Geneva 5K

Screening of Girl Rising Sets Pace for Fourth Annual 5K Walk/Run in Geneva

	Money from the screening of Girl Rising at The Arcada Theatre in Saint Charles, Illinois, will provide life-changing educational opportunities for 82 children in Haiti.
Related Item: Register for the 5K Walk/Run

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 14, 2015) – Money from the screening of Girl Rising at The Arcada Theatre in Saint Charles, Illinois, will provide life-changing educational opportunities for 82 children in Haiti. The film has set the pace for the Hope For Haitians 5K Walk/Run For Education in Geneva, Illinois, which will fund yearly scholarships for children in Hope Friendship Village in Chastenoye, in Cap-Haitien, Haiti.

Girl Rising explores the power of education, as it documents the lives of nine girls born into unforgiving circumstances who courageously revolt against cultural norms to follow their dreams.

“Most people do not realize that there is no such thing as a free education for children in developing countries. One of the first steps necessary to break the cycle of poverty is a basic education,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “If a child’s parent doesn’t have the money for tuition, the uniform, or the school supplies – then that child does not attend school.”

With a month remaining, now is the time to register for the fourth annual Hope For Haitians 5K Walk/Run For Education on Saturday, May 9, at 8:30 a.m. at Kane County Government Center, 719 S. Batavia Avenue (Route 31), Geneva, Illinois.

Pre-registration is $25 for adults (13+), and is free for participants 12 and under. Registration is $30 for adults on the day of the event. All registered participants will receive a T-shirt, goodie bag, breakfast and access to activities for children. Registration is available online at www.FoodForThePoor.org/geneva.

For more information on the Hope For Haitians 5K Walk/Run For Education, contact Amy McTeague at 630-730-0227 or email Rachel Piering at rachelp@foodfoorthepoor.org.  Registration starts at 7:30 a.m., the walk/run begins at 8:30 a.m. The course is chip-timed. Medallions will be presented to first, second and third place finishers in each age bracket for both male and female runners. Children’s age brackets include 10 and under, 11-14, and 15-19.

Since 2001, Food For The Poor and Hope For Haitians have collaborated to improve the lives of destitute families in Haiti. Through the construction of new homes with access to safe drinking water, the implementation of sustainable development projects, and the funding of medical and education programs, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people have been positively transformed throughout the country.

The pre-event was supported by Ron Onesti, CEO/President of The Arcada Theatre, and Rosary High School in Aurora, Illinois.

Principal 5K Walk/Run event sponsors are the Lorden Family, Lou Bachrodt Automall and Chick-Fil-A. Additional sponsors include Colour Line Hair Salon, DMK Dentistry, Geneva Cruise and Travel, Kane County Chronicle, Kelly Orthodontics, and The Fresh Market.

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.

Swank Farms dinner

Darrin Swank leads the tour through the Loxahatchee Groves' hydroponic growing house. Photo/ Joe Skipper

Related Items:

• Reserve Your Seat
• See Photos from the Farm

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 10, 2015) – The final chance this season to dine al fresco and savor enticing farm-to-table meals prepared by renowned chefs is April 26 at Swank Specialty Produce, 14311 North Road, Loxahatchee, Fla. 33470. The Swank Table dinner theme is “Prime Cuts: A Beef Lover’s Paradise,” and proceeds will benefit Food For The Poor.

“We want to close the season with a bang. The meal is basically seven courses with dessert,” said Jodi Swank, who owns the farm with her husband Darrin. The dinner series began five years ago when Jodi hosted a dinner at the farm. Today the dinner series includes seven, sold-out events.

Guests will be greeted with a signature welcome drink prepared by Ryan Zemel, manager of Buccan, in Palm Beach, and sparkling nonalcoholic flavored water will be served by onli™ Beverages. Following bites by Whole Foods Market, guests will tour the Loxahatchee Groves’ hydroponic growing houses. Zucchini, squash, carrots and radishes will all be in season.

The family-style dinner in the Swank’s pole barn pays tribute to beef lovers, with chefs Chris Miracolo (S3, Fort Lauderdale); Isaac Cerny (Pistache French Bistro, West Palm Beach); Blake Malatesta (50 Ocean, Delray Beach); Jerry Valvano (Ganache 316, Boca Raton); Ryan Zemel (Buccan, Palm Beach); and sommelier Chris Birnie-Visscher. The event beverage sponsor Premier Beverage Company, LLC, and South Florida’s largest craft microbrewery, The Funky Buddha Brewery, will be on hand to serve wine and micro-crafts.

