A Legacy of Hope

Loss of a Child Inspires Legacy of Hope in Haiti

	(L to R) Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood, Paul O'Connor, Florette Sokulski. Remembering how Julie could not even swallow water at the end of her life, her parents wanted proceeds from a past benefit dinner to provide clean water to children in Haiti.
Related Item: Contact Carol to Support the Hospital

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 12, 2014) — A Chicago couple committed to preserving the memory of their late daughter is encouraging others to help raise money to improve the lives of the destitute through Food For The Poor.

The ninth annual benefit dinner established to celebrate the life of Julie Sokulski Hesser will be Wednesday, Sept. 10 at The Seville Banquet Hall, 700 S. Barrington Road, Streamwood, Illinois.  Proceeds from this year’s event will be used to cover the monthly operating costs of Bernard Mevs Clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

“Julie was resilient, and she was tough – like the Haitian people,” said Florette Sokulski, outside the pastel orange and green Haiti hospital in 2012. “Even in her worst, painful days, and those lasted about seven years, she would always say, ‘I just want to help somebody.’ And now I see how she is helping.”

When Andy and Florette lost their beloved daughter at the age of 32, they were inspired to help others by Julie’s strength, faith and courage during her final days. They began raising money in 2006 with Father Medard Laz and members of the Holy Family Catholic Community in Inverness, Illinois, to create a living legacy in honor of their daughter through Food For The Poor projects.

Since 2011, proceeds from the fundraiser in Streamwood have been used to modernize the Haiti hospital by building operating and recovery rooms, and purchasing new equipment.

“This is the best we have now in Haiti,” said Dr. Jerry Bitar to Julie’s parents. “I want to say first thank you for what you do. Not for us but for the poor people in Haiti.”

The Bernard Mevs Clinic’s Pediatric Care Center provides the desperately poor with quality outpatient services, emergency treatment, laboratory diagnostic services, surgical procedures, medications, and long-term chronic disease management. The clinic also offers services and resources that promote prevention and wellness care among women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Through educational awareness programs, the hospital makes heathier lifestyles available to patients and the community at large.

“By serving the poorest of the poor, they are saving lives,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “The poor need all types of surgeries, and if it weren’t for the doctors and the staff at the Brevard Mevs Hospital they would be sentenced to simply die at home. They cannot afford to go to a private hospital or to pay anything at all. So they come here with full assurance that they are getting superior quality medical treatment.”

Aloma is the evening’s keynote speaker. Master of ceremonies for this year’s benefit dinner is former WGN Radio newsman Lyle Dean. The evening also will feature a silent auction and dinner with friends and members of the surrounding communities. Bidding on silent auction prizes will offer opportunities for guests to shop and support the cause.

For additional information about sponsorship opportunities and tickets, please call 888-404-4248 or email carolc@foodforthepoor.com.

“The loss of a child is written in the heart in indelible ink,” said Aloma. “But by doing something like this, it brings new life into the world. It really honors the person who has gone to the Lord, and it really gives comfort to the parents to know that their loved one’s passing has brought hope and life to so many others in her name.”

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.

Children in Haiti to benefit from inaugural 5K Walk/Run For Education

Close to 300 runners and walkers got up at the crack of dawn and lined the streets near the Kane County Government Center in Geneva, Ill., on May 12 to participate in the inaugural Hope For Haitians 5K Walk/Run For Education fundraiser.

“Most people do not realize that an education in the Third World is not free. If a child’s parent doesn’t have the money for tuition, the uniform, or the school supplies – then there’s no school for that child,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We‘re very happy the inaugural 5K Walk/Run in Geneva, Ill. was a success. We believe that the primary step in breaking the cycle of poverty is through education, and we thank all who were involved in making this event a successful one.”

Money raised from the 5K Walk/Run For Education fundraiser will be used to pay the school tuition of dozens of children living in the villages built by the Hope For Haitians Committee through Food For The Poor in Chastenoye and  Prolongé, Haiti.

Both “Hope Friendship Village” in Chastenoye and “Rockford Friendship Village” in Prolongé have

50 two-room homes, 50 sanitation units, artesian wells, community centers, animal-rearing and agricultural projects, solar panel lights, tilapia ponds, and feeding programs.

