Boca Grande Fundraiser

Boca Grande Committee Sets Its Sights on New Area to Help

	Hope for Haitians began working through Food For The Poor in 2009, and has built villages for families in Pierre Payen, Michaud, and Manneville, Haiti. These villages received recent upgrades, which included two dormitories for 20 boys and 20 girls who have aged out of the orphanage care programs in Boca Grande Friendship Village II, which is located in Michaud.
Related Item: View Photos of the New Construction

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Nov. 3, 2014) – The Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee began working through the international relief and development organization, Food For The Poor, in 2009, and has built villages for families in Pierre Payen, Michaud, and Manneville, Haiti.

Now, the Hope for Haitians Committee has turned its attention to Gressier, a coastal community located between Port-au-Prince and Leogane. The town's slowly crumbling infrastructure and overcrowding was a problem long before the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, but the region suffered a devastating blow when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed nearly 50 percent of the area's buildings, leaving the town in shambles.

Fear of aftershocks sent many families seeking refuge within the rural parts of Petit Boucan, Gressier, where they have set up tents and formed a community. Today, there are still 60 families living in this makeshift camp that has become a dangerous and unsanitary place, especially for children. The Hope for Haitians Committee wants to relocate families from these tents to permanent housing.

“We can't stop now. Even after five years, we still have thousands living in tents and these conditions are not good, in fact they are deplorable. That is why we must continue,” said Ben Scott, Chairman of the Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee.

As the five-year anniversary of the earthquake approaches, Food For The Poor's compassion for the Caribbean nation has never been stronger.

“For nearly three decades Food For The Poor has stood with Haiti through a number of natural disasters. Since the earthquake, Food For The Poor has built 4,957 homes. This organization is more determined than ever to see Haiti rise out of the ashes of despair that nearly destroyed a country, but not the faith of its people,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “None of the work we do would be possible if it were not for the support of our donors. The Boca Grande Hope for Haitians Committee has not only shared their resources, but they’ve traveled to Haiti and gotten to know the people who are the recipients of their loving kindness.” 

Earlier this year, Boca Grande Hope for Haitians funded a fourth project of 32 two-room homes with water and sanitation in the poor community of Pon Batay, which included two solar-powered street lamps, 32 individual solar-powered lamps and 32 goats. The villages in Pierre Payen and Michaud also received recent upgrades. These included a wall and play area for the elementary school in Pierre Payen.

In Michaud, two dormitories for 20 boys and 20 girls who have aged out of the orphanage were built, and a much-needed medical clinic is now complete. The lives of these children and families within these villages have been greatly transformed and their communities are thriving.

“Those who helped with this project over the last five years should feel good about the difference they’ve made in the lives of 167 very poor families,” said Scott. “Most of these families came from tent cities and were forced to live there because of the 2010 earthquake.”

The Boca Grande Hope for Haitians will have a fundraiser on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 to build 30 more homes for the families in Petit Boucan, Gressier. Scott says he's prayerfully confident they will be able to raise enough funds to build these houses.

Committee members include: Chairmen Ben and Louise Scott, the Rev. Gary Beatty, the Rev. Brian Brightly, the Rev. Jerome Carosella, the Rev. Michelle Robertshaw, George and Lois Castrucci, Patricia Chapman, Randy and Sue Eddy, Charlie and Florita Field, Evelyn Finnegan, Lou and Corie Fusz, Stephen and Susan Jansen, Mick and Susan Johnson, Tom and Nancy Lorden, Colvin and Madelaine McCrady, Peter and Elsa Soderberg.

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.

Raffle for Car

A Raffle for a Cause, Win a 2015 Honda and Help the Poor

	The winning national raffle ticket for a 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid EX-L will be pulled Monday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. at the Coral Springs Auto Mall in Coral Springs, Fla. (This may or may not be the actual color of the car.)
Related Item: Enter the Raffle

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 31, 2014) – Food For The Poor works with donors and volunteers to raise awareness and money to help the truly destitute through a variety of creative ways, including a national car raffle.

The winning national raffle ticket for a 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid EX-L will be pulled on Monday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. at the Coral Springs Auto Mall in Coral Springs, Fla.

“The money from this raffle is a great benefit to Food For The Poor. The goal of this fundraiser, like all of the organization’s fundraisers, is to generate the necessary revenue to provide clean water, food, shelter and skills training to as many people as possible,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Monies from this one raffle will be multiplied hundreds of times and will afford us the opportunity to help the extreme poor. We appreciate the support of the Coral Springs Auto Mall and everyone who made this raffle possible.”

