over the past 30 years, and this continued support is needed in order to help Jamaica’s poor out of poverty.”

Mair will oversee a staff of 115 dedicated employees at the Food For The Poor-Jamaica office and warehouse complex, located in Spanish Town. Food For The Poor has completed more than 250 projects in Jamaica over the past five years. One such project was the Jamaica 50/50 campaign, in which the organization committed to building or replacing 50 schools within 50 months in honor of the island’s 50 years of independence in August 2012.  Food For The Poor will complete this project in December 2014, two-and-a- half years ahead of schedule. The next goal will be to build 25 additional schools.

According to published reports, some 1.1 million Jamaicans  are living below the poverty line, fueling an intergenerational crisis. Many believe that education holds the key to breaking this cycle of poverty on the island, but that takes time.

One immediate step is providing families with a safe and secure home. 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 37,538 housing units island-wide, and has committed to building 1,200 two-room permanent homes each year in Jamaica.

One key project the new executive director would like to see implemented as quickly as possible is the expansion of the Rural Economic Agricultural Program (REAP). Jamaica’s rich soil already provides the foundation for growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. These crops not only will provide food, but also a profit for farmers, cultivating sustainability and strengthening the family unit.

“Coming from an agricultural business background, I feel it’s very important for Jamaicans to be aware of all the self-sustaining programs that have not been tapped into. There’s room for experience and growth in that area. Many don’t know how important agriculture is in Jamaica, we have the natural resources and we want to teach people how to work and grow the land,” Mair said.  “There’s tremendous opportunity for corporations in Jamaica to work with Food For The Poor to expand these agricultural projects.”  

The 16 Food For The Poor fishing villages in Jamaica, another ongoing project that has proven successful, are located throughout coastal communities on the island. The charity will continue to monitor and train the fishermen to become even more productive with environmentally sound fishing techniques.

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.

Futbol Donations

	Students at Marverley Primary and Junior High School in Kingston, Jamaica, are grateful to have One World Futbols. With access to more soccer balls, the students can now spend more time practicing.
Related Item: See the Children at Play

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 25, 2014) – One World Futbol and Food For The Poor have kicked-off their partnership with the distribution of 11,400 soccer balls in Jamaica and 6,000 soccer balls in Nicaragua. The goal is to teach children in disadvantaged communities about the healing power of play, and to restore their ability to dream. This announcement comes as the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team prepares to face off with Germany in their last match of  group play in the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil.

“Traveling in developing countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, we often see children in poor neighborhoods kicking empty bottles, cans, or whatever they can scrounge up in place of a soccer ball,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor.

Students at Marverley Primary and Junior High School used to play with a plastic bottle during recess until they received a donation of One World Futbols.

“The 15 balls received will make a big difference because we had none and we were actually wondering where we were going to get the funds to purchase what was needed, especially because there is no physical education budget at this time,” said Dorothy Taylor, Principal of Marverley Primary and Junior High School. “Now we have more than enough for the children to utilize. We can even include football as part of the extra-curricular sports activities for the summer school program.” 

“American soccer, also known as football in the countries we serve, is the most popular sport in the world,” said Aloma. “It’s a sport that is loved equally by the young and the old, the rich and the poor.”

Earlier this month, Bob Woodruff, co-anchor of ABC’s “World News Tonight,” recognized the inventors of the One World Futbol – Tim Jahnigen and his wife, Lisa Tarver – as they approach their goal to provide 1 million soccer balls to children throughout the world.

“It is a privilege to partner with One World Futbol to positively impact the lives of children worldwide,” said Aloma. “Every child should have the chance to experience the invigorating thrill of scoring a goal.”    

For every One World Futbol purchased, a second ball is donated to an organization that works with youth in disadvantaged communities worldwide. Unlike the average soccer ball that becomes worn over time, the One World Futbol is nearly indestructible. Even when punctured multiple times, it does not need a pump to inflate, and it never goes flat.

Richard Swanson, 42, also believed in One World Futbol’s mission to bring soccer balls to disadvantaged communities to foster social change. To raise money and awareness for the company's project, Swanson started to dribble a One World Futbol 10,000 miles to Brazil from Seattle to watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ games. Two weeks into the journey of a lifetime, Swanson was tragically hit by a pickup truck and died. For the duration of the World Cup 2014 donations can be made in his name at http://www.oneworldfutbol.com/campaigns/richardswanson/.