Entertainment will include a performance by The Andrew Morris Band, a country music band from South Florida.

Each ticket costs $155, and the dinner will be held rain or shine. To order tickets, please visit www.swankspecialtyproduce.com.

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.

Chlune’s Journey

Chlune’s Life-Changing Journey from Haiti to Boston

	Suzan and John Driscoll at Massachusetts Hospital School with Chlune on March 30, 2015.
Related Items: See More Photos of Chlune Join Us on a Mission Trip

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 2, 2015) As millions worldwide prepare for what is considered by many the holiest day of the year, this Easter Sunday will be even more special for one Boston-area family and an 8-year-old Haitian girl who captured their hearts.

Chlune Dorviler‘s life has been forever transformed by the kindness of a loving couple. John and Suzan Driscoll are preparing a special kind of hospitality for a loving little girl whom they affectionately refer to as their “little angel.”

In 2013, longtime Food For The Poor supporter John Driscoll took his first mission trip to Haiti with the charity. On his second trip to the Caribbean nation in April 2014, this time with his wife Suzan at his side, he visited the Little Children of Jesus orphanage. While there, they caught sight of a jovial little girl chatting and laughing with Food For The Poor-Haiti Missions & Travel Officer Huguette Guerre, who would later play a vital role in Chlune’s journey.

Chlune was born in Torbeck, Les Cayes, Haiti, in 2006. She has hydrocephaly, which is the buildup of excess fluid in the brain. By the time Chlune was 5, the weight of her head was approximately 25 pounds. Three years ago, after it was determined by her family they could not provide for her care, she was sent to live at the Little Children of Jesus orphanage near Port-au-Prince, which is supported by Food For The Poor.

Suzan, a retired educator, was moved by what she saw and told her husband they had to help this child with the magnetic personality to get the medical care she desperately needed.

“My wife has worked with special needs children her whole life, setting a wonderful example for our family,” said John. “God has been so good to me and my family. I feel it’s my obligation to help others to achieve a better quality of life.” 

After eight months of planning, an international patient placement operation was set in motion. With the support of doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital, who had agreed to treat her, Chlune arrived in Massachusetts from Haiti, on Dec. 8, 2014 with her father, Vanel Dorviler, and Madame Guerre to serve as their interpreter.

The John and Suzan Driscoll Family Foundation, through Food For The Poor, paid for Chlune’s travel and some of the medical expenses, along with the travel and room and board of Chlune’s father. Sadly, three days after her arrival, Chlune began having seizures and was placed in a medically induced coma. That’s when doctors determined there was nothing more they could do surgically.

Chlune’s father was disappointed when he learned that no surgery would take place. However, John and Suzan were adamant that Chlune would not return to Haiti in the same condition she arrived. Providing her with a better life became their focus.

“The Little Children of Jesus orphanage is a blessing beyond words for dozens of children, many who have severe physical disabilities,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “The loving staff at the orphanage is giving these children the best care possible, but life in Haiti is not easy and it is especially difficult for a child who needs constant medical care. What the Driscoll family is doing for Chlune is truly a miracle for this vibrant little girl.” 

After her recovery in the hospital, a number of possibilities were explored. On Jan. 20, 2015, Chlune was admitted to the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton, a beautiful campus that is home to 95 physically disabled children and teens. Chlune, unlike some children who have received minimal treatment for hydrocephaly, has good cognitive skills and is receiving one-on-one care from physicians, therapists, and educators.

Chlune’s father Vanel and Madame Guerre have since returned to Haiti, but not before witnessing the miraculous milestones in her young life. She can sit up longer, feed herself, and color in books. Chlune loves attending school and is even learning to speak English. Her father, who has the necessary visa to come and visit her from Haiti, is overwhelmed by the support of the Massachusetts Hospital School and the generosity of the Driscolls, who have fallen in love with his daughter.

“This has been a team effort with so many people working together to help this little girl. We can’t thank them enough,” said John Driscoll. “I have been a supporter of many causes my entire life, but to be available to help someone on a personal level is so much more gratifying than giving money.”

On Saturday, the Driscolls will make the 40-mile drive to Massachusetts Hospital School and surprise Chlune with an overnight stay at their North Reading home, where a lovely dress and shoes await her. Dr. Gerald Paul and his wife Gertrude, who befriended the Driscolls during Chlune’s stay at Boston Children’s Hospital, also are invited. 

On Sunday morning, Chlule will attend her first Easter Service in America with the Driscolls and their five grandsons, along with the Paul family, an event no one could have ever imagined one year ago.

