Man to Walk 500 Miles

Texas Man to Walk 500 Miles for the Poor

	Patrick Hall (24), Maura Hall (23), and Conor Hall (24), left to right, have decided to join their father for his 500-mile journey along the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. Funds raised will benefit Food For The Poor and two other charities.
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (August 5, 2014) – With much faith and a desire to raise awareness about the needs of those who are often forgotten, Thomas Hall is preparing to embark on the challenge of a lifetime. Beginning on the first week of September, Hall will begin a 500-mile walk along the Camino de Santiago, an ancient Christian pilgrimage route in northern Spain.
 
The inspiration for his walk began many years ago when Hall, 15 at the time, was grieving the loss of his father, who had died from cancer at the age of 61. Struggling to cope, Hall decided to join some of his high school friends on a retreat to learn about a fundraiser sponsored by the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation.

Inspired, they decided to participate in a 26-mile walkathon the following year. The walk was part of a nationally coordinated event in which more than 150,000 people participated, walking over 2 million miles and raising more than $1 million dollars to fight hunger.

“The walk was always important to me because it was the first step in a larger transition that included learning how to channel my grief into something meaningful,” said Hall.

Now, decades later, Hall experienced the same itch to walk again. Hall will not be walking alone, however. Three of his four children, twin sons Patrick and Conor, age 24, and daughter Maura, age 23, have decided to join him on his 500-mile journey. They will celebrate his 60th birthday along the way.

“My father has dreamed about walking the Camino for a long time now,” said Conor Hall. “He has always supported my dreams, no matter how crazy they seemed, and now I get to reciprocate and help him in going after his.”

With The Leo J. Dowd Foundation pledging to match the first $5,000 raised, Hall hopes to raise $30,000 in pledges by Aug. 15. The money raised will be donated to Food For The Poor and two other charities. Inspired by Food For The Poor’s mission to bring clean water to those in need, Hall hopes to raise enough money to build two water wells that could provide water to more than 8,000 people in Haiti.

“When we learned about Mr. Hall’s mission we were moved by his compassionate desire to raise awareness about the needs of the truly destitute,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “The fact that he will be walking 500 miles to provide clean water for those who have to walk miles every day in search of water, which is often contaminated, is truly amazing. On behalf of the people we serve, we want to sincerely thank Mr. Hall for his generosity.”

To help Hall reach his fundraising goal to bring water to those in need, visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/camino  or http://pilgrimspurpose.weebly.com/ to make a secure donation.

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.

UPS work in DR

	The community of Rancho Nuevo is in dire need of potable water. The majority of the residents there are currently getting their drinking water from local springs, a water source that looks clean, but is contaminated with life threatening bacteria and parasites.
Related Item: See Photos of the Projects

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 20, 2013) – UPS is helping to improve the lives of dozens of families in the Dominican Republic with the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor.   

The UPS project will provide for the installation of a 12,000 gallon concrete water tank, which will house and pump clean well water for the tiny community of Rancho Nuevo, near Puerto Plata, and the construction of a 3,000 square-feet greenhouse in Batey Antonci, Monte Plata.

Helping families to become self-sustaining by way of agriculture is a key strategy of Food For The Poor. The greenhouse in the farming community of Batey Antonci will produce 2,400 pounds of fruits and vegetables four times a year, providing the community with a year-round supply of nutritious foods and agricultural training. This greenhouse project will be operated by local farmers, which will be a source of employment for many of the town’s residents.

“Food For The Poor began working in the Dominican Republic 13 years ago and is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty in the Caribbean country by creating opportunities for people to help themselves,” said Robin Mahfood, President and CEO of Food For The Poor. “It is important to educate those in the farming communities on how to plant, grow and harvest a better crop for a self-sustaining food source, and as a source of income.”

The greenhouse facility also will have a drip irrigation system fed by a water reservoir and underground supply lines, which will be installed by Food For The Poor.

The community of Rancho Nuevo is in dire need of access to potable water. The majority of the residents there are currently getting their drinking water from local springs, a water source that looks clean, but is contaminated with life-threatening bacteria and parasites. Many of the children suffer with diarrhea and a variety of waterborne health problems as a result.

