New York-Based Capstone to Build a Fishing Village in Honduras
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2017) Nearly 60 fishermen in the coastal town of Trujillo, Colon, Honduras, soon will be given the opportunity for financial independence. Capstone Investment Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisory firm in New York, will make this dream an obtainable goal.
Food For The Poor was named Capstone’s charity of choice on the recommendation of a longtime supporter who was impressed by the organization’s work in the Central American country. In November, at the annual Capstone Charity Night event, attendees committed to fundraise for a fishing village.
“Our charity goal this year was simple, to help the poorest of the poor in a way that will maximize our impact. Food For The Poor showed us many ways we could do this. We decided to go with their idea of building sustainable fishing villages in Honduras,” said Matt Tonelli, Chief Risk Officer, Capstone Investment Advisors. “Through Food For The Poor, not only could we give these people the tools they needed, but we could also teach them a trade. Helping in this way allowed us to positively affect these people over the long-term. Our donation will support generations of people to come.”
Access to deep-sea fishing is nearly impossible in a small wooden dug-out canoe, which is what the fishermen in the communities of Capiro y Gerico in the town of Trujillo use. While fishing is the main source of income for the region, it is a dangerous occupation for fishermen using inadequate equipment.
“These fishermen are doing their best with what they have. These canoes have limited them to shallow waters, resulting in over-fishing and a reduced quality of fish over the years,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “This new fishing village will be a beautiful blessing for the fishermen, their families and the entire community. We want to thank Capstone for their generosity, which will allow these men to care for their families for many years to come. The gift of independence is priceless, and we can’t thank our donors enough for helping us to transform lives in Honduras.”
Construction of the new fishing village will begin later this month, making it Food For The Poor’s thirteenth in Honduras. The new fishing village will be equipped with four 23-foot fiberglass boats with high-powered outboard engines, global positioning systems, fishing tackle, 100-quart coolers and safety equipment.
The fishermen also will get a gear shed with a freezer, and a solar-powered street light for the village common area, as well as training in deep-sea fishing. Each team of fishermen is required to donate a portion of their catch to organizations within their own communities that help orphans, the elderly and the sick.
Capstone also donated funds to Food For The Poor for the rebuilding of one of the 12 fishing villages destroyed in southwest Haiti by Hurricane Matthew on Oct 4. Another 13 that suffered significant damage are being repaired.
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]