To enter the drawing to win the 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid EX-L, visit the charity’s secure website www.FoodForThePoor.org/raffle before 1 p.m. on Nov. 3. Those who plan to attend the live drawing at the dealership can purchase a raffle ticket any time before 4:59 p.m. President/CEO Mahfood will pull the winning ticket at 5 p.m.

Donations from the 2015 Honda raffle will be used to provide much needed aid to the poorest families in the Caribbean and Latin America. For additional information about the drawing please call 888-404-4248.  

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.

Charity Wins Awards

Charity Wins Prestigious Awards for Water, Housing Campaigns

	Food For The Poor wins the Direct Marketing Association's prestigious GOLD 2014 International ECHO™ Ultimate Team Awards. The international relief and development organization was honored for its direct mail campaigns “I Thirst” and “The Book of Maudiel” during the 2014 ECHO™ Awards Ceremony & Gala at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif., Tuesday night.
Related Items: See How Maudiel's Family Lives Watch Choupette's Trek to Get Water View Before and After Photographs

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2014) –  Access to clean drinking water and secure housing are out of reach for millions of children living in developing countries. For more than three decades, Food For The Poor has helped countless families by sharing their impactful stories through creative direct marketing campaigns.

The Direct Marketing Association has awarded Food For The Poor its GOLD 2014 DMA International ECHO™ Ultimate Team Awards for two of the charity’s direct marketing campaigns:

• “I Thirst” is the story of Choupette, a little girl in Haiti who had to leave her home early each day and trek down a rocky, treacherous mountainside to fill two one-gallon containers with contaminated, dirty water. Visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/quest to view a short video of Choupette's daily quest for water.
• “The Book of Maudiel” is the story of a little boy and his family who were in desperate need of safe and secure shelter in the rural mountains of Nicaragua. Visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/maudiel to view a short video about their dire living conditions.

The international relief and development organization was honored during the DMA 2014 International ECHO™ Awards Ceremony & Gala at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif., Tuesday night.

“Food For The Poor is extremely thankful for the prestigious recognition it has received from the DMA. Our talented creative team devoted many work hours into authentically capturing and sharing the daily routines of life for these children and their families in a compassionate, effective way,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “More importantly, thousands of lives will be changed for the better because of generous donors’ response to these compelling stories of children in dire need.”

ECHO™ Awards honor excellence in creativity, marketing strategy and response results in data-driven marketing campaigns. More than 1,000 entries were submitted by agencies and advertisers worldwide.

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.

Shaggy to Perform at Gala

Grammy award-winning reggae star Shaggy to celebrate gala milestone

	Shaggy (left) talks with Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood. Shaggy, a longtime supporter of the South Florida based-nonprofit, will perform at the 20th annual Building Hope Gala Feb. 6, 2015.
Related Item: Reserve Your Seat

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2014) – Come build homes and provide hope for Haiti with award-winning reggae artist, Shaggy, at Food For The Poor’s 20th annual Building Hope Gala, Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton. Attendees will be invited to create a legacy by pledging to build critically needed houses in Pon Batay, Haiti.

“Shaggy is a true friend of Food For The Poor,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood. “Thanks to Shaggy, the determination of Building Hope Gala committee members, and the South Florida community, Food For The Poor is positioned to build even more homes to commemorate the gala’s 20th anniversary.” 

Shaggy a longtime supporter of the South Florida based-nonprofit Food For The Poor, will perform at the 20th annual Building Hope Gala. Shaggy’s philanthropic giving is based on the premise that “to whom much is given, much is required.”

“The gift of a safe, secure home is a tremendous blessing for a family who lives in a crumbling one-room shack, and does not know where there next meal will come from,” said Mahfood. “A home offers more than shelter to a destitute family – it offers hope.”   

Since inception, Food For The Poor has built more than 91,000 housing units for people desperately in need of adequate shelter. A gift of $3,200 will move a destitute family from their dirt-floor makeshift shack in Pon Batay, into a permanent home. The community’s dire living conditions are compounded by the lack of clean drinking water in the area. Pon Batay residents must walk miles to the nearest community to fetch water from a well.

Supporters who donate a Food For The Poor home in advance of the Building Hope Gala will be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to New York Fashion Week in September 2015. The winner and guest will travel to New York in style, wearing custom-made dresses, selected by an A-List wardrobe stylist. Hotel and airfare accommodations are included in the package. Each home donated between Nov. 1 and midnight on February 5, 2015, will generate an entry for the drawing. The winning ticket will be pulled during the gala.

At the event, attendees will be able to bid on additional silent auction prizes, such as electronics, jewelry, vacations, golf and dining packages at Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive, Boca Raton, Fla. 33434. This year’s theme is old Hollywood glamor.

