Homes for Haitians builds hope

Hoisted high in the air, 11-year-old Rachel Wheeler caught her first glimpse on Wednesday of the Food For The Poor village she worked for two years to build. From above the crowd, Rachel could see the rows of vibrantly painted pink, blue and green homes, nestled along the coast in Leogane, near the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake. Villagers surrounded Rachel, clapping and singing songs of praise and thanks. One-by-one the residents embraced and kissed the young girl, who helped to move 27 families out of dilapidated shacks into permanent two-room homes.

"There’s a lot of happy people there," said Rachel, who visited with several residents inside their homes. "It’s nice and it’s clean."

Her mother described "Rachel’s Village" as unbelievable.

"This reception is overwhelming, and to look around and know these people have homes because of Rachel’s efforts is just amazing, it really is, it is amazing. It’s unbelievable," said Julie Wheeler.

Rachel, named one of America’s top 10 youth volunteers for 2011 earlier this month, journeyed with her family and Food For The Poor representatives to inaugurate the village she raised more than $170,000 to build.

“I wanted to see what it would look like,” said Trey Wheeler, 10, Rachel’s younger brother. “She is only 11-years-old, and I didn’t know an 11-year-old could do this.”

“We are pretty fortunate where we are in our country, where we live,” said Eddie Wheeler, Rachel’s dad who is a fishing captain. “It is a different atmosphere for them [Rachel and Trey] and something different for them to see and they can learn from it and be very grateful for what we have.”

Rachel’s Village houses one of the 33 fully operationalfishing villages Food For The Poor has installed in destitute coastal communities throughout Haiti. Fishing villages provide a prime example of the effectiveness of self sufficiency projects. The cooperative is supplied with boats, motors, fishing tackle and safety gear, refrigeration equipment, a storage facility and, most importantly, training for the fishermen. The fishermen are then able to fish in deeper, more bountiful waters and catch larger, more profitable fish. The entire village benefits from this enterprise because many of the villagers buy fish wholesale in order to sell it retail, while others sell the cooked fish to local residents.

As Rachel boarded one of the Food For The Poor fishing boats to leave “Rachel’s Village,” the residents called out and waved to her from the beach, “You are always welcome here. Please come back.”

With the village completed, Rachel has decided to fundraise to build a school in Haiti.

On Thursday, the group visited the Food For The Poor sponsored school, Ti Aiyti in Cité Soleil. The students, dressed in blue and white uniforms, greeted guests with laughter, smiles, handmade cards, and performances.

“I believe that knowledge is power,” said Julie Wheeler. “Education is the solution to poverty. Seeing the school in the slum of Haiti gave me hope, those children are the future leaders of their country.”

In addition to providing supplies, Food For The Poor also supports countless school feeding programs. For many poor children, the nutritious meal they receive at school may be their only meal of the day. The meals not only help a child concentrate, learn and develop, but they also serve as a powerful incentive for parents to send their children to school.

At Food For The Poor’s feeding center in Port-au-Prince, Rachel and her family rolled up their sleeves to help serve hot meals of rice and stew. Every day, six days a week, the feeding center provides approximately 15,000 hot meals.

To continue to support Rachel’s building initiative, tax-deductible donations can be made through the charity’s secure Web site at www.foodforthepoor.org/rachel.

To view additional photos from Rachel's trip, please visit Food For The Poor's Facebook page. To view a CBS Miami Channel 4 news report documenting the trip, please visit Food For The Poor's YouTube page.

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

Stephanie’s Mission builds schools and houses in Jamaica

In their continuing effort to honor their daughter's legacy, Lenny and Lin Crispinelli will travel to Jamaica for a second time to follow in Stephanie's footsteps with Food For The Poor. In less than two days, the team of 33 friends and family members will build a school to serve children, like the ones that first inspired Stephanie's enthusiasm to "Do work" on a mission trip with the charity.
One of the people making the trip, Nikki Fantauzzi, was with Stephanie in Haiti with a group from Lynn University on a Food For The Poor mission trip when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake instantly claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Fantauzzi, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, drove four boxes of educational supplies from the Crispinelli's home in New York to Food For The Poor's headquarters in Coconut Creek, Fla. On Monday, May 23, before they left for Jamaica, the group stuffed backpacks for the children who attend Gimme-Me-Bit's school in Clarendon, Jamaica.

“Even though Stephanie is no longer physically here, through the work of her friends and family her mission and dream of making a difference continues,” said Fantauzzi.