Food For The Poor’s development team has determined it will take 30 days to install the water project.  Once the water tank is fully operational, piping installed from the tank will run water lines to as many homes as possible or to a community location, providing clean water with the twist of the faucet.

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.

       

Water, Water everywhere, but is it Safe to Drink?

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 18, 2013) – For the poorest of the poor in the Caribbean and Latin America, access to clean water is virtually non-existent. Thousands of families in the countries we serve need safe, clean drinking water. Sadly, for many in the rural communities, their only source of water comes from a watering hole, river or a stream. These waters may appear clean, but they are often harboring harmful and potentially deadly bacteria.

International World Water Day is set aside each year as a means of focusing attention on the importance of fresh water and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. As World Water Day celebrates its 20th year on March 22, Food For The Poor will launch its fourth annual Water Weekfundraising campaign, March 18 through March 25. During this weeklong donation drive, the charity is seeking to raise money for water filtration units, water wells and pumps.

“Food For The Poor understands the vital importance of providing the villages we build with access to clean water and proper sanitation. Many of the very young and the elderly die from preventable waterborne illnesses such as dysentery, cholera and parasitic infections,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “The theme for this year’s World Water Day is ‘International Year of Water Cooperation’ and by supporting Water Week 2013 you will be helping to provide a community with safe drinking water. It only takes a little to make a big difference.”

Over the past decade, Food For The Poor has completed more than 1,475 water projects, which include wells, cisterns, tanks, distribution systems, and water treatment units in the countries the organization serves. Thanks to generous donors and a partnership with Water Missions International, since the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Food For The Poor has installed 60 water filtration units that purify 600,000 gallons of water each day, and drilled 136 wells in Haiti. Together, these projects provide a safe water source for more than a million people. 

Can you imagine trying to live just one day without clean water or anything to drink? Sadly, this is the daily reality for Choupette, a 10-year-old Haitian girl. Choupette leaves her home early each day and treks down a rocky, treacherous mountainside to fill two one-gallon containers with contaminated, dirty water.  Please click on the following link www.foodforthepoor.org/quest to view a short video of Choupette's daily quest for water, and to learn how you can help quench her thirst and the thirst of those within her community.      
                                       
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.

Food For The Poor thanks RENU for helping to renew hope

A South Florida cosmetic enhancement center, RENU Medical Aesthetics, has donated a percentage of its sales to help the poor through the international relief agency Food For The Poor. The donation will be used to serve the poor wherever the need is greatest within the 17 countries receiving aid from the agency.

“As Food For The Poor celebrates 30 years of saving and transforming lives throughout the Caribbean and  Latin America, we have set the goal in 2012 to build 12,000 homes, dig 1,200 water wells, and ship 1,200 containers of food to help the destitute,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “It is donations such as one we received from RENU Medical Aesthetics that are making this optimistic challenge in 2012 possible, and we are truly grateful for their generosity.”  

Based in Stuart, RENU’s generosity doesn’t end there. The Medical Aesthetics associates have once again decided to pledge a percentage of its sales. This time they want to raise enough funds to build a two-room home for a family in Haiti through Food For The Poor.

To help RENU Medical Aesthetics meet their goal in 2012, click www.FoodForThePoor.org/renu to make a safe and secure online donation.

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

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

Atlanta attorneys host wine tasting to bring water, hope to Haiti

Atlanta-area attorneys will host an evening of art and wine tasting at The Art House Gallery Atlanta on March 21. Hosts Edward Buckley (Decatur), Amanda Farahany (Atlanta), and Sheryl McCalla (Avondale Estates) will talk about the realities of life in developing countries and discuss long term solutions. The event will be on the eve of World Water Day.

“In our view, the right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental human right we have,” said Buckley, who for eight years has partnered with the nonprofit Food For The Poor to drill and install lifesaving water wells throughout Jamaica and Haiti. “The water wells that have already been installed in Haiti have made an extraordinary difference to the people in the communities they serve.”

