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Food For The Poor

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    • 943 Million Meals Served

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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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    • Faith in Action: Indiana Church Reaches $1 Million Goal to Build New Community in Honduras

      Faith in Action: Indiana Church Reaches $1 Million Goal to Build New Community in Honduras

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 16, 2025) – Thanks to the unwavering dedication of parishioners at St. Mary’s Church in Greensburg, Ind., and the generosity of their partners, a once-distant dream is becoming a reality for families in Cucuyagua, Honduras. Food For The Poor (FFTP) is celebrating the fully funded construction of a new community – […]

    • Creating Lasting Hope: How FFTP Helps Families Build Stable Lives at Home

      Creating Lasting Hope: How FFTP Helps Families Build Stable Lives at Home

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 11, 2025) – In rural Colombia, families once faced an impossible choice: comply with the demands of armed groups or risk their lives. Growing illicit crops wasn’t a way of life they chose freely – it was about survival. Today, that story is changing – one berry and one shrimp at […]

    • Food For The Poor Annual Report Highlights a Year of Milestones

      Food For The Poor Annual Report Highlights a Year of Milestones

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 3, 2025) – Food For The Poor (FFTP), one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the United States, provided more than $367 million in aid in 2024, delivering vital support to communities across Latin America and the Caribbean. The impact, made possible through the generous support of its […]

    • North Broward Prep Students Raise Funds to Build a School in Honduras

      North Broward Prep Students Raise Funds to Build a School in Honduras

      COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (June 2, 2025) – Fifth-grade students at North Broward Preparatory School turned the page on their reading assignment and opened a new chapter for children in Honduras by raising about $45,000 to build a school in partnership with Food For The Poor (FFTP). The initiative was sparked by the students’ reading of […]

    • 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 […]

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    • Bringing Life and Opportunity to Peruvian Cacao Farmers

      Bringing Life and Opportunity to Peruvian Cacao Farmers

      Transforming Lives Through Cacao Farming In the lush, green heart of Peru’s Ucayali region, something extraordinary is happening. Hundreds of Peruvian cacao farmers are turning the fruits of their labor into lasting change, and it’s all thanks to a powerful combination of innovation, fair trade partnerships, and a deep love for the land. The goal […]

    • 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 […]

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Supporting Impoverished Families Through Sustainable Housing Solutions

July 14, 2023July 19, 2023 FFTP Digital
Today, we are taking housing solutions to a new level by empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty.

Living in a flimsy shack likely to collapse with a well-placed kick is no way for children to grow and thrive. Since its inception in 1982, Food For The Poor has been helping families living in poverty by building safe, secure homes. Thanks to our generous donors, we have completed more than 93,600 homes for impoverished families.

Today, we are taking housing solutions to a new level by empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty. By building sustainable housing that offers safe shelter and constructing these homes in sustainable community developments, we ensure that entire villages reap the benefits and break the cycle of poverty.

Housing problems confronted by impoverished families

For many impoverished families living in the countries where Food For The Poor helps, providing safe shelter for their children is too daunting a challenge. Oftentimes, they are forced to assemble a house built from scrap wood and tin sheets, or whatever materials they can find. These hazardous structures barely provide shelter from the elements. Lack of adequate shelter and sleeping in damp conditions sickens children, compounding families’ misery.

The United Nations 2022 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index explored the various implications of poverty, including the challenge of housing. According to the report, “A household is considered deprived if the dwelling’s floor is made of mud/clay/earth, sand or dung; or if the dwelling has no roof or walls or if either the roof or walls are constructed using natural materials such as cane, palm/trunks, sod/mud, dirt, grass/reeds, thatch, bamboo, sticks or rudimentary materials such as carton, plastic/polythene sheeting, bamboo with mud/stone with mud, loosely packed stones, uncovered adobe, raw/reused wood, plywood, cardboard, unburnt brick or canvas/tent.”

