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Food For The Poor

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    • Coconut Creek nonprofit stepping up to send aid to Haiti-nbcmiami.com

      Coconut Creek nonprofit stepping up to send aid to Haiti-nbcmiami.com

      MIAMI, FLA. (Mar. 13, 2024) “In response to the escalating violence in Haiti, organizations in South Florida are working to provide aid to families in need. Food for the Poor in Coconut Creek has everything from food and water to medical equipment, ready to go the politically unstable country, but organizers say they are running […]

    • South Florida mobilizes aid amidst escalating violence in Haiti- caribbeannationalweekly.com

      South Florida mobilizes aid amidst escalating violence in Haiti- caribbeannationalweekly.com

      DAVIE, FLA. (Mar. 14, 2024) “As violence continues to grip Haiti, organizations based in South Florida are mobilizing efforts to provide much-needed assistance to affected families. Among them, Coconut Creek’s Food for the Poor stands ready with essential supplies ranging from food and water to medical equipment.” To read the full article, click here.

    • OA raises $1,500 for Honduras Project-news.yahoo.com

      OA raises $1,500 for Honduras Project-news.yahoo.com

      GREENSBURG, IND. (Feb. 19, 2024) “Oldenburg Academy has announced the success of its recent fundraising efforts during Catholic Schools Week. The OA community collected funds to contribute to the construction of 52 single-dwelling homes in the village of Cucuyagua, Honduras… “It is always delightful to witness the spirit of giving within our OA community as we endeavor […]

    • Starr Computers partners with NGOs to enhance education in Berbice-guyanachronicle.com

      Starr Computers partners with NGOs to enhance education in Berbice-guyanachronicle.com

      GUYANA (Feb. 19, 2024) “IN a bid to fortify educational resources in the Berbice community, Starr Computers has made a significant stride by donating Smart Labs to two pivotal institutions:- the Guyana Police Force Academy Berbice Campus and the New Amsterdam Technical Institute. This philanthropic endeavour, in collaboration with Food for the Poor Guyana Inc. […]

    • Food For The Poor, Starr Computers and St Francis Collaborate to Donate IT Labs to Region Six-stabroeknews.com

      Food For The Poor, Starr Computers and St Francis Collaborate to Donate IT Labs to Region Six-stabroeknews.com

      GUYANA (Feb. 19, 2024) “Food For The Poor (Guyana) Inc (FFTP) in partnership with Starr Computers and St Francis Community Developers donated two new upgraded Information Technology Labs to Region Six. According to a press release, the labs, located at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute and the Guyana Police Force Training Academy, represent a significant […]

    • Obituary: Father Gary Norman-dcourier.com

      Obituary: Father Gary Norman-dcourier.com

      PRESCOTT, AZ (Feb. 7, 2024) “Father Gary Norman, a senior priest of the Diocese of Yakima, who was being treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center following an auto accident and subsequent stroke Jan. 22, died on Jan. 31, 2024, at the medical center. …Father Norman was 79 and had been living in Prescott, […]

    • An agreement signed between Taiwan and Food For the Poor Haiti for the donation of 8240 tons of rice-tripfoumi.com

      An agreement signed between Taiwan and Food For the Poor Haiti for the donation of 8240 tons of rice-tripfoumi.com

      HAITI (Jan. 27, 2024) “A memorandum of understanding was signed on Friday, January 26, 2024, between Taiwan and Food For The Poor Haiti for the donation of 8,240 tons of rice. Several personalities, including the Taiwanese ambassador, Wen-Jiann KU, the Executive Director of Food for the Poor Haiti, Mario Nicoleau, took part in the signing […]

    • Neida Sandoval celebrates links with Cepudo and Food For The Poor in San Pedro Sula-elpais.hn

      Neida Sandoval celebrates links with Cepudo and Food For The Poor in San Pedro Sula-elpais.hn

      HONDURAS (Feb. 2, 2024) “The renowned Honduran journalist, Neida Sandoval, during her visit to the industrial capital of Honduras, San Pedro Sula, celebrated, together with authorities from the Municipality of Sampedrana, her connection with the Cepudo and Food For The Poor organizations.” To read the full article, click here.