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.

Offenders Released for Easter

Food For The Poor Releases Nonviolent Prisoners for Easter's Holy Week

	(L to R) David Mair, Food For The Poor-Jamaica Executive Director; and Sandra Ramsey, Food For The Poor’s Jamaica Prison Ministry Program manager, released prisoners at St. Catherine Adult Correctional Center who were jailed because of their inability to pay small fines.
Related Item: See Photos of the Release

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 1, 2015) – To prepare for Easter’s Holy Week, Food For The Poor donors offered second chances to 56 nonviolent prisoners in Jamaica (20), Honduras (16), Haiti (15), and Guyana (5). These prisoners, who were jailed because of their inability to pay small fines, are now able to celebrate the resurrection of Christ with their families.

“As the released inmates move from the darkness into the light, we pray they will recognize that God is merciful, and He is a God of second chances,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “You will open the eyes of the blind and set free those who sit in dark prisons…” (Isaiah 42:7, GNT).

On March 19 in Haiti, a Food For The Poor mission group entered the Cap-Haitien barracks to pay the fines of 15 nonviolent offenders.

“We have all heard of Third-World prisons, but seeing one is another experience altogether,” said Jim Christie, a Business Development Manager at Performance Services. “There were faces pressed against the cell bars and heavy metal mesh fencing with several arms and hands sticking out of small holes in the fencing. The cell was so dense with the faces and bodies pressing against the bars that you could not see light coming through from behind the prisoners.”

“Our prison ministry program included washing the feet of the prisoners, providing them a new pair of shoes through Samaritan’s Feet, praying over them for God’s graces, and then paying for their release back into society. The entire experience was overwhelming. The lack of hope in these prisoners’ eyes was extremely disturbing,” said Christie.

The Performance Services group paid the $327 fine to release a 13-year-old who broke a car window, while throwing stones with friends. The money had been raised through T-shirt sales before the mission trip.

The young man, who had been incarcerated for more than a month, said, “My parents are unable to come to my aid. That’s why I am so sad. But in the cell of the prison, I learned how to pray. I ask you to pray for me, my family, my friends, especially those who were in the same cell.”

In Guyana, another young prisoner was among the five inmates who were released on March 23 from Georgetown Prison and Timehri Prison.

The 17-year-old, a first-time offender who served 20 days of his six-week sentence for stealing a duck, was released after his fines were paid by Food For The Poor donors. The grateful young man told Food For The Poor-Guyana Chairman Paul Chan-a-Sue that he looks forward to being reunited with his mother and younger sisters.

Mahfood, who spoke to the freed prisoners by phone, cautioned and challenged them to never return to prison. The newly released prisoners were provided travel money and care packages.

A total of 20 inmates were released from several prisons and police stations in Jamaica on March 25 and 26. Many of the misdemeanors included traffic offenses and larceny.

The sole female inmate to be released in Jamaica was from Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Center.

“I was seated outside and a superintendent came up to me and said I should go in the chapel, so I obeyed her orders. Oh Jesus, I can’t tell you just how happy I was to hear my name, I had no idea that I would receive my freedom. I was trembling,” she said, with tears in her eyes. “When I heard my name I thought I was just getting a gift, then it was announced that Food For The Poor was paying my fine to leave the institution. I couldn’t even speak. I couldn’t move from my seat. I thank you all for this gift.”

“I want you to remember that everything in life works for your good once you have God as the center of your life,” said David Mair, Food For The Poor-Jamaica Executive Director, to inmates at St. Catherine Adult Correctional Center. “You should thank Him for this blessing you have received. I have worked for 18 years in corporate Jamaica, but in the eight months I have been at Food For The Poor, I have learned so much more as it relates to serving others. I consider Food For The Poor a strong arm for the Lord in this regard. To the inmates, I encourage you to help somebody just as you have been helped.”

While in prison, one inmate declined to receive the money his family sent to pay his fine, so his brother could receive medical treatment.

“I have a younger brother who is 14 years old,” said the 21-year-old, who was sentenced to 30 days for larceny. “While in prison, my mother told me that he was getting sick because of issues with asthma but she didn’t have the money to get him treatment. I love my brother dearly so I figured it was best for me to stay in prison and learn from my mistakes. It was better for me to live here for a while than to see my brother get severely sick, so I gave my mother the money to take care of his medical fees.”

When he learned that Food For The Poor was giving him a second chance, he said, “I appreciate this so much. I am really thankful for this assistance and I am really excited about going home to see my brother and mother.”

