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