The Building Hope Gala committee has organized a pre-event party on Nov. 13 at Shop DNA, Royal Palm Place, 1000 Plaza Real S., Suite E, Boca Raton, FL 33432. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to Food For The Poor. Lea Black, from the cast of The Real Housewives of Miami Season 3, will attend the event. Please call Hillary Wallace at 888-404-4248 to request an invitation.

For additional information regarding the Building Hope Gala, sponsorship opportunities, and tickets, available at $250 per person, please call 888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/boca.

Committee members include Wedler Alexandre, Carlos Bodden, Matthew Bryant, Becky Carlsson, Gregory Fried, Ronda Ellis Ged, Erin Heit, Susan Krassen, Julie Mahfood, Rene Mahfood, Dan Overbey, Tashia Rahl, Candace Rojas, Kara Seelye, Dr. Deborah Shapiro, Renee Stetler and Max Tucci.

Gala sponsors include Leslie L. Alexander Foundation, Boca Raton Observer, Club Managers Association of America, Dennis Charley & Associates, Inc., Gregory’s Fine Jewelry, Oceans 234, Seaboard Marine, TD Bank, and Trinity Direct.

Shaggy won a Grammy for his album “Boombastic,” and was nominated for “It Wasn’t Me,” “Intoxication,” “Hotshot,” and “Summer in Kingston.” Shaggy has sold more than 20 million albums and has had seven number-one albums. Shaggy has also had eight number-one hit singles.

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.

Watchdog Rates FFP

Food For The Poor Named Largest International Charity in United States

	The charity watchdog survey also ranked Food For The Poor, which provides more than food, as the 11th largest overall charity out of 400 nonprofits surveyed nationwide.
Related Item: Meet the Children You Helped

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 20, 2014) – For the third consecutive year, The Chronicle of Philanthropy has ranked Food For The Poor the largest international relief and development organization in the United States. The annual survey lists the top charities that raise the most donations from private sources.

“The American people are extremely generous, and have saved the lives of those who have been recipients of their generosity,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Last year, thanks to our compassionate donors and God’s guidance, we provided more than $1 billion in aid and redevelopment projects.”

Food For The Poor shipped 3,518 tractor-trailer-loads of aid in 2013, providing vital resources to poverty-stricken children and families struggling to survive. Food For The Poor also continues to provide clean water, in addition to building homes, schools, training centers, and clinics. In 2013, the charity constructed 6,808 housing units – bringing the total to more than 91,000 housing units since inception.

“Together with our donors, we cry when a malnourished child dies, and celebrate when nutritious food is delivered in time to quell the hunger pains of other starving children,” Mahfood said. “Because of our loyal donors’ tremendous love, Food For The Poor will continue to be good stewards, and implement projects to reach an ever-wider circle of need.”

The charity watchdog survey also ranked Food For The Poor as the 11th largest overall charity out of 400 nonprofits surveyed nationwide, as well as the largest charitable organization in Florida. The rankings appear in the 23rd edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual “Philanthropy 400” report.

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.

Orlando Gala Success

Orlando Gala Raises Roofs for 28 Families in Haiti

	(L to R) Nicole Nasrallah and Dr. Lynne Nasrallah. During A Celebration of Hope gala, Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma recognized Dr. Lynne Nasrallah as an Ambassador For The Poor.
Related Items: Watch a Video of Life in Manneville Donate and Help Complete the Village

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2014) – Twenty-eight families in Haiti will receive Food For The Poor homes thanks to Orlando-area residents who attended the charity’s 15th annual A Celebration of Hope gala in Orlando on Saturday, Sept. 13. The permanent Food For The Poor homes will be constructed in Manneville, Haiti.

During A Celebration of Hope gala, presented by Rosen Shingle Creek and Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma recognized Dr. Lynne Nasrallah as an Ambassador For The Poor and presented her with a statue of Christ as a beggar. 

“It’s amazing to think that for 15 years, we have been changing the lives of the poor, lifting them out of poverty and giving them hope for the future,” said Dr. Nasrallah, the gala Chairwoman and member of Food For The Poor's Board of Directors. “Working with Food For The Poor, Orlando donors have built eight villages, and more than 864 homes. With your compassionate hearts, you have rescued the lives of thousands of vulnerable people; they were living in shacks, exposed to the elements, starving, desperate for a better life. Thank you for your generosity.”

Dr. Nasrallah closed her acceptance speech by introducing a video of her last trip to Haiti.

“I want all of you to join me on my pilgrimage back to Haiti, through a video,” said Dr. Nasrallah. “You are going to see what I saw when I was there last year; the needs of the poorest people in the poorest country, and what you have done to impact their lives.”

Master of ceremonies for this year’s A Celebration of Hope gala was Tom Sorrells, an Emmy award-winning meteorologist for WKMG Channel 6.