    • Haiti’s Crisis: International Aid and Security Discussions Amid Human Rights and Political Unrest-bnnbreaking.com

      Haiti’s Crisis: International Aid and Security Discussions Amid Human Rights and Political Unrest-bnnbreaking.com

      HONG KONG (Jan. 27, 2024) Throughout 2023, the human rights landscape in Haiti has been profoundly marred. According to human rights defender, Gérald Guillaume, a shocking 155 rapes were recorded in the department of Grande Anse, with an overwhelming 139 involving minors. This distressing statistic is a stark reminder of the depth of the crisis […]

    • San Pedro Sula Mayor’s Office Awards Recognition to Journalist Neida Sandoval-tiempo.hn

      San Pedro Sula Mayor’s Office Awards Recognition to Journalist Neida Sandoval-tiempo.hn

      HONDURAS (Feb. 2, 2024) “Neida told Diario Tiempo that she was very happy with the reception she received from the San Pedro Sula mayor’s office. …in addition, she assured that she accepts the commitment to be an ambassador for Food For The Poor and CEPUDO.” To read more, click here.

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    • Food For The Poor’s Hope Fest Invites Community to See Charity Up Close on Saturday

      Food For The Poor’s Hope Fest Invites Community to See Charity Up Close on Saturday

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 1, 2025) – Food For The Poor (FFTP) is welcoming the South Florida community from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday for Hope Fest, an event with building tours, children’s activities, food trucks, and mission-driven fun. The event will take place at the charity’s Coconut Creek headquarters, 6401 Lyons Road. Admission […]

    • Hurricane Preparedness Week: FFTP Prepositions Critical Relief Supplies Ahead of Hurricane Season

      Hurricane Preparedness Week: FFTP Prepositions Critical Relief Supplies Ahead of Hurricane Season

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 28, 2025) – When Hurricane Beryl hit Jamaica as a Category 4 storm last July – bringing a wave of deadly destruction barely a month into hurricane season – Food For The Poor (FFTP) and its partners were ready. Weeks before the season began, FFTP had hundreds of disaster preparedness kits […]

    • Hope Fest on May 3 Kicks Off Week of Compassion Ahead of Food For The Poor Day

      Hope Fest on May 3 Kicks Off Week of Compassion Ahead of Food For The Poor Day

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 22, 2025) – For many children in Honduras, the chance to run, learn, and dream without pain is out of reach. This year, Food For The Poor (FFTP) is taking bold steps to change that. With the theme “Health Fuels Dreams,” FFTP is launching a special campaign for Food For The […]

    • Food For The Poor Restores Dignity and Freedom Through Prison Ministry Program

      Food For The Poor Restores Dignity and Freedom Through Prison Ministry Program

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 17, 2025) – This Holy Week, 53 prisoners walked out of prison as living testaments to compassion, mercy, and the power of second chances, thanks to Food For The Poor’s (FFTP) Prison Ministry Program. With support from generous donors, the charity paid the fines of nonviolent offenders in Haiti and Guyana, […]

    • Honduras Bridge Dedicated in Honor of CEPUDO’s Linda Coello

      Honduras Bridge Dedicated in Honor of CEPUDO’s Linda Coello

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 2, 2025) – In a tribute to her decades of service to the people of Honduras, Linda Coello, Founder and President of CEPUDO and a member of Food For The Poor’s (FFTP) Board of Directors, was honored with the dedication of the Linda Coello Bridge on Friday in San Pedro Sula. […]

    • World Water Day: FFTP Donors Send Huge Wave of Support for Vulnerable Families

      World Water Day: FFTP Donors Send Huge Wave of Support for Vulnerable Families

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 27, 2025) – Maria, a 32-year-old community leader in a sustainable community development in El Tablón, Guatemala, is one of the fortunate ones. Her community has access to clean water and now, thanks to generous Food For The Poor (FFTP) donors, more vulnerable children and families in Latin America and the […]

    • World Water Day: Food For The Poor Brings Hope to Families Facing the Scarcity of Water

      World Water Day: Food For The Poor Brings Hope to Families Facing the Scarcity of Water

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 18, 2025) – For 24-year-old Ximora, living in La Hierbabuena, Guatemala, the simple act of getting water is an exhausting, daily battle. Every day, she embarks on a grueling 97-minute trek on foot with her father, navigating steep hillsides, dense brush, and barbed-wire fences just to collect enough water for her […]

    • International School Meals Day: School Feeding Programs Offer a Lifeline to Vulnerable Children

      International School Meals Day: School Feeding Programs Offer a Lifeline to Vulnerable Children

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 13, 2025) – For Jenny and other parents whose children attend Our Lady of Victory school in Balan, Haiti, the school feeding program brings a level of comfort that their children will have at least one healthy meal each day. “Sometimes, due to financial difficulties, we consider not sending our children […]