As the rainy season approaches, the Associated Press reports that Haiti may experience a surge in cholera cases. An outbreak of the waterborne disease has killed nearly 7,000 people and sickened a half-million. When the cholera outbreak was confirmed in Haiti in 2010, Buckley donated a water filtration unit to help prevent the spread of the waterborne illness. Each water filtration unit has the capacity to purify 10,000 gallons of water a day.

Photos taken during the trio’s travels to remote villages in Haiti with Food For The Poor will be on display at the art gallery as guests sip wine selections from Cellar 13 Wine Merchant. Through their journeys, they experienced how access to clean, safe drinking water is the first step in revitalizing parched communities.
“I thought that it would be worse, but in many ways, it is better,” said Farahany in December after her first trip back to Haiti since the devastating 2010 earthquake. “There is still great poverty and most don't have access to running water, but there is a lot of progress too. I saw communities of people who have taken the helping hand and have lifted themselves up.”

Attendees will be asked to donate toward the cost of a water system in the village of Grand Boulage, Haiti or to build a community center in Vialet, Haiti. To support these initiatives, and provide a village in Haiti with the gift of clean water, and a community center, donations can be made online through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/water-haiti or www.FoodForThePoor.org/JusticeAtWork.

An anonymous donor will match up to $50,000 in donations to complete the installation of the Grand Boulage water system. Buckley and his supporters have funded the construction of more than 100 artesian wells throughout Haiti. Each well provides an average of 5,000 people access to potable water.

Event sponsors include Barrett & Farahany, LLP, Buckley & Klein, LLP, Cellar 13 Wine Merchant, and The Art House Gallery Atlanta.

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

Three Atlanta attorneys blog as they bring Water-Life-Hope to Haiti

Three attorneys from Atlanta-area communities traveled with the nonprofit Food For The Poor to Haiti, Dec. 5-8, to visit remote communities in desperate need of clean, safe drinking water. During their journey they posted photos and comments on their travel blog at www.waterlifehope.blogspot.com.

Travelers included Edward Buckley (Decatur), Amanda Farahany (Atlanta), and Sheryl McCalla (Avondale Estates).

“In our view, the right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental human right we have,” said Buckley. “The water wells that have already been installed in Haiti have made an extraordinary difference to the people in the communities they serve.”

For eight years, Buckley and his supporters have raised money to drill and install lifesaving water wells throughout Jamaica and Haiti with the assistance of Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States. The group has funded the construction of more than 100 artesian wells throughout Haiti. Each well provides an average of 5,000 people access to potable water.

“Water is important to life,” blogged McCalla. “Try going a day without clean water, just one. In Grand Boulage, Haiti the closest water source is 5-miles away. According to the UN the impact of diarrhoeal disease on children is greater than the combined impact of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The provision of improved sanitation and drinking water could reduce diarrhoeal disease by nearly 90 percent.”

When the cholera outbreak was confirmed in Haiti, Buckley donated a water filtration unit to help prevent the spread of the water borne illness. Each water filtration unit has the capacity to purify 10,000 gallons of water a day.

“I thought that it would be worse, but in many ways, it is better,” said Farahany. This was her first trip back to Haiti since the devastating 2010 earthquake.

“There is still great poverty and most don't have access to running water, but there is a lot of progress too,” said Farahany. “There are roads built where there were none before, people have water where there was none before, there are people working and building where there was no real employment before and I see hope for the future of the country there.”

To support their initiative, and provide a village in Haiti with the gift of water, please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code “SC# 77518” so your donation may be tracked to the Water-Life-Hope initiative. Donations may be mailed to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. All gifts are tax-deductible. Online donations can also be made through the charity’s secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/water-haiti.

“I saw communities of people who have taken the helping hand and have lifted themselves up,” blogged Farahany. “What I learned is that we are making a difference. That the people who reached out after the earthquake and gave of themselves and their money - have changed Haiti for the better. And that the people of Haiti are not only grateful, but are taking themselves to a higher place because of it.”

