FFTP Honors Nativity Catholic Church With Cornerstone Award for 27-Year Partnership
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Jan. 12, 2026) — Food For The Poor (FFTP) presented its prestigious Cornerstone Award to Nativity Catholic Church in Burke, Va., on Sunday, honoring nearly three decades of extraordinary partnership through the parish’s Operation Starfish® ministry that has transformed communities across Haiti and the Caribbean.
The Cornerstone Award is presented annually during FFTP’s Founders Day observance, which commemorates the organization’s founding in 1982, by Ferdinand “Ferdy” Mahfood, and recognizes individuals and institutions whose faith and generosity have helped build the ministry over its 44-year history.
FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine traveled to the church for the special presentation.
“This is both a symbol of love, but also a calling, a vocation, to help those we serve,” said Raine, referring to the Cornerstone Award’s image of Mahfood embracing a child in Haiti. “Operation Starfish® has shown what one parish can do, putting its faith into action.”
Over the past 27 years, Nativity parishioners have donated $9.8 million in cash and more than $3 million in donated goods to FFTP, a level of generosity Raine called unmatched.
“As from one parish, it’s unequaled,” Raine said. “There is no other parish in this country, or I doubt in the world, that’s ever done anything like this.”
That generosity has helped build 15 villages in Haiti, along with clinics, schools, scholarships, clean-water systems, and other vital infrastructure.
“It’s just extraordinary,” Raine said. “It’s humbling to be in front of you.”
Raine also honored the founding vision of the late Fr. Richard Martin, who launched Operation Starfish® in 1998, and the continued leadership of the Rev. Monsignor Robert C. Cilinski, who has guided the ministry for the past 11 years, along with longtime parish partner Jim McDaniel.
Accepting the award on behalf of the parish, Monsignor Cilinski emphasized the trust Nativity has built through its long-standing relationship with FFTP.
“We know that when we’ve contributed all that money, it has really gone to its purpose of what it was intended,” Monsignor Cilinski said. “We have seen those 15 villages be built, rebuilt, and all those new homes, and the schools, and the clinics, and the clean water systems, and solar energy. So we have great confidence in that beautiful partnership.”
Monsignor Cilinski also reflected on the enduring spirit of Fr. Martin and the role of parishioners in sustaining the mission.
“I’m also mindful of the founder of Operation Starfish®, Father Martin, whose spirit we continue to live out,” he said, “but most especially all of the parishioners of Nativity parish, who have contributed to this beautiful outreach.”
He described the parish’s commitment as a lived expression of faith. “It’s a great way of living out our baptism, isn’t it?” Monsignor Cilinski said. “The people of Nativity saw a need of the poorest people in the world in Haiti and made the decision to help them.”
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the United States, is committed to facilitating paths out of poverty and transforming lives. As an interdenominational Christian ministry, we help families across Latin America and the Caribbean. Our efforts span urgent humanitarian relief and long-term development – from emergency aid and hunger alleviation to education, housing, and economic empowerment. We follow a distinctive approach that integrates faith, multi-sector strategies, and trusted partnerships. Whenever possible, we strive to work at the community level, partnering with local leaders and residents to co-create sustainable solutions that address the multi-dimensional nature of poverty. For more information, please visit foodforthepoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Communications
954-471-0928
[email protected]
