Food For The Poor to help restock Salvation Army’s shelves

Within days of reading about The Salvation Army’s bare cupboards in The Sun-Sentinel, the South Florida-based international relief and development organization Food For The Poor mobilized to help restock the shelter’s Fort Lauderdale pantry.

“With the continuing poor economic environment, the number of requests for support continues to grow,” said Kate Hietapelto, Assistant Director of Development at The Salvation Army in Fort Lauderdale. “We have been blessed to receive several donations from many people in the community and we are very happy to see how people come together and lift each other up in a time of need. We were in a desperate need of food to stock our shelves and the food came.”

Hietapelto was present when boxes filled with canned tuna, vienna sausage, Chef Boyardee and jars of peanut butter were delivered by representatives of the nonprofit Food For The Poor to The Salvation Army’s Fort Lauderdale office on Broward Blvd.

“When we heard about The Salvation Army’s empty pantries we knew it was important to give back to our local community,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Thanks to the generosity of Food For The Poor’s staff we were able to step forward and offer some relief.”

Each week the Salvation Army serves approximately 100 families and individuals who are in need of assistance.

“On behalf of the friends, family, staff, clients, donors and volunteers at The Salvation Army, we would like to thank Food For The Poor for their generous donation to our food pantry, said Hietapelto.

Due to the community’s positive response to The Salvation Army’s plea for food, on Thursday families will be able to receive the usual three or four bags of groceries.

“My family and I wanted to donate food to help meet The Salvation Army’s growing needs,” said Troy Delisser, Food For The Poor’s Senior Purchasing Agent.

Delisser’s donation included frozen fish, and wild game from North Fla. that included duck, geese, quail and pheasant.

Sally Gress, Director of Development for The Salvation Army, said if the meat and fish are wrapped in meal size portions they would be able to distribute it to those in need.

In addition to Food For The Poor’s international mission, the organization also supports nonprofits that serve South Florida’s neediest. In August, Food For The Poor also donated 24 pallets of supplies such as, corn, rice, shoes, bottled water and diapers to New Hope Charities in Pahokee, Fla.

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. 

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