Food For The Poor, Minuto de Dios Inaugurate Homes for Families in Colombia
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (July 5, 2022) Twenty families in Granada, Colombia, have reason to hope for a brighter future and an opportunity to lift themselves and future generations out of poverty.
It starts with a new roof over their heads, provided by Food For The Poor donors and trusted partner Minuto de Dios.
The 20 newest homes in Palma Real, the first large-scale sustainable community development built by the two organizations, recently were presented to grateful families.
In addition to the homes, a community center is being built where the families and potentially hundreds of others in the surrounding area will receive education, training and the tools to help them flourish on their own. Clean water, sanitation and electricity also were included with the homes.
“I want to thank my God very much, for giving us the opportunity to have our house,” said Enervey, who shares one of the new homes with her husband, two sons and a daughter.
“Today, our dream came true, we have our own house, our home, which is the most beautiful thing that could have happened to us. Many thanks to the entities for making this dream come true for [our] family,” she said.
The first 20 homes of Palma Real were inaugurated in March 2021, followed by 20 more homes in November. Land for the homes was donated by the mayor of Granada.
Fr. Diego Jaramillo, President of Minuto de Dios, said at the inauguration that the homes are the foundation of a great community where the families will prosper.
“This neighborhood that is delivered is the realization of a dream for many of you, for the men and women who became a couple one day and that now, today with this house, this is the space where your children will grow up, where they will give thanks to the Lord and where they will be able to continue interacting with all neighbors, forming a great community,” Fr. Jaramillo said.
“It is a place where there is going to be a lot of harmony, dialogue, understanding and in the face of difficulties, come home to forgive each other, help each other, and be closer to each other’s hearts,” Fr. Jaramillo added.
Lina Marcela said the inauguration was an unforgettable, long-awaited day for family, including her husband, son and daughter.
“I give infinite thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for such a great blessing, for the houses delivered,” she said. “We are 20 families overflowing with happiness, it is our long-awaited dream come true.”
FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine said the gift of these homes is the foundation that will put the families and future generations on the path to rising out of poverty.
An FFTP team is monitoring and evaluating Palma Real, looking for tangible ways the lives of the families have changed for the better and how its sustainable development program can be improved.
“Providing homes is just the beginning to putting families on the path to self-sufficiency,” Raine said. “We’re committed to building an Integral Development Center that will help these families in Palma Real land jobs, teach valuable skills and provide the foundation for them to succeed. This is our shared vision with Minuto de Dios.”
FFTP began serving in Colombia in 2014. Since 2019, the charity has partnered with Minuto de Dios to bring relief to families, including tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who have fled to escape shortages of food, water, and medicine.
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 vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Communications Associate
954-471-0928 – mobile
[email protected]