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

Water well in Haiti to quench villagers’ thirst, empower women

As a hobbyist quilter, Mary Pat Palombo feels at ease behind her Singer sewing machine. But she still remembers feeling helpless as she watched destitute Nicaraguan women trek for miles in search of water for their families to drink. That life-changing experience, which still brings tears to her eyes, inspired Palombo to sew high-fashion tote bags for the nonprofit Food For The Poor.

Listening to contemporary classical pianist Ann Sweeten, and using bold-colored fabrics with eye-catching patterns, Palombo is determined to channel her talents to empower women by raising funds to have a water well drilled in a remote village in Haiti. Palombo’s tote bags are available for a minimum donation of $70 toward her water project. One hundred percent of proceeds will be donated to Food For The Poor.

“I call my project 'Totes for Water' because I want to empower women who must tote their water long distances to provide for themselves and their families,” said Palombo, who was surprised to learn that one gallon of water weighs 8.35 pounds. “By doing this, I hope to be sharing my faucet with them. Water is the gift that keeps on giving. Water leads to food, hygiene, hydration, farming, jobs and learning.”

To purchase a unique, 18-by-25-inch lined tote bag with mini-zippered purse, please e-mail your order to totesforwater@gmail.com. Fabric swatches, product samples and donation opportunities are available on the charity’s secure website www.foodforthepoor.org/totesforwater. To support the effort, make checks out to Food For The Poor and include a special reference number “SC#75375” so the money can be allocated to Palombo’s water project. Donations less than $70 dollars are also welcome.

“A common chore for female children in developing countries is to collect and carry heavy buckets of water on their heads for their family’s daily needs,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Often this time-consuming and treacherous task causes girls to miss class and remain uneducated, trapped in a life of poverty.”

In 2008, for Palombo’s 50th birthday, her husband Aldo renovated a Nicaraguan school in her honor. Together with their two daughters, Kimberly and Regina, they traveled to inaugurate the school and meet the beneficiaries. It was during this journey that the Palombo family first realized the importance of water. Women carried buckets to the pump inside the schoolyard because it was the closest access they had to clean water.

“Water is such an essential part of life that we take for granted,” said Aldo Palombo.

Food For The Poor, the third-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 agency provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

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

Food For The Poor focused on aid, efficiency

Just a few days into 2010, one of the largest disasters in modern history devastated Haiti. In response, the leading provider of aid to Haiti, Food For The Poor, sent 1,461 tractor-trailer loads of food, water, medicines and other lifesaving relief aid valued at $188.9 million. While Haiti dominated headlines for much of the year, the nonprofit continued to send supplies to the other 16 countries served in the Caribbean and Latin America.

In total, the nation’s third-largest international relief and development agency provided more than $1 billion in aid to the poor in 2010.

According to Food For The Poor’s 2010 Annual Report:

- Food For The Poor held its operating expenses under 4 percent -- ensuring that more than 96 percent of donations go directly toward programs that help the poor.

- More than 23.2 million pounds of rice, 11.5 million pounds of beans, 2.9 million pounds of canned foods, and 24 million pounds of other life-sustaining foods were delivered to the hungry.

- The charity built 9,460 housing units – bringing the total to more than 71,123 since 1982. In Haiti alone, Food For The Poor built 1,589 permanent two-room homes with sanitation units.

- Food For The Poor sent 672.5 trailers of medicines and medical supplies and 79 trailers of educational supplies.

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

- The charity gave hope to thousands through 50 fishing villages in Haiti and Jamaica, tilapia ponds, by planting fruit trees, and by providing animal husbandry and agricultural programs. Thousands of women are learning life skills in hundreds of training centers.

Food For The Poor, the third-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 agency provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.


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

Take a sip, save a life 2011

Climate change, disease and natural disasters are all taking a toll on the world’s clean water supply, making this life-sustaining liquid nearly impossible to obtain for some in developing countries.

"Every 20 seconds, a young child either dies or becomes deathly ill from ingesting dirty or contaminated water in some parts of the world," said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. "Many of us don’t give much thought about the water we use, when we want it, we go to the sink and turn on the faucet. But millions don’t have this luxury – their water source is typically a murky ravine. Others are forced to walk miles, several times a day, to get to a clean water source."