Many families whom Food For The Poor helps live in such conditions. To cover gaps in the walls of their homes, they plaster them with newspaper or cardboard. The floor is often the dirt below their feet, which turns to mud when the rain pours through the leaky roof. Some families have scoured through local garbage dumps to salvage sheets of rusty tin to construct roofs for their houses and old wood pieces to nail together for the walls.

A happy recipient of a new Food For The Poor house built in the sustainable housing community of Los Achiotes, Honduras, cooks in her kitchen.
A happy recipient of a new Food For The Poor house built in the community of Los Achiotes, Honduras, cooks in her kitchen.

These structures can easily collapse during a heavy windstorm. It’s not safe, but this is all they can afford. Food For The Poor seeks to give these families new life and new hope through safe and secure new homes.

Housing solutions for each country’s culture and climate

Food For The Poor adapts our housing construction to meet the needs of individual countries. In tropical Guyana, where some communities are frequently swamped due to severe flooding, we build homes on stilts.

“Guyana, particularly the coastal region where the majority of our homes are built, is prone to flooding as the coast is about five and a half feet below sea level at high tide,” said Andrea Benjamin, Senior Projects Manager for Food For The Poor-Guyana. “The stilts prevent floodwaters from entering the homes during the rainy season.”

In Jamaica, Food For The Poor amended the original housing model to increase structural durability and include kitchens with sinks and faucets and cupboards and an indoor bathroom with a curbless shower to accommodate residents with physical disabilities.

In Haiti, ravaged by hurricanes and earthquakes, we build concrete block homes. Since the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, Food For The Poor has built 13,136 homes in the country.

Even after homes are built, the  problems caused by poverty remain. This concern was the impetus for the organization’s initiative to develop entire villages with the added benefit of giving families a supportive community in which to thrive.

How residents of a Honduran community are being helped

Sustainable community development now goes hand in hand with the dignity of living in a safe, secure home.

“Food For The Poor aims to foster communities where each household has the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and thrive,” said Alicia Narváez Martínez, Food For The Poor’s Product Development Manager for Sustainable Community Development.

One community in desperate need of safe new homes and self-sustaining development is in Las Barras, Honduras. The 263 men, women and children were living in an area affected by more than a few hurricanes and an earthquake. Families made their living from fishing and harvesting crops such as corn, grains, beans and rice. Whenever it rained, the area flooded, making the land useless for growing crops. Their homes literally became surrounded by wetlands and barely habitable.

Linda Coello, President and Founder of CEPUDO, cuts the ribbon at the inauguration of the sustainable development in Los Achiotes.
Linda Coello, President and Founder of CEPUDO, cuts the ribbon at the inauguration of the development in Los Achiotes.

Working with our partner organization CEPUDO in Honduras, Food For The Poor committed to moving the 76 families into a sustainable community development in Los Achiotes. The project, planned in phases from 2020 to 2025, was designed to improve their quality of life by not only providing sturdy, strong homes but making the community stronger through development.

Needs assessment and community development

Identifying the needs of the residents of Los Achiotes came first. Other steps were necessary to make the community self-sustaining. For example, the people needed a place to gather. A community center serves as a place where families  meet socially, share information and attend worship services. The center also serves as a teaching center, a venue for  self-help workshops on various topics for residents.

But the houses are the most essential part of the solution for families living in poverty. People need safe, sturdy homes in which to raise their families. Thanks to Food For The Poor, they are receiving sustainable housing and much more.

To donate to provide housing for those in need, please visit our website.


Posted in Housing
Tagged Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, housing, Jamaica, sustainable development

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*ANIMAL HUSBANDRY: Food For The Poor has ongoing animal husbandry and apiary programs that support impoverished families and communities. The funds that are raised from animals and bees in this catalog are used to support the aforementioned programs.

**HOUSING: Because of the size and need of the average family, for $9,800, we build all houses with two bedrooms and a living area, sanitation and a water component, a cooking area, a sink, furnishings, lighting and structural elements to withstand severe weather conditions. You will receive a Certificate of Appreciation with a photograph of the family in front of their secure and comfortable home.

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