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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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    • How Agriculture Unlocks Food Security for Families in Latin America and the Caribbean

      How Agriculture Unlocks Food Security for Families in Latin America and the Caribbean

      Boosting Food Security: Sustainable Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean Imagine waking up at dawn every day, working in a corn or bean field from sunup to sundown, and still not having enough to feed your children. This is the heartbreaking struggle for many families across Latin America and the Caribbean. They are hardworking […]

    • 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 […]

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What can caring people do to provide medical care for an innocent child?

April 5, 2023April 5, 2023 FFTP Digital
A doctor in Guatemala listens to a toddler's chest using a stethoscope.

In Guatemala, the chances of survival were slim for a sweet baby named Marcela because of ectopia cordis, a rare condition in which a baby is born with a heart partially or entirely outside the chest cavity.

Only 8 of every 1 million babies have ectopia cordis, and 90 percent die within three days of birth. Not only did Marcela have this rare condition, but her heart had a structural problem, and a weakness in her abdomen caused her organs to protrude through her belly button.

Baby Marcela

Her mother, Isabel, feared her little girl would die. There were no doctors in Guatemala qualified to perform the complex surgery to place Marcela’s heart inside her body.

The necessary hospital care would involve two long and complicated surgeries that were quite expensive. Marcela’s parents, who make about $450 a month, could never afford to fly to the United States to obtain the surgery to save their daughter.

This is why Food For The Poor established the Benevolent Fund. Through caring people who contribute to the medical care fund, the lives of innocents like Marcela are saved.

Marcela and her mother were flown to Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts for her two lifesaving surgeries.

What is the biggest challenge for impoverished children needing medical care?

Children in developing countries face unique challenges – and one of the biggest challenges is access to medical care. Childhood illnesses easily treated every day in the United States can wreak havoc on children living in poverty in countries such as Haiti or Guatemala.

The odds are stacked against children without access to medical care. When a child is stricken with a critical medical condition, oftentimes there isn’t a doctor qualified to treat it.

In Haiti and Guatemala, accessing quality health care is especially challenging. Haiti is the most impoverished country in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Guatemala has one of the world’s highest rates of child malnutrition, a number that runs as high as 80 percent in rural villages, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.

A child in Guatemala is weighed at a clinic.

What are barriers to accessing medical care for children in need?

The biggest barrier for impoverished children to access medical care isn’t the cost of seeing a doctor. It’s finding a qualified doctor, especially for parents living in poverty in remote areas.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a country having at least 4.45 physicians, midwives and nurses per 1,000 people. However, according to the Pan American Health Organization/WHO Health in the Americas Haiti country report in 2018, the public and private sectors in Haiti are severely lacking in medical personnel.

  • Haiti Public Sector: 1.4 physicians and 1.8 nurses per 10,000 people
  • Haiti Private Sector: 1 physician and 2.1 nurses per 10,000 people

In remote villages, affordable transportation to get to available medical care is beyond reach. Some wealthier Haitians can access medical care for their children by flying to Cuba or the United States for medical care for their children.

A child is treated at a nutritional clinic in Haiti.

“Just to get medical care, some people have to travel far from home if they live in remote areas,” said Thamarah Lindor, a doctor who practiced medicine in remote northern areas of Haiti near Cap-Haitien. “When they arrive at the hospital or clinic, the cost of seeing a doctor is often too expensive.”

Born in Haiti and educated in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Lindor said since the cost of seeing a doctor is too expensive for Haitians living in poverty, they will often go without any kind of care.

Going without treatment means when their children fall ill, they rely on folk remedies such as plants or leaves.

Medical care is sought only when the children get extremely ill.

“If not treated, a simple upper respiratory infection can be deadly for a child living in a poor environment,” Dr. Lindor said. “But if there is no doctor close by, the parents may not have the money to travel for four hours by taxi or bus. So they go without treatment or use folk remedies.”