    • Women Lead the Way: Stories of Strength and Hope on International Women’s Day

      Women Lead the Way: Stories of Strength and Hope on International Women’s Day

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 7, 2025) – For Silvia in Guatemala, progress means seeing young women in her community break barriers that once seemed impossible. In Honduras, Lorenza remembers when opportunities for women like her felt out of reach. Today, thanks to support from Food For The Poor (FFTP) donors and programs, she’s not only […]

    • FFTP Celebrates International Women’s Day by Investing in the Future of Women and Girls

      FFTP Celebrates International Women’s Day by Investing in the Future of Women and Girls

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 3, 2025) – In honor of International Women’s Day, Food For The Poor (FFTP) is celebrating the power of investing in women and girls with the theme “Invest in Girls Today to Empower the Women of Tomorrow.” Through sustainable programs that provide education, job training, and health care, FFTP is committed […]

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    • Be Prepared: 5 Principles That Drive Emergency Response Efforts

      Be Prepared: 5 Principles That Drive Emergency Response Efforts

      Emergencies can upend lives in an instant, especially for families already struggling with poverty. Natural disasters, conflict, and health and humanitarian crises can erase livelihoods, destroy homes, and push communities deeper into despair. When crisis strikes, emergency response can mean the difference between survival and devastation. Having the right plans and resources in place can […]

    • Health Care Access in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Lifeline for Families in Poverty

      Health Care Access in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Lifeline for Families in Poverty

      Why Health Care Access for Families in Poverty Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean Families living in poverty urgently need health care access in Latin America and the Caribbean. When individuals are struggling in poverty, gaining access to health care is nearly impossible. Parents face so many challenges to find basic medical treatment for […]

    • Water and Sanitation: A Lifeline for Health and Sustainability

      Water and Sanitation: A Lifeline for Health and Sustainability

      Clean water and proper sanitation are more than just essential resources. They are powerful forces for change, creating the foundation of public health, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Yet, millions of people still lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. This crisis only fuels the spread of diseases, hinders education, and deepens poverty. […]

    • Cultivating Hope: Empowering Women Through Training and Economic Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean

      Cultivating Hope: Empowering Women Through Training and Economic Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean

      How Food For The Poor Transforms Lives by Equipping Women With the Tools for Sustainable Success In the heart of Latin America and the Caribbean, the challenges of poverty often fall heaviest on women. Yet, when equipped with the right tools and opportunities, women can become powerful agents of change in their communities. Food For […]

    • 4 Essential Ways Capacity Building Drives Community Development

      4 Essential Ways Capacity Building Drives Community Development

      According to The United Nations, community development is defined as “a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems.” It’s a means of bringing people together to identify challenges and create solutions that drive lasting change. [1] But true transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It is cultivated by empowering […]

    • Share Your Blessings: Provide Hope This December

      Share Your Blessings: Provide Hope This December

      Year-End Giving: Transform Lives, Spread Hope December is a time of reflection, gratitude, and giving. It’s a season that invites us to open our hearts and extend love to others. In this blog, you will: • Discover the power of year-end giving and the impact it has on children, families, and communities across Latin America […]

    • Three Ways Unity Through Giving Empowers Positive Change

      Three Ways Unity Through Giving Empowers Positive Change

      In a world filled with division, unity through giving emerges as a powerful force for positive change. When we share our time, talent, and resources, we forge connections that transform lives. Giving isn’t just about charity, it’s a catalyst for shared strength. It is generosity in action. The very act of giving is an act […]

    • Empowering Latin America and the Caribbean: Building Lasting Food Security

      Empowering Latin America and the Caribbean: Building Lasting Food Security

      Tackling Malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean Lack of access to nutritious food affects food securityOne of the biggest contributors to malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean is inadequate access to healthy foods. This lack of access leaves many without the necessary support or training to maintain a nutritious diet. “Food security is […]

    • Hispanic Heritage Month: FFTP Honors Team Members

      Hispanic Heritage Month: FFTP Honors Team Members

      This National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, Food For The Poor is excited to highlight our Hispanic team members who are dedicated to our mission of supporting those in need throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Childhood Experiences Set the Stage for Maria Fernanda Rios’ Work at Food For The Poor As […]

    • 3 Projects Shaping the Future Through Generational Change

      3 Projects Shaping the Future Through Generational Change

      Food For The Poor celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions that define the vibrant communities in the countries where we serve. It is a powerful reminder of the resilience of heritage and the potential to shape the future through generational change. Driving Generational Change One of the most compelling […]

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Honduras: The agony and the ecstasy

November 22, 2021May 10, 2023 FFTP Digital

I recently returned from another inspirational trip to Honduras. It is always good to visit with Linda Coello, her blood relatives and her extended family that comprise the organization of which she is president – CEPUDO. They are the people who do a great job of distributing the goods that we send for that country and who are our partners in projects that include the building of houses and water wells for the poor. Together with our excellent partners from the ICDF (Taiwan), CEPUDO manages the self-sustainable projects that we fund through the loving generosity of our donors. These projects include tilapia and shrimp farming, animal husbandry projects and agricultural projects.

