Rise & Shine: FFTP Marks World Food Day with Campaign to Feed Children in Haiti
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2025) – Food For The Poor (FFTP) is marking World Food Day with Rise & Shine, a one-day digital fundraising campaign to provide nutritious breakfast meals for children in northern Haiti, helping them learn, grow, and move toward a brighter future.
The campaign takes place on Thursday, Oct. 16, in support of SHINE (Strengthening Hope through Inclusion, Nutrition, and Education), a school-based feeding project in northern Haiti. It aims to raise $500,000 that will expand the program to provide meals for 10,000 children in 29 schools.
“For many people, the expression ‘rise and shine’ is a call to action to get out of bed with enthusiasm for a new day,” said FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine. “These children will rise with greater enthusiasm knowing they will start their day with a nutritious breakfast that will improve their focus, concentration, memory, and overall brain function.”
Celebrated each year on October 16, World Food Day aims to raise awareness about global hunger and food security. Through “Rise & Shine,” FFTP donors can make a tangible impact:
- • $20 will provide a year of breakfasts for one student
- • $55 will feed a classroom of an estimated 25 students for a month
- • $500 will feed a classroom of students for a year
- • $6,900 will feed an entire school for a year
As an added incentive, a generous anonymous donor has pledged to match all gifts up to $500,000 through midnight on Oct. 16, doubling the impact of each donation.
“We are truly grateful to our anonymous donor, whose matching gift will double the impact of each donation that we receive,” Raine said. “It will allow us to help so many children – many of whom depend on the meals provided at school as their only reliable source of daily nutrition.”
In Haiti, the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition has drastically increased during the period of widespread violence and political and economic instability, as food prices have skyrocketed and resources have become more limited. Approximately 2.85 million children, representing a quarter of Haiti’s child population, are food insecure, with more than a million facing critical levels of need, according to UNICEF.
The SHINE program aligns with FFTP’s Hunger Relief & Nutrition focus area which is one of 10 areas focused on sustainable change. It provides a breakfast sandwich made with peanut butter and cassava bread, which offers a balance of healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates, promoting fullness, managing blood sugar levels, and sustaining energy – an ideal nutritional combination for helping children perform their best in school.
In addition to benefiting children, SHINE helps local farmers and businesses that supply the ingredients for the sandwiches, with assistance from in-country partners Acceso and Met Fey Vet. The cassava bread is sourced from 600 small farms across six communities in Haiti’s North and Northwest, which helps strengthen local agriculture and livelihoods. Locally sourced peanut butter helps support Haitian peanut farmers through training, fair contracts, and stable prices.
“This truly is a win for everyone involved,” Raine said. “The children receive a nutritious breakfast that puts them on a path to greater academic success, and the farmers and businesses have a guaranteed source of revenue to help strengthen the local economy. By feeding students through Haitian-grown food, donors are not only combating malnutrition but also fueling a sustainable cycle of hope and opportunity.”
To support the FFTP Rise & Shine campaign, visit www.foodforthepoor.org/worldfoodday.
About Food For The Poor
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.
Ernestine Williams
Communications
305-321-7342
[email protected]