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.

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.

Jamaica schools get boost

A Small Group is Making a Big Impact in Jamaica’s Schools

	Eight 4 World Hope co-founder, Tom D'Amico, helps a student during the ribbon cutting ceremony at St. Theresa All Age School in St. Andrew Parish.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 16, 2014) – A compassionate seed of generosity has blossomed into projects that are greatly improving the educational experience of hundreds of Jamaica’s schoolchildren. Eight 4 World Hope, a Rochester, N.Y- based organization, is making this possible through Food For The Poor.

“Our hope is to help the children gain an education, but it won't happen unless they have the tools to succeed,” said Deacon Kevin Carges, Eight 4 World Hope founder. “Every child deserves a chance to learn and to succeed. Education is critical to lifting them up out of poverty and giving them a life filled with hope and promise.”

Five schools, two located in St. Ann Parish and three in St. Andrew and St. Catherine Parishes, have received much-needed structural repairs and expansions. These expansions include separate restrooms for boys and girls with flush toilets, which replaced decades-old pit latrines.

“Basic and Primary schools always have been the foundation of the educational system in Jamaica. Unfortunately, many of the nation’s school buildings are dilapidated and are in need of renovation,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “Eight 4 World Hope may be a small organization, but they have made a big impact and Food For The Poor is extremely grateful for their generosity. The physical improvement to these schools is having a positive impact on both the students and staff.”

Carges traveled on his first mission trip to Jamaica with Food For The Poor in 2006. Three years later, he founded the charity Eight 4 World Hope at St. John Fisher College, and with the help of six members from the college’s class of 1984, began changing lives. Five years later, the size of the organization remains the same, but interest in the group’s work continues to grow.

In May, Eight 4 World Hope, along with the spouses, children and friends of some of its members, traveled to Jamaica with Food For The Poor and attended the inaugurations of its latest projects. These projects included a new school annex with dozens of new desks to alleviate overcrowding at St. Theresa All Age School in St. Andrew Parish, and a new sanitation building with private restrooms for boys and girls with flush toilets at Planters Hall All Age School in St. Catherine.

During the group’s trip, they revisited earlier projects at Concord Sacred Heart Early Childhood Institution and Bensonton Primary School in St. Ann, and High House Basic School in McCook’s Pen, St. Catherine, which was replaced with a new building last year.

“It’s a blessing to bring people with me to share the experience in Jamaica. I believe they all will return home having a better understanding of why I am so passionate about this ministry,” said Carges. “I have watched many of these children grow up before my eyes. I brought back pictures of some of them from our first meeting four years ago and we shared some laughs. I have grown to love them all very much.”

Eight 4 World Hope is currently fundraising for their next project. Davis Primary School, located in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, was built in 1970 to accommodate 200 students. The school is severely overcrowded, with 720 children currently enrolled and an estimated 200 more on a waiting list. Eight 4 World Hope’s goals include building additional buildings for added classrooms, new bathrooms, school furnishings and supplies for both students and teachers.

“One thing I have learned over these four years is that while the problems and needs may be large, the grace and gifts of God are even larger,” said Carges.  

Since 2006, more than 145 educational facilities have been built, extended or renovated by Food For The Poor. More than 75 of these are complete school buildings, 36 of which have been funded through the Jamaica 50/50 campaign, which promises to build 50 schools in 50 months in honor of Jamaica’s 50th year of independence.

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.

Tessanne Chin

	Tessanne Chin
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2014) – The winner of Season 5 of NBC’s The Voice, Tessanne Chin, will sing at Food For The Poor’s  Building Hope Gala, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton. Tessanne will perform her new single “Tumbling Down” to encourage attendees to replace poor families’ dilapidated huts in Ganthier, Haiti, with safe, permanent houses.

When asked how winning The Voice in December 2013 has changed her life, Tessanne says she keeps pinching herself.

“Tessanne’s reaction to the news that she won The Voice is similar to the immense joy and disbelief that destitute families experience when they are moved from their crudely built huts into sturdy Food For The Poor homes,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Food For The Poor would like to thank Tessanne for generously lending her voice to lift families out of extreme poverty. The life-altering difference a new Food For The Poor house makes for families living in deplorable conditions is incredible. When a family expresses their gratitude for their new Food For The Poor house, it is not uncommon for them to refer to it as their piece of heaven.”

