Kansas City kids make a difference for kids in Guyana

Boxes packed to the brim with all things necessary for school-aged children soon will be shipped to the South American country of Guyana.

Three pallets of school supplies arrived at Food For The Poor’s headquarters in Coconut Creek, Fla. on Feb. 22, a gift from the middle school students who attend Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and St. Therese School in Kansas City, Mo. The students set up bins in their classrooms and began collecting the supplies last spring. They lovingly filled oversized plastic bags with spiral notebooks, pencils, crayons and other supplies that will go directly to the school children in Guyana.

“It’s so encouraging to see young people taking the initiative and giving back to society in any way possible,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “Because of the effort put forth by these middle school students, many children in Guyana, who don’t even have access to pencils and paper for their studies, will be receiving these much needed school supplies. I know they will appreciate this generous gift immensely.”

The enthusiasm for Guyana began after St. Therese School invited Joe Roetheli, founder of the Lil’ Red Foundation, to speak to the students about the four villages he has built through Food For The Poor. Roetheli’s firsthand experiences motivated his young listeners to action.

“They learned about life in Guyana and the needs of the poor,” said Suzanne Greenwood, Faculty Advisor for Quest Program at St. Therese. “They discovered how much time, energy and commitment it takes to bring a project like this to fruition. They understand how God has blessed us so much in this country and it is important that we share our blessings with others.”

The school supplies are expected to reach Guyana in late March. Any extra supplies will be donated to schools outside of the four villages.

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

Seven villages built by one parish through Operation Starfish

In anticipation of the 40-day Lenten season, parishioners from
Church of the Nativity in Burke, Va., journeyed to Haiti Feb. 6-10 to witness how their generosity has transformed the lives of hundreds of families who once lived in deplorable conditions. Leading the mission group was Father Richard Martin, pastor of Nativity and the originator of Food For The Poor’s Operation Starfish® program.

For 14 years, Fr. Martin has attributed the growth and success of his parish to partnering with Food For The Poor through the Operation Starfish program. The program encourages families to engage fully in the sacrificial spirit of Lent by giving parishioners the opportunity for spiritual reflection and the ability to make daily sacrifices to benefit those who are suffering. The program encourages individuals to deposit 50 cents or more each day to help the poor. At the end of Lent, when all donations are collected, housing, education and medical programs for the destitute will be funded through Food For The Poor.

“There is no greater honor and privilege than to be able to bring the basic necessities of life to those who need them,” said Bonnie DelBalzo, a Winchester, Va. resident, who has participated in Operation Starfish since 2005. “Operation Starfish allows us the opportunity to help one person, one family at a time, and to be inspired to continue as we see the joy, hope and comfort these donations can bring. What a blessing to be part of Operation Starfish projects and to work with such an efficient model of relief services through Food For The Poor.”

Nativity’s annual trip offered parishioners the opportunity to walk through Shada, an appalling Cap-Haitien slum with no access to clean water, where the smell of garbage and burning trash fills the air. Afterwards, the group traveled to the parish’s sixth village, “Nativity Village at Chastenoye,” where 50 homes were built for 50 families who were relocated from Shada.

“Through Operation Starfish, we have been able to partner with others as disciples of Christ to bring hope and dignity to the poor,” said DelBalzo, when she returned from the trip. “It is through us that God shows His love, mercy and faithfulness to the suffering and needy - and in seeing where He is working and listening to what He asks us to do through the Holy Spirit, we can experience Him in a meaningful and fulfilling way as He works in us and through us to accomplish His purposes.”

Parishioners also had the opportunity to meet the families for whom they fulfilled the dream of homeownership in the parish’s seventh village, “Nativity Village in Mazere,” in Cap-Haitien. This village of 100 permanent homes was constructed with Nativity Parish’s 2011 Lenten collection.

“This village provides so much more than just 100 new sturdy homes with sanitation,” said Jim McDaniel, a Nativity parishioner and Food For The Poor staff member. “There is a water filtration system, a community center for vocational training, and agricultural projects – this way the people can grow their own crops and generate revenue to become self-sustaining.”

In addition to visiting several villages, the group saw and heard firsthand accounts about the harsh realities of life in developing countries. Fishermen at Nativity’s Tilapia Farm and Nursery in Petit Anse harvested three buckets of fish to show Food For The Poor donors their appreciation and how the fish are distributed in the community, as well as sold at market.