Since the inception of Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program in Jamaica in 1998, the charity has assisted in freeing, training and reintroducing prisoners back into the community. Prison authorities have found Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program to be so successful that they have implemented a similar program themselves. Some prisons now offer inmates jobs in the prison where they are held so that they can earn money to pay off their fines.

The final Easter prison release came on March 27 in Honduras. Sixteen prisoners wrote notes of gratitude to Food For The Poor donors, reflecting on past decisions, and the circumstances that led to their imprisonment.

Twice a year – during the week of Christmas and during Easter’s Holy Week – the Food For The Poor Prison Ministry Program releases inmates who have committed minor offenses. The ministry is based on the scripture, “…I was in prison and you visited me…,” (Matthew 25: 31-46).

To support Food For The Poor’s Prison Ministry Program, checks payable to Food For The Poor can be mailed to 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Fla. 33073. Please include reference number “SC# 74122” to ensure your donation is correctly routed.

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.

New Executive at FFP-Haiti

Food For The Poor-Haiti Names New Executive Director

	Bishop Ogé Beauvoir, the incoming Executive Director/FFP Haiti Office, will be responsible for the charity’s operations within the country and provide a vital link to the organization in the U.S.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 26, 2015) – The Board of Directors for Food For The Poor-Haiti has named Bishop Ogé Beauvoir as Executive Director/FFP Haiti Office. He will be responsible for the charity’s operations within the country and provide a vital link to the organization in the United States. The appointment is effective on May 1.

Bishop Beauvoir brings a depth of knowledge about the country, having been born there and then serving in the country as a missionary and priest. He was educated in Canada, receiving degrees at the Université de Montreal and the Montréal Diocesan Theological College. Ordained as a priest by the Anglican Church of Canada, he then returned to Haiti where he worked as a leader in education before traveling as a missionary in Africa and the Middle East.

"I look forward to working with FFP to help reduce poverty in Haïti and to empower families,” said Bishop Beauvoir, upon accepting the position.

He is currently Bishop-in-charge of the Northern Region of the Episcopal diocese of Haiti, a role he will relinquish when he begins work with Food For The Poor.

“In collaborating with Bishop Ogé Beauvoir through the church in Haiti, we have seen firsthand how he pours his heart and soul into work on behalf of the poor,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood. “He truly is a man of the people, and as we have walked with him through slums and prisons, we have witnessed his compassion and dedication to improve the lives of the people in his country. We are tremendously pleased to have him join our work at Food For The Poor.”

Bishop Beauvoir will be replacing Kareen Dolce, who has served as executive director of FFP/Haiti since March 2009.

“Madame Dolce has been a blessing to the people of Haiti and to Food For The Poor in one of the most tumultuous times in our experience of serving the country. Her work immediately after the earthquake, and in the rebuilding efforts since then, has been nothing less than heroic,” Mahfood said. “We will always be grateful to her, and we ask that God continue to bless her.”

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.

Schools in Jamaica

Food For The Poor Expands
Jamaica 50/50 School-Building Campaign

	Students and teachers of the New Testament Early Childhood Development Center express their gratitude for their new school.
Related Items: Request a Speaker Give the Gift of Literacy Watch Jamaica 50/50 Campaign Launch See Photos of the School

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 26, 2015) – Food For The Poor’s campaign to construct or structurally improve 50 basic schools throughout Jamaica in 50 months has been completed, 18 months ahead of schedule. Thanks to strong corporate and individual support, the “Jamaica 50/50” school-building initiative has been expanded to an additional 25 schools.

New Testament Early Childhood Development Center in St. Catherine, Jamaica, was the 50th basic school in the charity’s Jamaica 50/50 campaign to be completed.

“Food For The Poor’s school-building campaign was a gift from our donors to the people of Jamaica to commemorate the nation's 50th anniversary of independence,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor President/CEO.  “In developing countries, poverty-stricken parents often cannot afford to send their children to school. Food For The Poor’s school-building program works to improve literacy and ensure that the poorest children receive nutritious meals island-wide.”

Food For The Poor donors from Hope Lutheran Church in Bonita Springs, Florida, rallied to raise money to complete New Testament Early Childhood Development Center after they learned about the critical need for schools in Jamaica from Food For The Poor speaker Pastor John Buuck.

Students at Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, in addition to building a Food For The Poor home, also raised money to assist the students in Jamaica after they heard Pastor Buuck speak.

“Once we learned of Pastor Buuck's goal to build a school, it was determined that if Faith Lutheran surpassed their goal of building a house, the additional funds would be added to his congregation’s goal to build the school,” said Julie Buuck, Director of Student Life at Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School, and also Pastor Buuck’s daughter-in-law. “What a great idea – a school helping to build a school.”

