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.
Related Item: Pledge a Donation

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.

Sackpacks for Orphans

Food For The Poor Thanks
Office Depot Foundation

	Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma, far right, thanks Office Depot Foundation staff and President Mary Wong, to left of Aloma, at the Sackpack Event on Friday, Aug. 1, at a Fort Lauderdale Office Depot store.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 4, 2014) – The Office Depot Foundation has donated 5,000 sackpacks to the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor. The charity will distribute the sackpacks, filled with essential school supplies, to children in its Angels Of Hope program.

Through Food For The Poor’s Angels Of Hope program, caring donors sponsor more than 4,000 children in 120 homes. These homes are dedicated to serving orphaned, abandoned, abused, and malnourished children in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Trinidad.

The Office Depot Foundation has been donating to the Angels Of Hope program and FFP-supported schools for the past three years, with a total of 14,000 sackpacks donated since 2012.

“These are more than just book bags, these sackpacks are filled with hope and dignity. This is particularly important for the children we serve, who have had very little childhood until they experience the loving care of one of our homes,” said Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma. “I can’t tell you the excitement it generates when these sackpacks are distributed to the children in our countries. They feel remembered, they feel loved.”

The National Backpack Program is in its 14th year, and has made a difference to 3.3 million children.

“Each and every year, the smiles on the faces of the children who receive our sackpacks and school supplies warm our heart,” said Office Depot Foundation President Mary Wong.

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.

Student to Build School

High School Varsity Tennis Champion
Swings to Spread Love of Literacy

	Proceeds from last year’s tournament built a two-room house with sanitation and clean water for a destitute family in Kingston, Jamaica.
Related Item: Support the Tournament

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (July 22, 2014) – Crack open a can of new tennis balls, and practice your serve in preparation for The Adult/Child Doubles Charity Tournament II on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at LaFortune Park Tennis Center, 5302 South Hudson Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Parents and children are encouraged to register and raise money to build a school in Honduras with the nonprofit Food For The Poor.

“Education is a doorway to a multitude of opportunities,” said Cheryl Kalapura, a member of Holland Hall High School’s varsity tennis team. “Education is a skill that can never be taken away from a person; it is truly life-changing to be able to learn and have knowledge.” 

Register online at www.FoodForThePoor.org/tennis through Saturday, Sept. 15, to compete in the second annual tennis tournament. The registration fee is $25 per team. Awards will be given to the first- and second-place teams in both the intermediate and advanced divisions. For more information, please email fftptennis@gmail.com.

“The gift of literacy can help children advance in their life and make the right decisions for their families,” said Cheryl, a high school junior. “My parents have given me the gift of an education that has changed my life. I want to give that gift to children whose parents don't have the ability to give them an education.”

Proceeds from last year’s tournament built a two-room house with sanitation and clean water for a destitute family in Kingston, Jamaica. The family also received rice and beans for a year, a small business project to help provide an income, clothing and shoes, and school supplies for two children, including books and uniforms.

Cheryl was inspired to organize the 2013 tennis tournament and to partner with Food For The Poor after she heard Father Paul Wilderotter speak about the nonprofit at Saint Bernard’s Catholic Church. Cheryl’s parents encouraged her to use her talents to assist the poor.

“Cheryl’s drive is inspirational,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “After hearing about the needs of the destitute, Cheryl immediately stood up to take action on behalf of the less fortunate. I encourage her to continue to openly share her passion for the cause with others as she starts to fundraise to build a school in Honduras.”

“It is important to help the less fortunate because it keeps us grounded,” said Cheryl, who aspires to start her own charity. “It helps us be more like how Jesus wanted us to be: kind and caring to the poor. Helping those in need gives us the ability to realize what God wants us to do; it helps us realize who we are and how we can change someone's life.”

To support Cheryl’s philanthropic initiative, please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code "SC# 099959" to accurately route your 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.

Quote Contest

Submit Your Favorite Quote to Kick-Start Charity’s 5K Walk/Run

	One quote will be selected for the event’s official T-shirt to encourage hundreds of walkers and runners as they raise money to feed starving children and their families in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Related Items: Submit Your Quote! Register For Race

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (July 18, 2014) – Food For The Poor is asking supporters to share their favorite inspirational quote to kick-start the charity’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger. One quote will be selected for the event’s official T-shirt to encourage hundreds of walkers and runners as they raise money to feed starving children and their families in the Caribbean and Latin America.  Original and famous quote submissions can be made online until July 22. The winner will receive a $25 gift card.

Now in its ninth year, the 5K Walk/Run For Hunger will be Saturday, Nov. 8, at 8:30 a.m. at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, at 3300 North Park Road, Hollywood, Fla. While on the event website, supporters can register to take advantage of free fundraising tips designed to help reach fundraising goals. Information about how to earn community service hours and how to download Facebook cover photos for the charity’s 5K Walk/Run For Hunger is also available online.

Cost of pre-registration is $25 for adults (14+), and is free for participants 13 and under. Registration is $30 for adults on the day of the event. All registered participants will receive a T-shirt. There will be refreshments, music, balloon artists, and face painters at this family event. Race timing will be provided by AccuChip.

Handcrafted tin-art medallions from Haiti will be awarded to first-, second-, and third-place finishers in each age bracket for both male and female runners. The striking sun-shaped medallions were created by Louisdjy St-Jour, a Haitian metal artist who lives in a Food For The Poor-built home in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. St-Jour is an example of the Haitian people’s determination to thrive and become self-sufficient.