With its rugged mountains and remote areas that are home to several indigenous populations, Guatemala faces several challenges in providing medical care to its people. Research shows Guatemala also has little medical care available for people who live in areas outside the capital or in larger cities.

Basic health care is difficult to obtain in Guatemala; in fact, simple health services meet only 54% of the needs of those living in the country. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Access to medical care for impoverished children saves lives

In countries like Haiti, even a simple childhood ailment such as diarrhea can turn deadly because proper medical treatment isn’t sought, either due to cost or the difficulty of the journey to see a physician, or both.

During Haiti’s deadly cholera epidemic in 2010, more than 820,000 cases of cholera were reported and almost 10,000 people died, including many children, the CDC reported.

Since diarrhea, a symptom of cholera, is a common ailment in destitute Haitian communities, some parents did not seek treatment until it was too late.

To address this crisis, Food For The Poor’s Haiti office installed water treatment systems in several areas to prevent the spread of cholera, and teamed with Bernard Mevs hospital in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, giving doctors resources needed to treat the disease.

Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

How does poverty and location limit access to medical care?

An outbreak of disease is less common than the everyday challenges faced by families living in poverty. The World Health Organization cites an hour of traveling time as its definition to having adequate access to medical facilities.

In Guatemala alone, many children in impoverished communities live much further than an hour’s drive from the closest medical facilities. In remote villages, only 36 percent of children have easy access to medical treatment at a facility, compared to children living in cities, according to the World Bank. “The main challenge is lack of medical services, be it infrastructure or just not having doctors or nurses around. More often than not, patients would have to travel several miles to a clinic or hospital,” said Eli Kuan, Food For The Poor project manager for Guatemala.

How can you improve problems with access to medical care?

There is hope, and there are solutions for such cases.

Food For The Poor helps to address challenges in access to care by constructing community centers in remote areas. These community centers include an equipped clinic or existing clinics are remodeled.

These clinics then have doctors scheduled to visit on certain days that are coordinated by the charity’s in-country partners, Kuan said.

The same solution exists in Haiti, where Food For The Poor operates a medical clinic on the grounds of the warehouse, and helps clinics in rural areas of the country.

A child is treated at a nutritional clinic in Haiti.

For children with complicated health conditions, there may not even be a physician anywhere in the country who can treat their medical illnesses. In extreme cases, such as that of baby Marcela in Guatemala, lifesaving surgery must be performed in the United States.

Food For The Poor’s Benevolent Fund saves a precious life

Caring people coming together can save lives in extraordinary ways, which is what happened with Marcela.

Marcela had surgery in Boston when she was 9 months old.

The first surgery corrected the structural defect in her heart. Doctors wanted her to gain weight and become stronger before performing the second surgery. A protective shield was placed around her heart until the second operation could be performed. She and her mother, Isabel, returned home, and then returned to Boston for the second operation a year later.

Thanks to all the donors who contributed to Food For The Poor’s Benevolent Fund, today Marcela is a happy baby growing strong at her home in Guatemala.

“She has been stable. She is developing like a girl her age, without complications,” said Dr. Paula Ruiz, Marcela’s pediatrician in Guatemala.

Marcela’s mother looks forward to braiding her hair and sending her off to school when she grows older.

“I am so grateful to God and all of the people helping us,” Isabel said. “I cannot find the words to express my gratitude and how I feel … with God’s help, anything is possible.”

You can make a difference today

You can make a difference in the lives of impoverished children who need critical medical care like Marcela did.

A donation to Food For The Poor’s Benevolent Fund provides medical care for children who have nowhere else to turn. Deliver hope through our Benevolent Fund to help save a life and give children the quality medical care they need.

A doctor in Guatemala listens to a toddler's chest using a stethoscope.
A child is treated at a nutritional clinic in Guatemala.

Posted in How We Help, Medical Care
Tagged Benevolent Fund, Guatemala, Haiti, medical care, nutrition, nutritional center

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