Building Hope Gala committee members Allison Venditti and Kara Seelye journeyed to the desert-like community of Ganthier with Food For The Poor in October to see firsthand the remote community’s needs. Both Boca residents were appalled by the residents’ living conditions. The barefoot children that emerged from the crudely built huts were covered in dust and malnourished.

“It is the worst situation I have seen,” said Venditti, a Building Hope Gala committee member. “The houses are made of little sticks and mud, with thatched roofs. These families are just trying to survive.”

Tickets to the Caribbean Carnival-themed Building Hope Gala are available at $250 per person. Please call 954-427-2222, ext. 6634 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/boca for additional information and sponsorship opportunities.

Jason Martinez, co-anchor for WPLG-TV ABC Local 10 Morning News and Local 10 News at Noon, will serve as the gala’s master of ceremonies for a second consecutive year. The evening also features an extensive silent auction, cocktail reception, gourmet dinner, and dancing. Bidding on silent auction prizes such as electronics, jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages will offer guests opportunities to support the cause.

This year’s committee and Gregory Fried, owner of Gregory’s Fine Jewelry in Delray Beach, have devised a unique way to inspire gala attendees to contribute toward making a difference in the lives of others. For a donation at the event, guests will enter for the chance to win a stunning piece of jewelry donated by Gregory’s Fine Jewelry. The 18-karat white gold diamond earrings weigh 2.92 carats, and are valued at $6,000.

Jay DiPietro, President/COO/General Manager of Boca West Country Club, will be honored at the gala as the 2014 Ambassador For The Poor.

Committee members include Carlos Bodden, Matthew Bryant, Becky Carlsson, Kim Fox, Ronda Ellis Ged, Susan Krassan, Rene Mahfood, Dan Overbey, Tashia Rahl, Lauren Roberts, Kara Seelye, Deborah Shapiro, Renee Stetler and Allison Venditti.

Gala sponsors include AKA Printing and Mailing, Akoya at Boca West, Boca West Country Club, Dennis Charley & Associates, Inc., Dusco Doors, Ellis, Ged & Bodden, PA, Gregory’s Fine Jewelry, Miller Construction Company, Quadriga Art, LLC, Seaboard Marine, ShowTurf, The Harcourt M. and Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation, TD Bank, United Healthcare, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, The Wallace Family, Workaway International and The Boca Raton Observer.

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

Inmates go home for Christmas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 95 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

        

Couple to Build Village

Ellie and Marv Walworth speak with a staff member who helps to care for 36 boys who live at the Christian Boys Home in Kingston, Jamaica. The Walworths, longtime supporters of Food For The Poor, took their first mission trip to the Caribbean country with the organization in July and will be building a village consisting of 39 two-room houses with the relief and development organization in McCooks Pen this fall.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 1, 2013) – Jamaica is famous for its beautiful beaches and vistas. But head inland, about an hour’s drive from the capital city of Kingston into St. Catherine’s Parish between Spanish Town and Old Harbour, and you will find McCooks Pen. The rural community is just off a busy roadway, and is a world away from what beckons visitors to this tropical paradise.

Hidden on a back dirt road, nestled between overgrown weeds and a muddy creek, is a row of dilapidated houses. In the doorway of one of the unsound structures, stood an enthusiastic 22-year-old woman who dreams of attending college. Vanessa Brown talked about what life is like for her and the nine other family members living in the tiny space. She spoke candidly with Marv and Ellie Walworth, who were listening intently to her every word.

“Life here is hard, very hard,” said Brown. “But, I will not let my living conditions define who I am as a person. I refuse to give up on myself.”

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The Walworths, longtime supporters of Food For The Poor, took their first mission trip to the Caribbean country with the organization in July. While there, the couple got to witness true destitution as they visited with families in McCooks Pen.

“The attitude of the people here is truly fascinating. They may not have much, materially, yet they are amazingly optimistic about the future and tend to see good where most would see misery,” said Marv.

Moved by what they saw and heard, the Walworths have decided to build a village of 39 two-room houses. Each house will have a living space, a personal sanitation unit with a flush toilet and shower, kitchenette and access to electrical power. The village also will have a community center, which will be built in a cleared out sugar cane field in the center of town.

“Words can’t begin to express the gratitude we feel for the gift of opportunity the Walworths have decided to give to these families who are in desperate need,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “We understand that we cannot fix all the problems in Jamaica, but we are making life-changing improvements one family at a time with God’s help, and with the help of our donors. The Walworths’ legacy will live on for generations to come for those families in the McCooks Pen community.”