Group members also distributed meals to approximately 560 inmates in a Cap-Haitien prison; unloaded suitcases full of crayons, books, balls and barrettes to the children at St. Louis Girls Home; cheered on the seamstresses at Nativity Village II in Prolonge; visited Nativity Fishing Village in Petit Anse; dedicated the daCruz Library and community center in Madras; and played with children at Little Children of Jesus Home for the handicapped, a project of Food For The Poor.

Additional travelers included Theresa Danner (Burke, Va.), Hollis Hunter Jr. (Burke, Va.), Vincent Lam (South Riding, Va.), Tu Le (Springfield, Va.), James Lenertz (Springfield, Va.), Cynthia Mausolf (Springfield, Va.), Lesley Pardew (Castle Rock, Colo.), Carleen Payne (Sarasota, Fla.), Beverly Powell (Springfield, Va.), and Dennis Staszak (Fairfax, Va.).

Those interested in starting an Operation Starfish program at their parish, school, or organization can visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/operationstarfish or call 877-654-2960 ext. 6641.

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

Eight 4 Third World Hope rebuilds hope and schools in Jamaica

It’s sometimes difficult to imagine that some of the children on one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean are learning their ABC’s and 123’s inside crumbling structures, and are using 100-year-old pit latrines that are literally falling apart.

This was the case for nearly 200 basic and primary school-aged children who live in Jamaica’s mountain communities of Concord and Bensonton in St. Ann, and in McCook’s Pen, St. Catherine.

“It’s very difficult for many here in the United States to fully comprehend the deplorable condition of many of these schools in Jamaica,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “In spite of cramped classrooms, decaying desks and chairs, limited school supplies, and having to use pit latrines, these children are learning. They and their teachers deserve a much better environment for their educational needs.”

Eight 4 Third World Hope, a Rochester, N.Y. based-organization, is making a big difference in the lives of the children in this part of Jamaica through Food For The Poor. Deacon Kevin Carges traveled on his first mission trip to Jamaica with the ministry in 2006. Moved by what he saw, in 2009 he founded the charity Eight 4 Third World Hope at St. John Fisher College, and with the help of six members from the college Class of 1984 began changing lives.

In their first project, funds were raised to rebuild the Concord Sacred Heart Early Childhood Institution. Their second project was the completion of a facility with separate and private restrooms for boys and girls. The dangerous pit latrine at Bensonton Primary School was replaced with seven flush toilets, urinals, and four sinks. Now a third project is in the works to rebuild the basic school in McCook’s Pen, which is peppered with holes and gaps in its wooden frame.

Eight 4 Third World Hope and several of its members recently traveled back to Jamaica, with Food For The Poor to see firsthand the fruits of their labor. The New York charity’s founder says they are very eager to complete the McCook’s Pen project.

“God’s hand has been present with all of us,” said Carges. “This trip has provided our members with an opportunity to get hands on experience and to see the need, to be inspired to help the children to get an education and to have a brighter future.”

Food For The Poor has constructed 41 basic schools in Jamaica since 2004, and has replaced 50 pit latrines with flush toilet systems in schools across the island.

To mark Jamaica’s golden anniversary on Aug. 6, 2012, Food For The Poor is launching the “Jamaica 50 Campaign” to build 50 schools in 50 months. The initiative will work like this:

-In August of 2012, the first school will open, and then a new school will open each month for the next 50 months.
-Food For The Poor will replace a school that has been targeted by a community that’s been deemed as an unfit space for children to learn.

To support the building initiative in McCook’s Pen, tax-deductible donations can be made through the secure website at www.FoodForThePoor.org/eight4thirdworldhope.

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

Gift from America’s Heartland is a legacy for Haiti

Thanks to the kindness of strangers, hundreds of children in Haiti soon will be benefiting from a loving donation made by the Chippewa Valley Bean Company to Food For The Poor.

Located in northwestern Wisconsin, the bean company has been a loyal donor to the ministry for more than seven years and now is committed to providing a life-long legacy by helping Food For The Poor to build schools in the Caribbean nation.

