Celebration of Hope, a Virtual Gala of Inspiration for Haiti
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 21, 2020) The Food For The Poor Celebration of Hope Virtual Gala will livestream for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 8 p.m. The gala, known for building homes in Haiti, will fundraise to feed families hard-hit by the coronavirus.
“Over the last 20 years, more than 1,000 homes in the Caribbean nation were funded directly by the efforts of Orlando-area donors, the Celebration of Hope Gala and matching gifts from Food For The Poor supporters,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor EVP & Chief Marketing Officer. “The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on an already vulnerable society. Just about every sector in Haiti is affected and is being made worse by a severe food shortage.”
Guests attending the 21st annual Celebration of Hope Virtual Gala will have the opportunity to give back from home, and to provide 1.7 million meals to help those in desperate need of food.
Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, who has served as the gala’s Committee Chair for more than two decades, said she’s determined to make the virtual gala a vision of inspiration for Haiti.
“We have been helping to transform the lives of the truly destitute through Food For The Poor in Haiti for many years, but this year is different,” Nasrallah said. “This terrible pandemic has forced us to change our building plans for the safety of others, but not our mission. We want to do all that we can to supply those living in poverty with an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty.”
Thanks to Orlando-area donors, many in Haiti are able to provide for their families after receiving skills training at a community center built by the gala’s supporters. They also have funded a medical clinic, a fruit tree farm, a tilapia farm, a scholarship program and a school renovation project over the years. These programs are in addition to the more than 1,000 homes built by the Celebration of Hope’s dedicated donors.
The free virtual event will be hosted from Boca Raton Community Church in Boca Raton, Fla., from 8 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26. There’s also a silent auction that opens on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. and closes Sept. 26 at 9 p.m.
The Celebration of Hope Virtual Gala will include musical performances by award-winning recording artist Glacia Robinson.
To register for the free event, receive notifications and a link to participate when the auction opens, go to www.FoodForThePoor.org/celebration. To donate by text, send code HOPEGALA to 51555.
Committee members include: Event Chair Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, Linda Bonnewitz, Bruny and Paula Compas, Tammie Cooper, George and Kim del Campo, Jacob and Viviana del Campo, Ben and Nicole del Campo, Mike and Dr. Desirae Friend, Cynthia Hawkins, Yani and Luz Jusakos, Dr. Anis Khalaf, Kathy Kinchla, Nicole Nasrallah, George and Joanne Olson, Lisa Padilla Ortiz, Nancy Padilla, Amira Rodriguez, Dwight and Lisa Saathoff, Liliane Santana, Tom and Jean Wilkes, Jean and Donna Wilson, Holly Wilson and Liz Zeitler.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for orphaned and abandoned children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Wanda Wright
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
[email protected]