Married 51 years, the Walworths have four adult children and seven grandchildren; he is a retired electrical mechanical engineer and she is a retired elementary school teacher from Grand Junction, Colo. The couple learned about Food For The Poor when a speaker from the organization spoke at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church six years ago. No strangers to giving back, the Walworth family has volunteered and opened up their home to help others within their own community, but felt the calling they needed to do more.


“Our family background is one of service. Both of our mothers have led us to have a spirit of service, and we have done the same with our children,” said Ellie. “Here in America there are services available for those who avail themselves of them, but in Jamaica they don’t have the big umbrella of social services, they just don’t have that. That’s why we wanted to help the poorest of the poor.”

Construction of what will be the “The Walworth Family Village” is expected to begin in the fall in McCooks Pen, St. Catherine, Jamaica, and is expected to take eight months to complete. Marv says he plans to volunteer some of his time to help in the building of the village.

“One of the biggest things that impressed me is the use of the local people in the building of these construction projects – it’s fantastic,” said Marv.

It also is Marv and Ellie’s desire that their children and their grandchildren join them in Jamaica when the village is completed and presented to the families. The Walworths believe their gift to these families living in extreme poverty is symbolic of Jesus’ words, “As often as you did it to one of the least of My brothers and sisters, you did it to Me.” (Matt. 25:40)


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.
                                                         

A Florida Man’s Fight for Life Transforms Lives in Jamaica

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 8, 2013) – Never give up! It is a popular expression that is often over used and underappreciated. But anyone who has ever met 30-year-old Steven Walker would understand the power of these three little words and why this Jacksonville man is so passionate about life, the people of Jamaica and Food For The Poor.    

Walker has traveled to Jamaica several times in recent years with his mother, longtime Food For The Poor donor, Barbara Gilbert. His most recent trip was his first visit back to the Caribbean island since having both of his legs and both of his hands amputated due to a bacterial infection last spring.

“I wasn’t quite sure how the people in Jamaica would respond to seeing me again, this time without my limbs, but I have to say everyone has treated me with incredible kindness and respect,” said Walker. “I got to participate in a lot of projects on this trip, but I really enjoyed visiting the different orphanages, especially the ones that are caring for severely disabled children. That was very special for me.”

Another thing that touched him was the surprise dedication of the finished Celebration of Life School and a computer lab. It was constructed in Steven’s honor for the many students he has tutored over the years.  Steven and his mother also were surprised with a performance by a group of children from ‘Barbara’s Village’ and students in the Musical Band Youth Program who received instruments for the Jeff’s Band initiative, which was spearheaded by Gilbert through Food For The Poor.  

“It’s been said when you are a blessing to others, blessings will always return to you. Before this tragedy happened with Steven, Barbara had been giving of her time and resources to truly serve the poorest of the poor,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “When most people would have given up on everything, her tenacious spirit and that of her son persevered, thanks to the countless prayers and well wishes from family, friends, staff and strangers. Steven’s recovery is truly a miracle.”

Gilbert says all of her visits to Jamaica are great, but this latest trip with her son, along with her mother, Patricia Ware, is one she will always remember. After visiting Jamaica for nearly a decade she is often asked, what keeps her going back?  

“For me, the poor of Jamaica is a lifetime commitment,” said Gilbert.  “I am only doing what we are all supposed to be doing, and that’s giving love and trying to plant seeds of hope, which is what I am all about.”

During the weeklong visit, Walker and Gilbert, along with volunteers from Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida, built a new home for a mother and her three daughters in Spanish Town. Walker, a soft-spoken person, displayed sheer delight while assisting the contractor at the building site, and especially when the family received the keys to their new home.

“Before my illness, I would have described myself as being somewhat introverted,” Walker expressed, while reflecting back on the week on the last night of the trip. “After my amputations, I had my moments when I felt depressed about my situation, but I soon snapped out it because no one wants to be around someone who is sad all the time. So I choose to make the most out of my situation and to help as many people as I can along the way.”

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.