“We believe that helping children to receive an education is the surest way to break the cycle of poverty,” said Cindy Brown, of the Chippewa Valley Bean Company. “Given the great need for schools in Haiti, we’ve decided to use our contributions to help provide a place where children can receive both an education and a nutritious meal.”

Food For The Poor feeds millions a day in the 17 countries it serves – more than 400,000 a day in Haiti alone. In Port-au-Prince, 15,000 hot meals are served six days a week at the Food For The Poor feeding center. Beans and rice, an excellent source of protein, provide the foundation for nutritious meals.

“This is one of the most meaningful gifts Chippewa Valley could have given us,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “It is our determination to build and re-build as many sturdy school structures as possible, so that the children can have a sense of normalcy while the adults work on rebuilding their homeland.”

For more than 40 years, the family owned Chippewa Valley Bean Company and its growers have produced premium quality kidney beans. It is the only kidney bean processing plant in the Wisconsin area still under its original ownership.

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

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

Inspiration from the poor: Gifts of hope, faith & love -- Food For The Poor celebrates 30 years of service

Like the luminous reflection from a shiny pearl, Food For The Poor has been for three decades a ray of hope for the hungry, the destitute, and the abandoned in the Caribbean and Latin America. The ministry may have started out as a feeding program in Jamaica 30 years ago, but has since grown exponentially to become the largest international relief organization in the United States, with associated charities in Canada, Haiti, Guyana and Jamaica.

The ministry, through its dedicated donors, has built more than 77,000 homes, sent more than 60,000 containers filled with essential goods to the 17 countries it serves, and has delivered more than $9 billion in aid since its inception. Optimistic about the challenges that lay ahead, Food For The Poor’s goal for 2012 is to build 12,000 homes, dig 1,200 water wells, and ship 1,200 containers of food to help the destitute.

“There are so many problems in the world, and during this time of economic chaos the truly poor are the ones who suffer the most; they’re often overlooked or simply forgotten,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “For 30 years, we have responded to the cries of the poor. I am humbled by the reality that tens of thousands of families are now being helped by this ministry. What a tremendous blessing.”

Food For The Poor was founded by Ferdinand (Ferdy) Mahfood in 1982. He and his wife, Patti, traveled throughout the Caribbean working to bring relief to victims of poverty, disease and natural disasters. Ferdy once told friends, “When I can be among Jesus’ poor, that is where I find the face of God.”

In 1985, the ministry built its first home for a family in Jamaica. In 1988, Food For The Poor responded to the needs of victims of Hurricane Gilbert on the island, drilled its first water well in Haiti in 1992, and three years later built its first school, the Ti Aiyti School in Cite Soleil. In 1996, Food For The Poor expanded to begin serving the poor in Central America, specifically El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. In 2000, Robin Mahfood assumed the role of president. A year later, Food For The Poor’s first fishing village was built in Old Pera, Jamaica.

“The name of our organization has become somewhat of a misnomer because we do so much on behalf of the poor,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “Since the very beginning, the goal of this ministry has been to teach and to provide those we serve with the necessary tools to support themselves, their families, and their communities.”

Food For The Poor is building homes, hospitals, schools, and community centers that provide technical training. The ministry has also implemented animal husbandry, agricultural and aquaculture projects in the countries it serves to help the poor generate income.

Food For The Poor immediately responded to the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti by shipping food, water, medicines, water-filtration systems, building supplies, tools and hygiene kits. Since the tragedy, Food For The Poor has built or replaced a dozen schools, installed 45 water filtration units, and built 2,681 homes. The organization is committed to long-term recovery efforts.

“Food For The Poor celebrated 25 years in Haiti in 2011. As we look toward the future, we will be there every step of the way providing gifts of hope, faith and love, in order to help our brothers and sisters to rebuild their homeland,” said Mahfood.

On Friday, Feb. 10 at 8:30 a.m., a celebration commemorating Food For The Poor’s 30th anniversary will take place at the Coconut Creek headquarters. There will be a procession representing the 17 countries Food For The Poor serves, songs of praise, video presentations, and poetry readings in tribute to three decades of service.

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

Reggae star shakes up Building Hope Gala’s house rally, sets new record

Thanks to the compassion of 375 South Florida residents at Food For The Poor’s Building Hope Gala on Saturday, Feb. 4 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton, enough money was raised to construct 100 houses, a community center, and an animal husbandry project of 20 cows in Olivier, Deuxieme Plaine, Haiti. The gala coincided with Food For The Poor’s 30th anniversary, which will be celebrated on Sunday, February 12.