To make a secure online donation toward the Hope For Haitians building projects in Haiti visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/rockford.

Event committee members included Joseph Altenhoff, Patrick Bachrodt, Rev. David Beauvais, Virginia Canavan, William Clancy, Michael Delany, Brian & Missy Hand, Frank Haney, Msgr. Robert Hoffman, Danny Lorden, Tom & Nancy Lorden, Bob McLaughlin, Philip Nicolosi, Patti Rangel, Peter Roche, and Andy Schultheis.

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

Caribbean-themed event opens hearts and doors for Haiti

The 10-year involvement and steadfast support from northern Illinois residents ensured The Hope for Haitians Committee and Food For The Poor’s fundraising event, An Evening in the Tropics, was a well-attended event with more than 320 guests.

Residents from the Rockford/Chicago communities showed their commitment to Haiti by funding the final phase of construction for the Hope Friendship Village in Chastenoye, Haiti, and the first phase of a self-sustaining village in Mazere, Haiti. Donors also provided school sponsorships for 200 children from the Rockford Friendship Village and the Hope Friendship Village.

Rhythmic sounds of a steel drummer started the Caribbean-themed event’s cocktail reception and exclusive silent auction. Bidding on auction prizes offered opportunities for guests to donate to the cause at the same time. Prizes included art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, luxury vacations, and golf and dining packages. An Evening in the Tropics offered a full night of exceptional dining, dancing and inspirational moments.

During the cocktail reception, guests for the first time had an opportunity to walk inside a pre-fabricated structure that portrays a 12-by-12-foot yellow Food For The Poor house. For $3,200, Food For The Poor can build a single-unit home with sanitation to replace a crumbling shack that leaks when it rains. The simple structure had a tremendous impact on the guests. Since 1982, Food For The Poor has constructed more than 76,013 new housing units with concrete foundations, locking doors, windows, and zinc roofs with hurricane straps in the countries it serves.

The event co-chairpersons and committee members devised a unique way to inspire attendees to contribute toward making a difference in the lives of others. For a $25 donation, more than 100 guests purchased a starfish for the chance to win either a Tiffany gold and silver cross necklace or a men’s Polo watch.

Five-year-old Riley Kegley’s fundraising campaign started even earlier. In July, to prepare for his birthday, he decided to donate his birthday savings to benefit the people of Haiti. With the help of his mom, who is a committee member, Riley created a YouTube video to share his birthday goal with family and friends. To his surprise he not only raised enough money to buy a cow – he raised enough money to buy two cows and three goats.

The master of ceremonies for this year’s event was veteran broadcast journalist Mike Robinson. Co-chairmen Tom Lorden, Pat Bachrodt and Peter Roche and members of the surrounding communities have traveled multiple times to Haiti to meet the people who directly benefit from this annual event’s proceeds.

Event committee members included Joseph Altenhoff, Patrick Bachrodt, Rev. David Beauvais, Virginia Canavan, William Clancy, Michael Delany, Brian & Missy Hand, Frank Haney, Msgr. Robert Hoffman, Theresa Kegley, Danny Lorden, Tom & Nancy Lorden, Bob McLaughlin, Philip Nicolosi, Patti Rangel, Peter Roche, Andy Schultheis and Jerry Weber.

An Evening in the Tropics sponsors included: AAA Quality Limo, Aurora Central Catholic, Bachrodt Motors on State, Dick & Marg Bachrodt, Lou Bachrodt Auto Group, Lou Bachrodt Foundation, Barrick Switzer Long Balsley & Van Evera, Ralph J. Baudhuin Foundation, Boylan Catholic High School, William & Catherine Clancy, Comerica Bank, Mike & Donna Cristoforo, Crowe Horwath, LLP, Mike & Colleen Delany, Diamond Envelope, Tony & Jean Domino, Focus Financial Advisors Inc., Joe Geraghty, Giovanni's Restaurant, Brian & Missy Hand and Family, Joe Hansberry – NAPA, Holy Family Church, Kelley Williamson Company, Thomas & Lesley Killoren, Jeffrey & Sally Krogh, Lorden Charitable Foundation, Robert and Mary Lou McLaughlin, Rebecca Newton, Nicolosi & Associates, OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Rhonda & RC Pottinger, Resource Dealer Group, Inc, Risch Family Foundation, Riverside Community Bank, Peter & Sandy Roche Family, Savant Capital Management, Fern Shore, St. James Catholic Church, St. John Neumann Church, St. Katherine Drexel, St. Thomas More, Warner Specialized Petroleum Services, and WIPFLi HEWINS.