Palm Beach philanthropists continue building in Gordon’s Village

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Jan. 30) – Palm Beach philanthropists Patrick Park (Grand Honorary Chair), Arlette Gordon and Elizabeth Bowden (Honorary Chairs), thanked attendees at Food For The Poor’s 10th annual  Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala for their continued support. Proceeds from the Jan. 24 gala at The Mar-a-Lago Club will fund the renovation of the Bluefields Health Centre in Gordon’s Village in Bluefields, Jamaica.

“Thank you on Bob’s behalf,” said Arlette. “This was my late husband’s favorite charity – he appreciated the fact that Food For The Poor is a good steward with donations, and that more than 96 percent of all donations go directly to programs that help the poor.”

Park responded by saying, “This memorable evening with friends reminds us of our many blessings and inspires us to help the underprivileged in the Caribbean and Latin America who are in desperate need of assistance.

The Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala opened with a superb wine tasting reception of selected wines sponsored by Dreyfus, Ashby & Co. and Republic National Distributing Company. Unique wine selections, jewelry and exotic escapes to such places as Hong Kong were among the varied prizes in the silent and live auctions. The evening culminated with a four-course gourmet dinner and wine pairing.

Louis Jadot Moulin-a-Vent Gamay 2012, a Burgundy from France, was selected to complement the first course of English Pea Risotto with Parmesan and Blistered Tomatoes. The second course of Duck Confit Crepes with Rum Raisin Syrup was served with Torres Vina Esmeralda Moscatel 2011 from Penedes, Spain. Ratti Barbera d’Alba from Italy was served with the Veal Chop stuffed with Apple and Brie entrée. Fonseca Porto Bin 27 from Portugal complemented the trio of cheeses with sweet jams, honey and fruit.

Additional committee members include Mary Frances Turner (Ladies’ Committee Chair), Russell Sherrill (Gentlemen’s Committee Chair), Michael Dixon, Henry and Mary Virginia Fong, Emilio Guerra, and Brownie McLean.

Jenna Wolfe, co-anchor of NBC Weekend TODAY, served as master of ceremonies for Food For The Poor’s Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala.

Wolfe’s participation is especially meaningful because she was born in Kingston, Jamaica and has seen the country’s poverty firsthand. The proceeds from the gala will fund the expansion and renovation of the Bluefields Health Centre. On a daily basis, the staff of the health care facility struggles to provide basic medical care to their patients, including pregnant mothers and sick children. 

The Palm Beach community has worked to transform Gordon’s Village in Bluefields, Jamaica, since 2007 by establishing a self-sustaining fishing village and development projects in the community. The project, named in honor of Robert G. Gordon, replaced dilapidated shacks with more than 125 safe, permanent houses, constructed a school for 80 children, built a fish processing facility and provided residents with access to water and sanitation.

In addition to Food For The Poor’s international mission, the organization also supports nonprofits that serve South Florida’s neediest.

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.

School in Jamaica dedicated in honor of Palm Beach Philanthropist

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Jan. 17) – Students enthusiastically waved letters that spelled out the word “Thanks” to welcome Food For The Poor representatives and the charity’s 2012 Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures Event Chairman to the Robert G. Gordon Memorial Bluefields Basic School dedication ceremony on Jan. 12 in Jamaica.

The school project, named in honor of Robert G. Gordon, will serve more than 100 students each year and was constructed with funds raised at the 2012 Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures Gala.“Robert’s love of life was large,” said Paul Marino, the 2012 Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures Gala Event Chairman. “It was through his efforts and years of dedication that we were able to build an entire community in Bluefields, Jamaica. We cherish it in his memory.”

The Palm Beach community has worked to transform Gordon’s Village in Bluefields, Jamaica, since 2007 by establishing a self-sustaining fishing village in the community. Over the years, the groups raised money to replace dilapidated shacks with more than 125 permanent houses, construct a school for more than 100 children, build a fish processing facility, and provide residents with access to clean water and sanitation.
Food For The Poor’s 10th annual Palm Beach Gala, Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures,will be Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, at The Mar-a-Lago Club, Palm Beach. Proceeds from the gala will fund the expansion and renovation of Bluefields Health Centre in Bluefields.

The Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures Gala will open with an exquisite wine tasting reception sponsored by Dreyfus, Ashby & Co. and Republic National Distributing Company. Unique wine selections, jewelry and exotic escapes to such places as Hong Kong are among the varied prizes in the silent and live auctions. The evening culminates with a 4-course gourmet dinner with wine pairing.

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.