“I would like to suggest we are the voice for the voiceless,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor, as he addressed the guests and thanked the committee members for their commitment to the poor. “Every person here is a human key that can unlock a brighter future.”

The 2012 Grammy nominee and award-winning reggae artist Shaggy also performed at the nonprofit’s charity gala to shine a light on Haiti’s desperate need for permanent housing. He treated the crowd to Boombastic, Angel, It Wasn’t Me, and Sugarcane. Shaggy is a 2012 Grammy nominee for his new album, Summer in Kingston.

A video that documents seven of the committee members’ November trip to Haiti was shown at the gala to help those who have never traveled to a developing country visualize the inhumane living conditions of Haiti’s destitute.

“I witnessed firsthand the desperate struggle that hundreds of thousands of human beings face on a daily basis,” said Ronda Gluck, the Event’s Co-Chairperson as she shared her experience in Haiti with attendees. “Food, fresh water, toilets and shelter are things that are at a premium instead of in abundance. Food For The Poor, through housing projects like the one we are raising money for tonight, provides food for the hungry, homes for the homeless and hope for the hopeless.”

As the gala’s name implies, attendees gathered to create a legacy by pledging to build critically needed houses during the charity’s live house-rally. This year, guests pledged enough funding to construct a record 100 houses – to restore hope and to shelter the destitute in Olivier.

“No matter how much money you think has already been raised for the people of Haiti, it is simply not enough. The need is unimaginable,” said Gluck.

According to the Associated Press, the Haitian government has said the 2010 earthquake killed 316,000 people and displaced 1.5 million. On January 12, 2012, the AP reported that more than 500,000 are still in temporary settlement camps.

“My fear is that they are not safe,” said Rene Mahfood, the event’s Honorary Chairperson while in Haiti. “They don’t have a house, and they don’t have a door to keep people out. That is what they need – they need a home. They need a place where they can feel safe, where they can go to school and where they can learn and grow.”

Food For The Poor can build a permanent houses with a latrine for just $3,200. Food For The Poor homes are built with a strong corrugated zinc roof, a solid concrete foundation, cement block walls, windows for ventilation and a front door that can be locked.

Additional committee members include Cathy and Abdol Moabery (Event Co-Chairpersons), David Gluck (Event Co-Chairperson), Francis Mahfood (Honorary Chairperson), Becky Carlsson, Ronda Ellis Ged, Michele Greene, Julie Mahfood, Pamela Matsil, Kara Seelye, Natasha Singh, Allison Venditti, Patricia Wallace, and Traci Wilson.

The Building Hope Gala committee members invite you to join them on May 3 at Arrigo Fiat of West Palm Beach at 7:30 p.m. as they pull the winning raffle ticket for a Gucci Fiat 500C 2-door black automatic convertible. Raffle tickets, starting at $50, can be purchased through the charity’s secure website www.FoodForThePoor.org/fiat. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the car is $28,200. The Gucci Fiat 500C raffle sales will be used to continue building in Haiti.

This year’s committee devised a unique way to inspire gala attendees to contribute toward making a difference in the lives of others. For a donation, 100 guests pulled a playing card to see what they would win. Each card represented a unique gift. The grand prize was a pair of beautiful diamond earrings donated by Gregory’s Fine Jewelry in Boca Raton. Gregory’s Fine Jewelry also donated gift certificates for each bag.

Media master of ceremonies was Calvin Hughes, an Emmy Award-winning newscaster for WPLG-TV ABC Local 10 News. For years, he has reported how nonprofits such as Food For The Poor continue to improve lives and living conditions throughout the world.

Event sponsors include Gregory’s Fine Jewelry, Arrigo Fiat of West Palm Beach, Allison and Peter Venditti, TD Bank, N.A., Regal Home Health, Premier Aircraft Sales, American Nicaraguan Foundation, Jeffrey and Agnes Stoops, Dennis Charley & Associates, Quadriga Art. Inc, Haiti Shipping Lines, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami, Seaboard Marine Ltd., Dusco Doors, The Pereira Family, Bernuth Agencies, Inc., United Healthcare, Boca Home Care Services, Comerica Bank, The Ross Group of UBS, Mailing Service of Pittsburg, and Jox Sox.