Construction of this school named ‘Steph’s Place II’ will begin on Fantauzzi’s birthday. Through Fantauzzi’s Champions For The Poor web page, you can donate to help complete Steph’s Place II.

“Stephanie’s parents are doing a tremendous amount of good for Jamica’s youth by constructing a school each year in her honor,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO. “By providing disadvantaged children with the opportunity to learn, Stephanie’s parents guarantee her memory, and her passion for serving others will continue to live in many hearts.”

While in Jamaica, Stephanie’s family and friends will also visit the school they built last year, ‘Steph’s Place’ in Race Course, Clarendon. The other sites to be visited are the same places Stephanie experienced while in Jamaica on her first mission trip with Food For The Poor. In her footsteps, group members will feed lunch to handicapped children, create arts and crafts with AIDS-affected children, shoot soccer goals with orphaned boys, and care for at-risk girls.

This year, in addition to funding Steph’s Place II, three homes for destitute families have been built with resources collected through the Stephanie Crispinelli Humanitarian Fund. At W R Berkley Corporation’s annual holiday party in Greenwich, Conn., Lin Crispinelli and friends successfully auctioned off a Wizard of Oz-themed gingerbread house, paying for the first installation of Steph’s Place II. Yorktown Jewelers and its customers have helped to host and support fundraisers that promote Stephanie’s mission.

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

Don Moen, Food For The Poor team up to build homes

Christian music artist Don Moen is sharing his talents with the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor so that homes can be built for those who have no shelter. His upcoming six-city Canadian tour will kick off on May 30.

This isn’t the first time the artist has collaborated with the charity. In 2004, he traveled to Jamaica and was moved to partner on homebuilding. Then in 2010, after the earthquake in Haiti, he visited Port-au-Prince and an area in Cap-Haitien called Shada, and came back to the United States inspired to change lives.

"I've seen firsthand the work being done through Food For The Poor bringing hope, comfort, and encouragement in tangible ways to those who need it so desperately,” said Moen, a singer, songwriter and worship leader. “I'll never forget the look on the faces of the people who were given keys to a new home and a new life, thanks to Food For The Poor."

Since the earthquake, Food For The Poor has built more than 2,000 permanent two-room homes in Haiti. With more than 800,000 people still living in tents and other temporary structures, the need remains great. Food For The Poor can build a house in Haiti for $3,200.

“God has given Don Moen a great talent for singing and songwriting, and Food For The Poor is blessed that he has chosen to help us in our mission,” said Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director of Food For The Poor Canada. “We hope to be able to build many more homes as a result of this partnership.”

For more information and ticket outlets, go to www.UniteProductions.com.

Concert Schedule:

Monday, May 30, 7 p.m.: North Pointe Community Church, 14025 - 167 Ave., Edmonton AB T6V 1J5

Tuesday, May 31, 7 p.m.: First Assembly Church, 6031 Elbow Dr. SW, Calgary, AB T2V 1J4

Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m.: Broadway Church, 2700 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5M 1Y8

Friday, June 3, 7 p.m.: Calvary Temple, 400 Hargrave St., Winnipeg MB R3B 3A8

Saturday, June 4, 7 p.m.: Cedarview Alliance Church, 2784 Cedarview Rd., Ottawa ON K2J 4J2

Sunday, June 5, 7 p.m.: Queensway Cathedral, 1536 The Queensway, Etobicoke ON M8Z 1T5

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

Doral Overseas Chinese Business Chamber gives second chances

Performers in brightly colored, authentic lion costumes welcomed guests to the second annual Doral Overseas Chinese Business Chamber gala Saturday night. Event award recipients included Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor, and Chinese-Jamaican businessman, Livingston ‘George’ Yap, CEO of LEASA Industries Co, Inc.

Mahfood and Yap were introduced as givers of second chances. Mahfood emphasized Food For The Poor’s passion for giving as freely as the charity receives. The majority of LEASA's employees are former welfare recipients, high school dropouts and those who were once in the penal system.

Yap surprised the audience during his acceptance speech, dropping to one knee to ask Lisa Hu Barquist, one of the evening’s presenters, to marry him. Yap told Mahfood from the stage that he would make a donation to Food For The Poor, if she accepted. The audience erupted with applause when she said yes.

“Mr. Robin, you are my hero,” said Pedro Cheng, Vice President of the chamber, as he presented Mahfood with the humanitarian award for his service to the less fortunate. “You defend the weak and the poor. You give them food when they are hungry, you give them drink when they are thirsty and you clothe them when they are naked; and you visit them when they are sick.”

