Food For The Poor observes 18 years in Guyana
(Coconut Creek, FL – June 15, 2009) – Food For The Poor, the largest international charity in the United States, is commemorating nearly two decades of service to the poor in Guyana.
Food For The Poor began working in Guyana on June 3, 1991, delivering food and other basic items to Guyana’s poor. Since then, the Florida-based nonprofit has expanded its services in Guyana to meet the growing needs of the country’s impoverished residents.
“Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, but few are aware of the poverty there,” said Food For The Poor’s Executive Director, Angel Aloma. “Even if the plight of Guyana’s poor doesn’t make headlines, we are committed to bringing relief, aid, comfort and hope to every corner of the country.”
In Guyana, inflation and a high unemployment rate make every day a struggle to survive. Many of the jobs that are available are in the sugar fields, where workers often make as little as 50 cents a day.
Through its offices and warehouse in Georgetown, the Food For The Poor staff works closely with partners throughout Guyana to provide food, medical supplies, vocational training equipment, school furniture and other goods to those most in need. Food For The Poor strives to help ease the struggle of Guyana’s poor by providing nourishing meals at its feeding centers, by building homes for those without adequate shelter, and by providing for the daily care of hundreds of orphans. In addition, Food For The Poor installs numerous water and sanitation projects, offers skills training programs and animal husbandry operations, and much more.
In 2008, Food For The Poor sent more than $95 million in aid to Guyana. Also in 2008, Food For The Poor began construction of The Lil Red Village in Essequibo, Guyana. With 100 housing units and sanitation blocks, a community center, school, several retail shops, a water tower, electric service to the community, and a five-acre community garden in which to grow food, The Lil’ Red Village has the potential to help more than 600 people in the community.
More recently, Food For The Poor delivered more than a dozen computer workstations to the newly built technology / reading room at Montrose Primary School in Guyana. The workstations will help students improve their reading skills and, for many, will provide their first experience with computer technology.
Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States, serves the poor of the Caribbean, Latin America and the U.S. Food For The Poor provides food, emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, basic housing, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. More than 97 percent of all donations received go toward programs that help the poor. For more information, visit www.foodforthepoor.org.
Contact:
Hugh Graf
Public Relations
(954) 427-2222 x 6610