Ten water purification and filtration units are currently in the process of being installed in the Cap-Haiten region of northern Haiti. In 2010, Food For The Poor completed 188 water projects throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, including 110 water wells and 30 water purification and filtration units in the Artibonite region of Haiti in response to the cholera outbreak.

Food For The Poor is on a mission to provide clean drinking water to the countries it serves in the Caribbean and Latin America. As World Water Day celebrates its 19th year on March 22, the charity will launch its second annual Water Week fundraiser, March 20 through March 27. During this weeklong donation drive, Food For The Poor will partner with local participating restaurants to raise money for water filtration units, water wells and pumps.

Here's how Water Week works: patrons visit a participating restaurant and are served a glass of water. The restaurant staff then offers their patrons the opportunity to donate $1 or more for the glass of water.

You can help Food For The Poor save lives by visiting the following participating restaurants: Islands In The Pines, 162 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines; El Atlakat, 8986 Taft Street, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024; Golden Krust, 12316 Miramar Parkway, Miramar; Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, The Promenade at Coconut Creek, 4425 Lyons Road Suite F-106, Coconut Creek; Allegria, The Promenade at Coconut Creek 4431 Lyons Road, Suite C1-106, Coconut Creek; and 160 Degrees/Muffuletta, The Promenade at Coconut Creek, 4437 Lyons Road Suite E-105 Coconut Creek.

To see a complete list of participating Water Week restaurants, and to donate to this life-saving cause, visit www.foodforthepoor.org/help/events/water. To add your restaurant to the list of participants please contact Wanda Wright at wandaw@foodforthepoor.com.

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

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

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

Atlanta Residents to Blog about Water-Life-Hope in Haiti

Atlanta residents, Edward Buckley and John Beasley will travel to Haiti, Sept. 13-15, with the nonprofit Food For The Poor to visit remote communities in desperate need of clean, safe drinking water. During the trip, daily blog entries and photos will be posted online.

While in Haiti, the group will visit some of the water projects they have funded, tent cities that house those displaced by the earthquake, and fishing villages that have helped revitalize poor coastal communities. During Buckley’s five previous trips to Haiti with Food For The Poor, he witnessed how access to clean water is an unattainable luxury for many destitute families. Drinking contaminated water can cause disease, and in some cases, eventually lead to death.

"In our view, the right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental human right we have,” said Buckley. “The water wells that have already been installed in Haiti have made an extraordinary difference to the people in the communities they serve."

"Safe drinking water is one of the single most important contributions we as individuals can make to our global community," said Beasley, a partner at Buckley & Klein, LLP. "The efforts of those that have contributed to this project and the work of Food For The Poor have had tangible and immediate benefits to the people of Haiti – and we are very excited about continuing this important work."

For seven years, Buckley, Beasley and their supporters have raised money to drill and install lifesaving water wells throughout Jamaica and Haiti with the assistance of Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States. Recently, the group funded the construction of more than 100 artesian wells throughout Haiti. Each well provides an average of at least 5,000 people access to potable water.

"The installation of a water project is an answered prayer for thirsty villagers, and instantly improves the living conditions of residents within a several mile radius," said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. "Access to clean water is severely limited in developing countries. It is not uncommon for people to wash their clothes in the same water they use to bathe and cook. In Haiti, these water sources are shared with animals and are typically lined with trash that has accumulated over the years."

To provide a village in Haiti with the gift of water, please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code “SC# 70245” so the money can be tracked to the Water-Life-Hope initiative. Donations can be mailed to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. All gifts are tax-deductible. Online donations can also be made through the charity’s secure Web site.

If you live near the Atlanta area, please plan to attend Food For The Poor’s third annual Atlanta fundraising event on Sept. 10 at The W Atlanta Buckhead. Guests will enjoy an elegant dining experience prepared by the Spice Market’s Executive Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. For additional event and ticket information, go online or call 888-404-4248.

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 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.