Food For The Poor and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) have partnered since 2005 to collaborate on joint initiatives in six countries, including Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and El Salvador. These projects include the in-country production of food through agriculture, farm-raised fish and livestock breeding – self-sustainable initiatives that teach people how to earn a living. The two organizations also have partnered to provide computers to children, enhancing their educations.

“At Food For The Poor we believe that every human being deserves the simple dignity of having sufficient food, clean water, adequate shelter, an education, medical attention and the opportunity to become self-sufficient,” said Mahfood. “We are committed to these goals and embrace the belief that their attainment will positively transform the lives of the poor.”

Mahfood thanked Taiwan’s delegates and the first lady for rolling up their sleeves in Food For The Poor’s Port-au-Prince feeding center to serve rice donated from the people of Taiwan to Haiti’s destitute. For three years, Taiwan worked through Food For The Poor to send 40 containers of rice each month to Haiti. Then, immediately after the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, Taiwan again stepped up to assist by donating more than 400 tons of rice.

Master of ceremonies, CBS Channel 4’s Emmy Award-winning news anchor Shannon Hori, celebrated her father’s birthday and Japanese heritage at the annual event commemorating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Dozens of students from the Miami Chinese Language School in Coral Gables thrilled attendees with several culturally rich dance performances.

Event sponsor Coca-Cola announced the 2011 Coca-Cola Scholar award recipient was Charlton Cheng, and William Dukes was the Educator of Distinction recipient.

“After learning about how Food For The Poor helped Haitians build new homes, our chamber donated enough money to build one home for a Haitian family,” said Charles Cheng, CEO of the chamber.

For more information please contact the Doral Overseas Chinese Business Chamber:

Charles Cheng, CEO
305-421-8978
doralocbc@gmail.com

Pedro Cheng, VP
305-793-8673
doralocbc2pedrocheng@gmail.com

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

Bid on a bargain and benefit the poor

We’ve all heard that it’s better to give than to receive, but every now and again an opportunity comes along where both parties – the giver and the receiver – benefit. Food For The Poor is gearing up for its second online auction.

Many of the items up for grabs range from elegant to eclectic, and will appeal to a wide variety of bidders. Private island getaways, concert tickets, celebrity and sports memorabilia, jewelry, works of art, and even an Apple iPad are some of the prizes heading to the online auction block May 23 through June 13.

To see the complete photo list of items up for auction visit www.foodforthepoor.org/auction. Once you find what you like, place your bid. You must be vigilant and check on your desired item(s) often because at the end of the auction on June 13, the prize will go to the highest bidder. Proceeds will go to providing vitally needed food, water and shelter to the poorest of the poor. Your support of this auction will help the survival of many families in the Caribbean and Latin America.

For more information please contact Carolyn Woodberry at 1-877-654-2960 ext. 6678 or send an email to carolynw@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

Marlins, Food For The Poor celebrate Inspiration Village

When representatives of the Florida Marlins and Waste Management walked into Inspiration Village in Malfety, Haiti, last week, the residents greeted them with marching bands, dancers and words of deep gratitude. Hundreds of men, women, and children gathered in front of the community center to thank the team that raised funds and awareness to build much-needed housing.

In addition to the opening of the village, the group also visited the poor in an area called Shada, near Cap-Haitien. The garbage-filled landscape there is peppered with crude shacks, unclothed children dirty from the mud, and mothers whose eyes have been robbed of any hope. Shada literally means misery in Creole, and it was a stark contrast to the new village.

“Inspiration Village has a truly perfect name. For those fortunate enough to escape the inhuman conditions of Shadda, this village is a life saver,” said Sean Flynn, Marlins Senior Vice President of Marketing. “By just looking into the faces of those in Inspiration Village, you can see the wide-eyed look of hope, happiness and comfort; feelings that were absent in the despair of the Shadda community.”

In addition to Flynn, Marlins representatives P.J. Loyello, Senior Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting; Angela Smith, Director of Community Outreach, Billy The Marlin and Marlins front office staff made the trip to Haiti. Dawn McCormick, Community Affairs Manager for Waste Management, also traveled to Haiti to see the houses that company helped to build.

Donations to the Homes for Haiti campaign led to the construction of Inspiration Village, which consists of 41 two-room houses with personal sanitation units. The community has a water well, a solar powered water purification unit, and a community center to offer the opportunity for further education including vocational skills and training in agriculture and animal husbandry. These services will help the farmers achieve better results, and enable them to support their families and make the community sustainable.