Pastor Buuck attended the school’s dedication ceremony on March 3, and said the new school has made a remarkable difference in the community. He was impressed at how drastically improved the learning conditions were in comparison to those he saw in July 2014 when he helped to select the school.

Others attending the ceremony included Bishop of Montego Bay and Board Member of Food For The Poor, The Very Rev. Burchell McPherson; Jamaica’s Minister of Education, The Honourable Reverend Ronald Thwaites; and Food For The Poor-Jamaica Chairman Andrew Mahfood.

"I want to begin by expressing, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Food For The Poor for its continued support for education,” said Minister Thwaites during the dedication ceremony. “Specifically, we commend the organization for sticking to its commitment to build and upgrade 50 basic schools in 50 months as a gift to Jamaica and Jamaicans for the island's Golden Jubilee.
"You not only said it, you did it. This is in line with the government's overall policy to lift up the weakest in the society," said Minister Thwaites.

"We are so thrilled and happy to have received the 50th school building from Food For The Poor as part of their Jamaica 50/50 Campaign," said Veronica Baker, Principal of New Testament Early Childhood Development Center. "We had no school building in the past. We were behind the church in a space that was not suitable for teaching young children. Now, we have a wonderful building."

For information regarding Food For The Poor’s school-building initiative, or to support the program, please call 954-427-2222 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

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.

Donors Build 100K Homes

Food For The Poor Surpasses 100,000 Housing Milestone

	With a new Food For The Poor home, this family in Honduras has received a second chance in life thanks to the charity's generous donors.
Related Items: Learn More about Maudiel’s Story Documentary Illustrates Housing Needs See Photos of Families in their Homes

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 23, 2015) – Food For The Poor’s generous donors have built more than 100,000 housing units for destitute families in the Caribbean and Latin America. The desperate living conditions of the poor inspired Food For The Poor to begin its home building initiative in 1985 in Jamaica.

Food For The Poor’s homes are well-built, safe and secure. These permanent homes not only benefit the families receiving them, but also provide much-needed work for local laborers. With the help of donors, Food For The Poor is on schedule this year to build approximately 8,000 housing units.

Food For The Poor donors constructed 7,367 housing units in 2014 and gifted them to destitute families. The greatest number of homes were built in Jamaica (2,057 housing units), Honduras (1,812), Haiti (1,774), and Nicaragua (1,594).

Special housing matches have fueled Food For The Poor’s ability to help change the dire circumstances of destitute families. Through the end of 2015, generous friends of Food For The Poor have offered to match any gift received to build homes in Nicaragua, Honduras and Jamaica. This means that every gift received to build a home in these countries will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

“The poor live in very dangerous situations and struggle with overwhelming circumstances every day,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor President/CEO. “It is difficult for many of us to imagine what it must be like to be surrounded by rain-soaked, muddy floors, and walls made of plastic on a daily basis. To escape a life of poverty, destitute families need a proper roof over their heads, clean water and sanitation.”

Click here to watch a photo documentary that illustrates the critical need for housing that exists in developing countries. 

Dilapidated shacks made of scraps of wood, metal, plastic and cardboard offer little protection from the elements, insects and rodents. As a result, illness and disease are rampant, especially among those who are most vulnerable — the young and elderly. In addition, the poor who live in these conditions are particularly devastated by natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and hurricanes.

Last year, Food For The Poor donors built then 4-year-old Maudiel and his family a new, solid home in Nicaragua. By replacing the family’s primitive shack, which was strung together with dried palm fronds and ripped plastic tarps, Maudiel can now sleep peacefully through the night. He no longer wakes scared when the wind rattles the roof, or worries that the rain will turn the floor into mud. His new Food For The Poor house keeps him safe. Learn more about Maudiel’s story here.

In 1995, Food For The Poor-Haiti began a housing program and began building homes in Cite Soleil. Since then, 11,068 double-unit homes have been built in Haiti, 5,015 of them since the earthquake in January 2010. These sturdy homes provide the poor with shelter, safety and hope for the future.

A gift of $3,200 will build a single-unit home with sanitation; a gift of $6,400 will build a double-unit home with sanitation and a water component. In countries like Haiti, where the average household has seven members, Food For The Poor builds only double-unit homes by combining two single-unit donations.

For information regarding Food For The Poor’s home building initiative, or to support the program, please call 954-427-2222 or visit www.FoodForThePoor.org/home.

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.