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 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

Tom Lorden
Event Co-Chairman
815-964-1904
tomlorden@hotmail.com>

Hope for Haiti unites Rockford residents

Are you in need of some Caribbean flair? There is still time to purchase your ticket to The Hope for Haitians Committee and Food For The Poor’s 10th annual fundraising event An Evening in the Tropics, Saturday, Sept. 10 at Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center. Come enjoy the melodies of a steel drummer and a heavenly slice of key lime pie as Illinois residents gather to raise money to build a village in Mazere, Haiti, and provide school sponsorships for 200 children from the Rockford Friendship Village and the Hope Friendship Village.

An Evening in the Tropics will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, and formal dinner with friends and members of the surrounding communities. Bidding on silent auction prizes such as exclusive art and collectibles from the Caribbean and Latin America, designer jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages offer opportunities for guests to shop and donate to the cause.

For additional information regarding the An Evening in the Tropics event, including sponsorship levels and tickets, which are available at $100 per person, please call, 1-888-404-4248 or visit the website www.FoodForThePoor.org/rockford.

Master of ceremonies for this year’s event is veteran broadcast journalist Mike Robinson. Co-chairmen Tom Lorden, Pat Bachrodt and Peter Roche and members of the surrounding communities have traveled multiple times to Haiti to meet the people who directly benefit from the annual event’s proceeds.

This year, Hurricane Irene postponed the travel plans for five residents of the Rockford/Chicago-area communities to visit Haiti with the nonprofit Food For The Poor. The trip has since been rescheduled for October. Group members will survey earthquake damage in Port-au-Prince, meet children and their families who live in Shada in thatched homes built on rotting trash, learn about a women’s empowerment program where greeting cards are made using banana bark, and distribute hygiene supplies at a Cap-Haitien prison.

Event committee members include Joseph Altenhoff, Patrick Bachrodt, Rev. David Beauvais, Virginia Canavan, William Clancy, Michael Delany, Brian & Missy Hand, Frank Haney, Msgr. Robert Hoffman, Theresa Kegley, Danny Lorden, Tom & Nancy Lorden, Bob McLaughlin, Philip Nicolosi, Patti Rangel, Peter Roche, Andy Schultheis and Jerry Weber.

An Evening in the Tropics sponsors include: AAA Quality Limo, Aurora Central Catholic, Bachrodt Motors on State, Dick & Marg Bachrodt, Lou Bachrodt Auto Group, Lou Bachrodt Foundation, Barrick Switzer Long Balsley & Van Evera, Ralph J. Baudhuin Foundation, Boylan Catholic High School, William & Catherine Clancy, Comerica Bank, Mike & Donna Cristoforo, Crowe Horwath, LLP, Mike & Colleen Delany, Diamond Envelope, Tony & Jean Domino, Focus Financial Advisors Inc., Joe Geraghty, Giovanni's Resturant, Brian & Missy Hand and Family, Joe Hansberry – NAPA, Holy Family Church, Kelley Williamson Company, Thomas & Lesley Killoren, Jeffrey & Sally Krogh, Lorden Charitable Foundation, Robert and Mary Lou McLaughlin, Rebecca Newton, Nicolosi & Associates, OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Rhonda & RC Pottinger, Resource Dealer Group, Inc, Risch Family Foundation, Riverside Community Bank, Peter & Sandy Roche Family, Savant Capital Management, Fern Shore, St. James Catholic Church, St. John Neumann Church, St. Katherine Drexel, St. Thomas More, Warner Specialized Petroleum Services, and WIPFLi HEWINS.

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.

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

Tom Lorden
Event Co-Chairman
815-964-1904
tomlorden@hotmail.com