"The Florida Marlins were extremely proud to team up with Food for the Poor on this extraordinary project,” Loyello said. “Inspiration Village has provided 41 families a home, as well as safety and dignity, as they get their lives back together after the natural disasters over the last couple of years. This project has certainly been an inspiration for all of us who've been involved."

A little girl who now lives in Inspiration Village summed it up for residents and visitors when she stood on the porch of the community center, and with the help of a translator, expressed her feelings.

“Today, we can say with the help of Food For The Poor and the Marlins, that there is no more sleeping in the rain, no more living in the sun. We have clean sanitation, where before we had to go in the bushes. Now, we say down with cholera, down with malaria, down with other diseases, because of you.”

The need for housing in this area exceeds the homes Inspiration Village already provides. If you are interested in assisting with additional housing projects, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org/homesforhaiti to make your donation today.

To view additional photos from the inauguration ceremony, please visit Food For The Poor's Facebook page.

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.

Contacts:

Kathy Skipper
Food For The Poor
Director of Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6614
kathys@foodforthepoor.com

Carolina Perrina
Florida Marlins
Director, Business Communications
305-626-7389
cperrina@marlins.com

Help halt hunger by taking one step at a time

Dust off those sneakers -- if you haven’t already -- and get ready to run, jog or walk your way in what has become one of Food For The Poor’s most popular events in its fight against hunger.

The 6th annual “5K Walk/Run For Hunger” fundraiser is set to kick-off Saturday, Sept. 24 at 6 a.m. at Quiet Waters Park located at 401 South Powerline Road in Deerfield Beach. Every step taken by each participant will be a step towards raising much needed funds to feed families facing severe malnutrition in the Caribbean and Latin America.

But in order to help, you must register to participate. Please visit www.foodforthepoor.org/walk to sign up, start a team or make a donation. Take advantage of the “Participant Center” to create a fundraising page, share your goal with family, friends, coworkers and contacts, while you monitor your progress.

Cost of pre-registration is $20 for adults, $15 for children ages 6-10, and there’s no fee for children 5 years old and under. The registration cost for South Florida walkers includes a T-shirt and lunch. Special awards will be given to the individuals who raise the largest amount of pledges. For more information, please call 1-888-404-4248 or visit www.foodforthepoor.org/walk. You can also register the day of the event. Registration starts at 6 a.m., the run begins at 7 a.m. and the walk is at 9 a.m.

If you don’t live in South Florida, you can still participate and help prevent hunger. You can register online as a virtual walker to partake in your hometown with us, as a team, or as an individual. Do your part to feed starving children and their families, while raising awareness about Food For The Poor, one of the most efficient charities in the United States.

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

Gifts sure to delight, restore the ability to dream

This Mother’s Day, celebrate your mom by giving her a gift that honors her legacy and improves the lives of mothers in developing countries. From child sponsorship opportunities, to milk-producing goats and sewing machines used for micro-enterprise, Food For The Poor’s online catalog is brimming with unique gift options for every budget.


For $34 a month you can share a mother’s love by sponsoring a child through Food For The Poor’s Angels Of Hope program. Your gift will provide orphaned and abandoned children throughout the Caribbean and Latin America with food, shelter and access to medical care and an education. The charity has expanded its Angels Of Hope program, so now there are more children than ever in need of monthly sponsors.

“When a child is born into a life of poverty there is little time for them to dream,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Instead, these children have nightmares about surviving, fighting off illness and quenching their thirst. Their consciousness is consumed with survival – day-to-day, hour-by-hour. The Angels Of Hope program is a way for you to reach into the darkness and to pull a child into the light.”

Food For The Poor’s gift catalog epitomizes the spirit of giving and offers a wide variety of gifts – from a solar-powered handheld light for $20, or a gift of a goat for $90, to providing a community with a lifesaving water pump for $205.
“When I saw the water for the first time, I was crying tears of joy… it is a miracle,” said Aurelia Pac, a mother and beneficiary of a Food For The Poor water project in Guatemala. This gift of clean, safe drinking water means Pac and other women and children in the village no longer have to trek for miles to fetch water for their family’s daily needs.

Additionally, the gift of a new, permanent house can move families out of dangerous living circumstances near garbage dumps and coastal swamps. For only $3,200, you will do more than build a house with sanitation – you will empower a family to help themselves and to share their good fortune with others.

All gifts are tax-deductible. To send a gift, the catalog can be accessed through the charity’s secure website at www.foodforthepoor.org/giftcatalog, or a printed version of the catalog is available by calling 800-427-9104.

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