Commemorating 35 Years of Compassionate Service: Food For The Poor Donors Dedicated to Transforming the Lives of the Poor
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2017) Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the United States, on Feb. 12 will celebrate 35 years of committed service to hundreds of thousands of families throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. It supports associated charities in Haiti, Guyana and Jamaica.
“None of what we do would be possible without God’s blessing, this organization acknowledges that all of its successes are rooted deep in that fact. For 35 years Food For The Poor has empowered one family at a time to be become self-sustaining, self-confident, and self-empowered,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “There are no words to describe the feeling that comes from helping another human being. We must thank our loving supporters and dedicated staff for making that possible.”
Through that loving support, Food For The Poor has built more than 117,000 homes, sent more than 78,000 containers of essential goods to people in the 17 countries where it serves, and has delivered nearly $12 billion in aid since its inception.
Food For The Poor donors build hospitals and community centers that provide technical training. The ministry also has implemented animal husbandry, agricultural and aquaculture projects. These projects, such as beekeeping and fishing villages, are helping the poor to generate income.
Food For The Poor was founded by Ferdinand (Ferdy) Mahfood in 1982. He and his wife, Patti, traveled throughout the Caribbean working to bring relief to victims of poverty, disease and natural disasters.
In 2000, Robin Mahfood assumed the role of president. Since his tenure began, Food For The Poor has helped the destitute in the Caribbean and Latin America to recover and rebuild after some of the most devastating natural disasters on record, including the earthquake that rocked Haiti in 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
“The recent increase of natural disasters in our hemisphere has made it necessary to shift our focus to crisis mode in recent years in order to save lives. Recovery after a natural disaster is hard, but it’s nearly impossible for poor families in rural communities,” said Mahfood. “We also want to express our deepest gratitude to the South Florida community and the nation for answering the call for help to collect life-saving donations when a natural disaster strikes.”
Food For The Poor is very committed to long-term projects, such as providing children with an education. Since inception, more than 400 schools have been built, repaired or expanded. The charity believes an education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty of future generations.
For a look at some of the work of Food For The Poor click www.FoodForThePoor.org/35years.
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]