Participants who raise more than $100 will receive a goody bag, full of gifts from local businesses and unique items from the countries Food For The Poor serves. These supporters also will have the satisfaction of knowing that their donation has helped to feed starving families. For $102.20, Food For The Poor can feed seven families for a month.

For more information, please call 954-427-2222, ext. 6854 or email RachelP@foodforthepoor.com. Participants can register the day of the event. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m., the Walk/Run begins at 8:30 a.m., with the awards ceremony to immediately follow.

Event sponsors include Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, DCA Insurance, Gallery 2014, Herbalife, Orange Theory, Publix, Square, Sun-Sentinel, The Consul General of Jamaica, Tri-Rail, WATA, and Wells Fargo.

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.

Orlando Gala Emcee

Channel 6’s Tom Sorrells to Emcee A Celebration of Hope Gala

	Tom Sorrells, of WKMG Channel 6, will serve as master of ceremonies at the Orlando gala.
Related Items: Reserve Your Seat Tour a Manneville Home

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (July 16, 2014) – Tom Sorrells, an Emmy award-winning meteorologist for WKMG Channel 6, will serve as master of ceremonies for Food For The Poor’s  A Celebration of Hope gala in Orlando on Saturday, Sept. 13. The 15th annual event will feature dining, music, dancing, and a live house rally.

A Celebration of Hope gala attendees will be invited to help build critically-needed houses for families in Manneville, Haiti, during the charity’s live house rally. For additional information regarding A Celebration of Hope gala, sponsorship levels, and tickets, available at $175 per person, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/orlando.

Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, who serves on the Food For The Poor Board of Directors and as the gala’s Chairwoman, has traveled to Manneville several times on mission trips with Orlando-area residents. They have seen firsthand the community’s deplorable living conditions, and met the families who rely on their voices to raise money to construct safe, permanent two-room houses with sanitation and access to water.

The gala’s presenting sponsor is Rosen Shingle Creek and Rosen Hotels & Resorts. Gala sponsors include Almar Travel, Greenburg Trauig, Central Florida Marriott Business Council, PTE Productions and S1-Safety 1st Drug Testing.

A Celebration of Hope gala executive committee members include Anibal and Maritza Beltran, Shoshana Cohen, Cynthia Hawkins, Patty Holland, Rebecca James, Marie Morales Johnson, Anis Khalaf, Kathy Kinchla, Brad Levine, Bernadette McComb, Rob and Elizabeth O’Brien, and Ryan Shaughnessy. Additional committee members include Linda Bonnewitz, The del Campo Family, Janice Chong, Trevor and Freda Dieffenthaller, Jason Gingras, Laura McDonald, Paul Mylod, Nicole Nasrallah, Lisa Padilla, Nancy Padilla, Patricia Perfito, Anne Pinkosh, The Santana Family, Kelly Wilkes, Holly Wilson, and Jean and Donna Wilson.

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.

Honduras Fishing Village

Food For The Poor Creates Fishing Villages Along Honduras Coast

	Fishing is the primary source of income for hundreds of families living in the coastal communities of Omoa and Puerto Cortes, Honduras. Food For The Poor soon will replace rickety wooden boats and makeshift poles with fiberglass fishing boats with engines, modern fishing tackle, and safety equipment.
Related Item: See Photos of the Rickety Boats

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (July 10, 2014) – Omoa and Puerto Cortes, two coastal communities less than 10 miles apart along the Caribbean side of Honduras, have been selected by Food For The Poor as the sites for its first fishing villages in Latin America. The charity selected these small towns after learning about the overwhelming need there, and the cooperative reputation of their fishermen.

For generations, fishing has been the primary source of income for many of the families in the region. But rickety wooden boats and makeshift equipment are threatening the fishermen’s livelihoods and the health of their children, whose primary source of protein is fish. With hopes of a more lucrative catch, the fishermen fell into the rut of renting bigger boats and spending more of their already-limited income, making it very difficult to support their families.

“Food For The Poor is very excited about the establishment of these fishing villages in Honduras. The fishermen within these communities will have their own boats to share and their own equipment to safely navigate the deeper and more bountiful waters of the Caribbean,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “There are currently 16 fishing villages in operation in Jamaica and 42 in Haiti. We see the benefit of these projects in those countries, and thanks to the support of our donors; we believe the result will be the same in Honduras.”

Food For The Poor donors have agreed to provide one dozen 25-foot fiberglass fishing boats with engines for three fishing villages, two in Omoa and one in Puerto Cortes. Each fishing village will receive four boats, which will be shared by a team of 16 to 28 fishermen. All the fishermen will receive engine maintenance training. In addition to the boats and motors, the villages will be equipped with coolers and freezers, locking storage sheds, fishing tackle and safety equipment.

Instead of catching fingerlings from the reef, the fishermen will be trained in deep-sea fishing techniques that will best protect the marine environment. The fishermen also will learn how to catch mahi-mahi, yellow-tail snapper, tuna, and kingfish. These deep-sea fish can then be sold to markets, hotels and restaurants in San Pedro Sula, Honduras’ second largest city. The teams will be required to donate a portion of their catch to organizations within their own communities that help orphans, the elderly and the sick.

“Our goal has never been, nor will it ever be, to rule over people’s lives; we are simply putting faith into action. By providing individuals in the countries we serve with an opportunity to get out of poverty, we’re not giving people fish, but teaching them how to fish,” said Mahfood.

Food For The Poor began serving in Honduras in 1999, one year after the Central American country was slammed by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The charity works very closely with its partner CEPUDO (Capacitación, Educación, Producción, Unificación, Desarrollo y Organización), which is based in San Pedro Sula, in order to reach those in need throughout the country.

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.