“I'm honored to participate in so many wonderful community events, but the Food For The Poor gala stands out in my mind as an evening that touched my heart and opened my mind,” said Sorrells. “I think the organization did a wonderful job of making sure that its meaningful work was the focal point of the night. The fact that I met so many wonderful people, and that the food and entertainment were both top-notch was just a bonus. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to host this worthwhile event, and look forward to watching it grow into the future.”

In addition to bidding on silent auction items, the attendees learned about Food For The Poor’s ongoing projects in Haiti from Food For The Poor’s Haiti Project Manager Delane Bailey-Herd.

In Haiti, Food For The Poor builds two-room, concrete block homes with zinc roofs, locking doors, and a front porch. The homes also include access to clean water, solar-power technology, and a bathroom with a flush toilet and shower stall.

To invest in the house-building initiative, please call 888-404-4248 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/orlando.

The gala’s presenting sponsor is Rosen Shingle Creek and Rosen Hotels & Resorts. Gala sponsors include Central Florida Marriott Business Council, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, McCoy Federal Credit Union, Orlando City Soccer, QuestMark Flooring, and S1-Safety 1st Drug Testing.

A Celebration of Hope gala executive committee members include Anibal and Maritza Beltran, Cynthia Hawkins, Patty Holland, Rebecca James, Marie Morales Johnson, Anis Khalaf, Kathy Kinchla, Brad Levine, Bernadette McComb, Rob and Elizabeth O’Brien, and Ryan Shaughnessy. Additional committee members include Linda Bonnewitz, The del Campo Family, The Compas Family, Janice Chong, Trevor and Freda Dieffenthaller, Jason Gingras, Nicole Nasrallah, Lisa Padilla, Nancy Padilla, Patricia Perfito, Anne Pinkosh, The Santana Family, Kelly Wilkes, Holly Wilson, and Jean and Donna Wilson.

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.

Haiti Clinic Revived

Rockford Residents Celebrate the Expansion of Their Biggest Village Yet in Haiti

	Andy and Florette Sokulski want to save as many lives as possible and have extended the fundraising for Food For The Poor’s Our Lady Of The Poor Medical Clinic in honor of their daughter, Julie Sokulski Hesser.
Related Item: Email Your Support of the Clinic

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2014) — Nine months of operational costs at Food For The Poor’s Our Lady Of The Poor Medical Clinic at the Bernard Mevs Hospital, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, will be covered, thanks to a Chicago couple intent on honoring the memory of their daughter. The Sept. 10 fundraiser in Streamwood, Illinois, was the ninth year the couple has gathered generous friends to help the poor.

Dedicated to saving as many lives as possible, Andy and Florette Sokulski have asked that fundraising in honor of their daughter, Julie Sokulski Hesser, be extended through the end of the year.

Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma and Food For The Poor Haiti Project Manager Delane Bailey-Herd spoke at the event and thanked attendees for their support.

“The compassion you show tonight will save lives,” said Aloma. “The majority of the clinic’s beneficiaries live in makeshift shacks, and struggle to earn a living. When the poor come to Our Lady Of The Poor Medical Clinic, they have full assurance that they will receive superior quality medical treatment.”

Thousands of patients benefit from and rely on the lifesaving medical services offered at this Food For The Poor sponsored clinic. The clinic’s AIDS Pediatric Care Center provides the poor with quality outpatient services, emergency treatment, diagnostic services through its state-of-the–art laboratory, surgical procedures, pharmaceutical products, and long-term chronic disease management.

“The lifesaving treatment patients receive at Food For The Poor’s Our Lady Of The Poor Medical Clinic is transformational,” said Bailey-Herd. “The clinic is an oasis and safe haven for babies that are born with malformations and need immediate medical attention. Here, they are loved and cared for, and given second chances.”

Since 2011, event proceeds have been used to modernize the Haiti hospital by building operating and recovery rooms, and purchasing new equipment. In 2012, Andy and Florette traveled to the Bernard Mevs Hospital to meet the hospital’s surgeons, and to see how patients benefited from their projects. Share in the Sokulski’s experience by watching their video at www.foodforthepoor.org/julie.

To make a donation to help cover the clinic’s monthly operational costs, please call 888-404-4248 or email carolc@foodforthepoor.com.

“When we face struggles, anxieties, joys and sorrows in our lives, it is good to know God has sent us help, and good people to laugh, support and have some fun as well,” said Florette Sokulski. “So much in this world is temporary, but friendships founded in Christ can be a lovely source of comfort and joy.”

When Andy and Florette lost their daughter at the age of 32, they were inspired to help others by Julie Sokulski Hesser’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, Ill., to create a living legacy in honor of their daughter through Food For The Poor projects.

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.