Reggae Entertainers Tarrus Riley and Dean Fraser To Perform at Food For The Poor’s Building Hope Gala

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Jan. 10, 2013) – Award-winning reggae artist Tarrus Riley and saxophonist Dean Fraser have partnered with the South Florida-based nonprofit Food For The Poor to help build desperately needed homes for the destitute in Jamaica. Riley and Fraser will perform at Food For The Poor’s annual Building Hope Gala on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton.

Proceeds from the gala will build safe and secure new homes with sanitation for 65 impoverished families in Canaan Heights in May Pen, Jamaica. Attendees will be invited to create a legacy by pledging to build critically-needed houses during the charity’s live house-rally.Celebrated Jamaican-American reggae artist Riley is famous for his hit singles “Stay With You” and “She’s Royal.” The EME Awards (Excellence in Music and Entertainment) honored Riley as Male Vocalist of the Year (2011) and Cultural Artiste of the Year (2011). Riley also won the Youth View Award for Cultural Artiste of the Year (2011). In 2012, with the release of the acoustic album “Mecoustic,” Riley, Fraser and the Blak Soil band toured Europe.

Jamaican saxophonist Fraser has contributed to hundreds of reggae recordings, including the instrumental version of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and toured extensively with Luciano. In 1993, he was awarded the Musgrave Medal by the Jamaican government in recognition of his services to music. Recently, the hit maker has been recording, producing and touring with singers Riley and Duane Stephenson.
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.

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.

“The Building Hope Gala is not just a saying – we are building hope and homes for families,” said Becky Carlsson, a gala committee member, after her December 2012 trip to Jamaica. “I am amazed that it is 2012 and that people live in such extreme poverty.”
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.

Gala sponsors include AKA Printing and Mailing, Aljoma Lumber, American Nicaraguan Foundation, Bank United, Bluegreen Corporation, The Boca Raton Observer, Dennis Charley & Associates, Inc., Dusco Doors, Ellis, Ged, & Bodden,  Franklin Dodd Communications, GA Telesis, Gregory’s Fine Jewelry, 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.

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.

Food For The Poor Organizes Prisoner Releases, Nonviolent Offenders Freed in Jamaica, Guyana and Haiti

	Natalie Carlisle, a Food For The Poor staff member, washed the feet of the nonviolent inmates at St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre before they were released.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 17, 2012) – Hearing visitors’ voices in the corridor, anxious prisoners race to stretch their arms through the cell door bars; praying someone from the outside will squeeze their hand.
Fifteen prisoners from St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town, Jamaica, were escorted from their cells to a room, where they were greeted by Food For The Poor staff and donors from the United States. Just as Jesus washed the disciples’ feet – the visitors kneeled before the prisoners, and gently washed the inmates’ feet. Dressed in new shoes, the cleansed inmates learned Food For The Poor donors had paid the fines for their nonviolent offenses, and that they would be released in time to spend Christmas with their families.    
“We all make mistakes and can testify that we have received many chances from persons who love and care for us,” said Jacqueline Johnson, Food For The Poor-Jamaica’s Executive Director, to the inmates at St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre.
Johnson encouraged each beneficiary to return to society not being bitter men, but being grateful. “If ever you should return, come back not as an inmate, but rather as an inspiration and a beacon of light to the men you’ll be leaving here today,” she said. 
“When I heard my name, I thought there was another inmate with that name in the room,” said a 23-year-old inmate released from Tamarind Farm Adult Correctional Centre in Jamaica. “I couldn’t believe it, but I thank Food For The Poor and the donors for a second chance.”
This year in Jamaica, a total of 18 inmates were released from prisons in Spanish Town and Kingston.
Twice a year – during the Christmas and Easter seasons – it is a Food For The Poor tradition to release nonviolent inmates who have been incarcerated due to their inability to pay the required fines for committing minor offenses. This year prisoners also will be released in Guyana and Haiti.
In developing countries, the destitute sometimes have no way to feed their families other than to steal food. The consequence often is imprisonment without first appearing before a judge, or receiving a prison sentence. Sometimes, by the time they are tried, they have spent years longer in jail than their prison sentence requires.
“When you visit a prison, desperate eyes peer out of the dark cells, into the light, pleading silently for help,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s CEO/President. “They want to feel a connection with the outside world, to be a brother in Christ, to be prayed for – and not to be forgotten.”
Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program is based on the scripture, “When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you…” (Matthew 25: 31-46).
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.