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/boca.

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

Women helping women – The Links make donation to Food For The Poor

Like the links in a chain, the women of the Fort Lauderdale chapter of The Links, Incorporated have connected and collected funds to build a home for a woman and her children in Haiti. Members of the organization presented Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor, with a check at the Coconut Creek headquarters.

“We have a deep concern for Haiti,” said Pearl Maloney, Vice President of Membership of the Fort Lauderdale chapter. “With an organization of Food For The Poor’s caliber, we know that our funds will go to the people.”

The Fort Lauderdale chapter was established in 1974, but The Links, Incorporated was founded in Philadelphia in 1946, and was incorporated in 1951. Today, there are more than 12,000 professional women of African ancestry in 273 chapters in 42 states and countries, including Germany, South Africa and the Bahamas. It’s one of the oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of women.

“The needs of women in Haiti are great, but if we focus on helping one family at time, we can conquer the mountain of poverty that exists there,” said Mahfood. “This donation will allow us to provide a woman with her own home with sanitation, rice and beans for one year, a small business project to provide a source of income, school uniforms and supplies for two children, along with clothing and shoes. We are grateful to the women of The Links, Incorporated for their gift.”

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

Jacksonville woman is making a difference in Jamaica

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Feb.1, 2012) – Life for several families is looking a lot brighter thanks to a dedicated donor by the name of Barbara Gilbert who raised funds to build a village for the destitute in St. Catherine, Jamaica, through Food For The Poor. Barbara’s Village was completed in June of 2006 and was soon followed by the Ellerslie Gardens Soccer Complex. Now, Gilbert is working on raising funds for the completion of the Celebration of Life School and the Musical Band Youth Program.

Gilbert’s commitment to build a school in Jamaica began with her first mission trip with Food For The Poor nearly nine years ago. With many visits to follow, it was on one of these trips in the summer of 2005 that Gilbert met a couple from Laramie, Wyo. Rich and Mary Guenzel were very impressed with Gilbert’s passion to help the poor and recently decided to donate a $12,000 match for the second phase of the school’s building fund.

“God has blessed us with the resources to be able to contribute to Phase II,” said Rich Guenzel. “We have been following the progress on the fundraising for the Celebration of Life School and have remained in contact with Barbara since our first trip with her.”

The Guenzels became fast friends with Gilbert and traded many stories, including one about their 13-year-old nephew, Thomas Park, who was battling cancer. Touched by Thomas’ story, Gilbert reached out to the boy via email and the two of them became buddies through his hospital care page. On the day Thomas completed chemotherapy, Gilbert informed him that she had decided to name the school in Jamaica Celebration of Life School in his honor because this survival story was a celebration of life.

“We are very thankful that Thomas' tumor has disappeared and there are no current signs of his cancer. He is fortunate to have access to the specialized health care he required. Perhaps one of the students at Celebrations of Life will become a doctor and provide specialized health care to the poor in Jamaica,” said Guenzel.

“Never underestimate the power of what one passionate person can do,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “Barbara has an exciting personality and an extremely big heart, what she’s doing in Jamaica is truly amazing, especially when you take into consideration that this is a woman of modest means.”

Gilbert who works as a waitress at Beach Diner, located in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville, isn’t modest when it comes to getting what she wants. It’s at the restaurant that this 56 year-old single mother of four earns much needed tips to fund her projects in Jamaica. But, Gilbert isn’t just any waitress. In the spring of 2009, at age 54 she was accepted into the graduate program at Florida State University. She earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work on December 17, 2011.

“It is never too late to earn an education. During my journey towards my degree, it was important for me as a social worker to advocate for education for the poor,” said Gilbert. “In my travels to Jamaica I have witnessed the passion the children have for learning. There are teachers, but not many school buildings.”

Gilbert will be celebrating her 57th birthday on Feb.18, which is also the target date to raise the total funds needed to complete the second phase of the Celebration of Life School in St. Catherine, Jamaica. To help Barbara meet this challenge, donations will be matched dollar for dollar until the $23,280 goal is reached.

You can help Gilbert meet this challenge by visiting her Champions For The Poor page at www.foodforthepoor.org/barbara.

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