Baltimore donors fund and construct homes for the poor
BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 26, 2009) – Thirty-five Baltimore residents recently put the needs of Jamaica’s poor ahead of their own. Since 2001, this group of committed donors have partnered with Food For The Poor to improve the health and living conditions of those in need across Jamaica.
“Food For The Poor is extremely thankful to Chris Davitt, Craig Ruppert and their families and friends for their tremendous impact in providing housing, schools, facility care for the elderly, potable water, and self-sustainable projects for Jamaica’s poor,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO. “Our generous donors in the U.S. make a real difference in the lives of the poor, and often donors find a deeper understanding of God’s grace as they come face-to-face with poverty in developing countries on a mission trip.”
During the week of Feb. 13, Chris Davitt, Craig Ruppert with their families and friends built and painted Food For The Poor homes, toured Food For The Poor’s office and warehouse, visited children living with mental and physical handicaps, in addition to HIV/AIDS, at Jerusalem! Children’s Home.
“Thanks to the successful 2009 Davitt/Ruppert building project, five double-housing units and one single-housing unit were constructed in Portland Cottage, Jamaica,” said Susan James, Food For The Poor’s project manager for Jamaica. “The five double units have a toilet, shower, kitchen sink and a water catchment system with a 400-gallon storage tank. The six families to receive these new homes currently live in overcrowded, unsafe and extremely impoverished conditions.”
Individuals that traveled to Jamaica included: Susan Bentz, Casey Bloomer, Genna Bloomer, Irene Bloomer, Kate Bloomer, Chris Davitt, Julie Davitt, Kate Davitt, Keegan Davitt, Meredith Davitt, Simon Doong, Anna Ersenkal, Caryl Ann Ersenkal, Sophie Felts, Elsa Friis, Suzanne Friis, Larry Harris, John Hollingsworth, Angela Howes, Dennis Kerner, Joe Kerner, Nicole Kumiega, Margaret Leddy, Jessica Leddy, Craig Ruppert, John Joseph Ryan, John Charles Ryan, Katie Ryan, Virginia Ryan, Crystal Spencer, Greg Thomas, Chad Tyler, Conor Tyler, and Rita Ward.
Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. We provide 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 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Public Relations Coordinator
954-427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]