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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Teen Tie-Dyes Her Way to Nicaraguan Home

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

“I was inspired by the Lynn University students and faculty who went to Haiti last year to try to make a difference in this poverty-stricken country,” said Sami. “To honor their work, I wanted to follow in their footsteps. That is how I decided to volunteer with Food For The Poor. ”

Motivated by her economics professor, Sami, a sophomore at Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach, aspires to graduate from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program with the IB Diploma. To fulfill the required personal project, Sami created a business, Tie Dye Unique – designing and constructing the Web site to sell her merchandise. From the beginning, Sami has selflessly donated 100 percent of the profit to charity, and has already raised 75 percent of the necessary funds.

“Everybody loves tie-dye, and wants to do something to help,” said Sami. “Everyone in my Pilates class has purchased tie-dyed socks to wear to class. I am thankful for all the support I have received.”

First exposed to the tie-dying process in an eighth-grade chemistry project, Sami has mixed pounds of brightly colored dyes and wrapped hundreds of rubber bands, to create unique color combinations and patterns. Family members and friends flew to Florida – some from as faraway as Los Angeles – to help the Boca Raton teen tie-dye her way to Nicaragua.

With the dinning room table and kitchen countertops covered in newspaper and tarps, the team spent a week repeating the lengthy tie-die process approximately 474 times. With the exception of volleyball practice that week from 3 to 6 p.m., Sami perfected the spiral, random, circle, and striped tie-dye methods.

“My husband and son thought we were absolutely nuts,” said Sindee Kerker, Sami’s mother and professor of Criminal Justice at Lynn University. “Originally, we had planned to tie-dye in the garage, but it was too hot in August to work there.”

After months of selling tie-dye shirts, sweatpants and socks, the mother-daughter team will travel to Nicaragua in December to paint the house Sami is raising funds to build.

“For $3,100, I could make a difference that could last a lifetime for a special family,” said Sami, who confessed the journey will take her outside of her comfort zone. “I am hoping to sell all of my tie-dying projects by the end of the year so I can use my profits to fund a house in Nicaragua.”

To make a donation toward Sami’s initiative or to purchase your own uniquely tie-dyed merchandise, please visit her Web site.

A donation of $2,600 can provide a one-room home to a destitute family. For $1,000, a latrine and shower stall will provide housing recipients with access to proper sanitation and privacy. Proper sanitation is essential to the health and welfare of a thriving family and helps prevent life-threatening illnesses.

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