Building Homes in Haiti, a Gettysburg Couple’s Philanthropic Inspiration
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 27, 2017) One couple’s quiet compassion for the poor has captured the hearts of their family and friends in the close-knit community of Gettysburg, Pa.
Stephanie and Frank Bender, Food For The Poor donors for more than a decade, will host their 2nd Annual Homes For Haiti fundraising dinner with the international relief and development organization on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at the Links at Gettysburg.
“I was encouraged by the response to last year’s dinner and by the interest and enthusiasm of the attendees. The need for decent housing in Haiti is overwhelming, so it was hard not to help again this year,” Frank said. “Food For The Poor provides wonderful support, and that filled me with confidence that we could have another successful event and help more Haitian families.”
Frank traveled to Haiti in 2015, where he saw the dire need of families in Alpha Village, a community on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. Frank also got to see the life-transforming impact other dedicated donors are making in the lives of so many people, especially the children.
“We encourage our donors to take mission trips with us to experience what life is like for destitute families living in the countries where we serve,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “When you see the face of poverty up close, it will make a lasting impression on your heart and your mind. It’s also important for donors to see how their generous donations are being used to transform lives, and how their gifts are providing opportunities that are breaking the cycle of poverty. We sincerely thank the Benders and the supporters in Gettysburg for this blessing of another fundraising event.”
Food For The Poor Board Member Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, whose parents once lived in Gettysburg, will be this year’s keynote speaker. For nearly two decades, Nasrallah has been a passionate supporter of the poor and will speak about how the gift of giving is never in vain.
Proceeds from the dinner will be used to support Food For The Poor’s housing program in Gressier, Haiti, for the Alpha Village residents. The goal is to provide 10 families with a sturdy, concrete-block home with water and sanitation components, along with solar-powered light kits.
“With all the competing demands on our charitable contributions, it may be easy to become resistant to other requests,” Frank said. “Since I have been to Haiti with Food for the Poor, seen the living conditions in Alpha Village and experienced the thankful spirit of the Haitian people, I can personally attest that any contribution to our event fully benefits the poorest of the poor. Contributing definitely changes lives for the better, not just until a crisis is over, but for a lifetime.”
The 2nd Annual Homes For Haiti Dinner will be at the Links at Gettysburg, 601 Mason Dixon Road, Gettysburg, Pa., on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. Cocktails and silent auction start at 6 p.m., and dinner is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person. Please contact Food For The Poor Event Manager Marni Wyman at 954-427-2222, ext. 6854 or via email at [email protected] for more information.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. Over the last 10 years, fundraising and other administrative costs averaged less than 5 percent of our expenses; more than 95 percent of all donations went directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Wanda Wright
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
[email protected]