Food For The Poor Responds to Hurricane Michael
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Oct. 23, 2018) Food For The Poor is working with trusted partners to provide disaster relief to families suffering from Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle.
The charity has received two tractor-trailer loads of relief items from Matthew 25: Ministries, including food, water, personal hygiene products, blankets, cleaning supplies and paper products, and one tractor-trailer load of bleach from Gleaning For The World.
The goods will be distributed by Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church and St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, both in Panama City, and St. Anne’s Catholic Church, in Marianna, to those most impacted by the hurricane.
“We want to respond to the immediate needs of families who are recovering from this powerful hurricane,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “We are all neighbors, regardless of our locations, especially in this time of need.”
Gabe Tischler, Emergency Management Specialist for the Florida Catholic Conference, said Catholic Charities is grateful for Food For The Poor and its partners to help address the immediate needs of families who are hurting in the Panhandle.
“As with all disasters, we can’t do it alone,” Tischler said. “Partnerships like the one with Food For The Poor are essential for us to succeed and reach the most vulnerable populations and providing them essential supplies they simply don’t have the funds to purchase. Basic lifesaving supplies will be needed for the next several weeks.”
While Food For The Poor’s mission primarily is to serve internationally, the charity has responded in the past to catastrophic disasters in the United States. In September, Food For The Poor and Matthew 25: Ministries teamed up with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, N.C., to help residents affected by Hurricane Florence. Last year, the charity and Gleaning For The World worked together to send water to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
“Working with Catholic Charities, Matthew 25: Ministries and Gleaning For The World to respond to Hurricane Michael will help us better fulfill our mission to serve and comfort those who are in desperate need in times of disaster,” said Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma. “Although the primary focus of our work remains in developing countries where we serve where there are no safety nets, this will allow us to serve our brothers and sisters in the Florida Panhandle who are suffering.”
Hurricane Michael made landfall October 10 near Mexico Beach, Florida, east of Panama City, as a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph. The hurricane has killed at least 39 people across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, according to the Associated Press. Of those, 29 are in Florida.
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. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]