Besides, my Taiwanese friend, Samuel, keeps me well supplied with a delicious Chinese treat pronounced “WAH – MAE” that I discovered in my years in Jamaica. It’s a dry salted plum that tastes a lot better than it sounds – and it’s very high roughage! :o)

Food For The Poor Honduras Tilapia Project.

Our first stop was in an area called Rio Lindo (Pretty River), in the neighborhood called El Borboton. Here the community had been giving a 20 acre piece of land and the government of the time had started to build cement ponds for the farming of fish. The funds ran out and the project was abandoned. The community waited and waited for help to continue the project, but the only thing they got was empty promises.

Along comes our caring donor and friend, Chris Cotter, and his generous contribution delivers the people from their 20-year bondage. Food For The Poor, in partnership with CEPUDO and ICDF (Taiwan), built two enormous ponds and filled the six existing cement ponds for the purpose of tilapia and shrimp farming. We inaugurated the project that day and we released 20,000 fingerlings into each of the new ponds. The fingerlings will mature in 4-6 months. I discovered that when the project is fully functional, it will produce 24,000 lbs. of fish every month! But that’s not all…

Chris also funded a third pond, connected to the two huge ones, which would serve as a catchment area for the water running off the fish ponds, containing the waste from the tilapia. This catchment pond would then feed a canal system that would in turn irrigate and fertilize a few acres of agricultural land that would be planted out with vegetables of different types. The men of the community would take care of the tilapia farming, while the women would be in charge of the agricultural part. We presented the women with a gas tiller and they were thrilled. They all looked so empowered.

You could cut the happiness with a knife – it was so palpable.

Pig Poo Power: Swine waste used to power homes.

The second stop was in Comayagua, in the neighborhood called La Isla. Here we saw an amazing pig project also funded through the generosity of our donors. Ten families in this community were selected for this project and each of them had two cement pig-pens built in their back yards. They were each given 20 high quality piglets to raise for meat. When the pigs reached 200 pounds each, they would be sold. The family would then replace the 20 pigs sold with piglets, keep the profit, and start the business cycle again. Our partners from Taiwan took care of the training and the butchering. What a great transformation, coming from extreme poverty to become self-sustainable entrepreneurs.

There was another aspect from this project that truly appealed to my environmentalist side. I was shown, first hand, how the waste from the pens would be washed, three times per day, into two large plastic containers. These containers would be rigged with a plastic tube that led out of the containers and into the house. The captured pig feces would produce the gas methane, which would travel through the tube and into the little kitchen. Here it would be connected to a stove and to a lamp, and so the methane would allow them both to cook and to see at night. I was amazed. Nothing was wasted – not even the waste!

The mother of the household was kind enough to cook some tortillas on the griddle with the methane gas and to demonstrate the use of the lamp. She explained that at any time they have a supply of methane that can last them in excess of seven hours.

I left La Isla feeling so good about our work and so thankful that we have caring donors who really want to transform the lives of those whom they may never meet.

By far, our most emotional activity was the inauguration of 159 two bedroom homes in the municipality of Danli, in the area called San Marcos de Abajo in the department of El Paraiso. In August of 2010, a number of communities of that area that were located by the side of the river because of the easy proximity to water, were severely affected by a two hour flash flood that caused the river to rise and devastated the entire community, damaging many homes and completely sweeping away 159 houses, leaving a large number of people homeless and six families mourning the loss of life of their loved ones.

Food For The Poor gives flood victims new homes in Danli, Honduras.

The country responded with an unprecedented display of collaboration – the Honduran Red Cross responded to the devastation, while the firefighters, the police, the boy scouts, the church and many other agencies, organizations and individuals responded with kindness. The mayor of the city went all out in his efforts to help and the municipality donated land on a beautiful mountain in the area. Our donors again came to the rescue and raised the funds needed to build 80 two-bedroom homes. Fortunately, SOPTRAVI (an agency connected to the Ministry of Housing) matches the homes that we build one for one. We were then able to build the 159 homes needed to help ease the emotional trauma suffered by our brothers and sisters there.

I walked around talking to the families that would soon be enjoying their new homes and their stories were heartbreaking. One woman survived with her 3 children – one was blind and a paraplegic; the other was going blind and losing her ability to walk; the third did not have disabilities. Through her tears, she explained how they had all survived because of God’s unfailing grace. I met another family where the mother grabbed the two younger children and told the older daughter that she would have to do her best to fend for herself. She worried that she would never see her again and through tears explained that God had saved her older daughter, as she was lifted unto the back of a crowded pick- up truck as she was attempting to save herself.

The Vice President of Honduras attended the event. The mayor of Danli had us all in tears as he broke down emotionally himself when he addressed the crowds. The mayor of Tegucigalpa gave a warm tribute to the donors of Food For The Poor, without whom that inauguration would not have been possible – especially in less than one year since the disaster. I was moved and humbled by the poor, who displayed such patience, faith and strength. Also by our staff, by our partners, and particularly by our donors who never disappoint us in our greatest times of need.

We made another visit in an area a good hours drive out of Tegucigalpa. Here we met a dynamic Italian priest, Fr. Ferdinanado, who had served the poor for years in Africa and was now devoting his time and efforts in helping the destitute in Honduras. A strong devotee of Padre Pio, he credited what he had been able to accomplish there to his miraculous interventions. Single-handedly, he raised the money from family and friends in Italy for a magnificent hospital that he has built in an area where there are no medical services. He has designed it with huge hallways where he will put cots so that the family of those who are ill can stay close to their loved ones. Only one problem, the hospital was completely bare of furnishings. He asked for our help.

Again, one of our gifts-in-kind donors has come to the rescue and we will be sending him container loads of hospital room suites to properly furnish this magnificent structure that will do such good for the poor of that area. As you might imagine, Fr. Ferdinando is very happy!

After touring the hospital, he took us to meet some of the people of the nearby communities that he has helped with housing, a home for the aged, and a center for troubled youth. But he also wanted us to meet some of the ones that he had not been able to help.

He took us to the home of Antonio Alvarez, a good husband and father of eight. Antonio is a “segador” (a harvester or field hand), but he does not have steady employment. Every day he goes out to the fields looking for work, but most days he returns home feeling defeated as he is not able to find any. On the few days when someone gives him employment he earns less than a dollar an hour. The oldest daughter, Maria Ester, is sixteen and takes care of the 3 youngest siblings who are yet not of age to attend school – Onaida Jocelyn, Maria Guadalupe, and the baby, Leonidas Ferdinando (yes, named after their beloved priest!) We asked Antonio for the other kids, and he replied that two were running errands and the other two were playing with neighborhood friends.

Their adobe shack was truly wretched, but they made every effort to make it a home. I wondered how they could afford to send the oldest five to school, as on one of the walls they had end-of-year photos of all the kids. Antonio showed me that with pride. I looked up at the corners of the walls, near the roof, and was horrified to see huge termite mounds inside their tiny home. On the termite mounds there were a number of cockroaches crawling around.

We enquired after the mother. The father was hesitant to answer. When Antonio was out of earshot, Fr. Ferdinando asked Maria Ester to tell me the truth about her mother. This 16-year old, way too old for her age, explained sadly that her mother worked everyday, seven days a week, a double shift at a local restaurant bussing tables. She left home at 6:00 AM and returned at midnight, only to earn in a month of double shifts what a busboy here would earn in less than a week – but it was enough to send the oldest five to school. My heart broke for that poor woman, working 16-hour days without respite. My heart also broke for the husband, who looked so embarrassed that his wife was the breadwinner of the family, while he often was forced into the role of Mr. Mom. This family so deserves our help.

My last visit, the day we were returning home, was with Sadie Yvette Rivas and her mother, Sadie Janelle Ramirez. If you remember, Sadie Yvette was the little girl that was featured in our newsletter who had a tumor near her intestines that was making her malnourished and stunting her growth – at 3-years old, she was almost the same size as her 10-month old little brother. The doctors felt that she needed to have surgery, but the family did not have the $1200 needed for the operation to remove the tumor. Again, one of our wonderful donors comes to their rescue. Scott Montgomery was so touched by their story that he sent the check to cover the cost of the surgery.

When I saw the mother and daughter, they had good news for me. The tumor had completely dissolved (a miracle?) and Sadie Yvette had gained two pounds, which is a good amount for a little girl of her size. I asked them what was their greatest need, and they told me it was a home, but they did not own any land. Scott decided to use the money that was no longer required for the surgery to buy them a piece of land and he has also offered to donate the money for their home.

Needless to say, Sadie Janelle is so thrilled at the wonderful generosity of someone who loves her family without ever meeting them, and she prays daily for Scott’s health and happiness.

I will sign off here with this beautiful happy ending!


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