New Shoes, New Hope to School Children in San Pedro Sula

In Honduras’ second-largest city, San Pedro Sula, every student at Luis Garcia Bustamante elementary school received new shoes last month as part of an initiative overseen by Food For The Poor (FFP) and its in-country partner, CEPUDO. The sturdy sneakers replaced shoes that had holes and were falling apart.

“One of the photographs documents the students proudly raising their new shoes high above their heads,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “The students’ smiles show how eager they are to kick off their holey shoes, and to lace-up their new sneakers.”

Within the past year, Food For The Poor has donated approximately 200,000 pairs of shoes in Honduras – part of an overall 1 million pair shoe distribution during the past year. The list of other goods sent from Food For The Poor to Honduras includes life-sustaining food, medicine and other medical supplies, furniture, and educational supplies. Shipments to Honduras in 2009 through May 31 of this year totaled 279 containers of aid.

Housing is a top priority for Food For The Poor; since the organization’s founding, more than 61,200 housing units given to the poor. By providing simple, sturdy homes, the nonprofit can change the lives of entire families by giving them the security of a safe, dry place to live. In Honduras, a donation of $3,100 to Food For The Poor can provide a destitute family with a house and a latrine. In 2009, Food For The Poor built 780 safe, sturdy housing units throughout the country.

Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org.

Contact:

Jennifer Leigh Oates
Public Relations
954.427.2222, ext. 6054
[email protected]

06/04/2010



Why Support our new Pilot Inititaive

A Mercado Global handbag isn’t just an accessory—it’s a meaningful gift that represents hope and resilience. When you shop on our website you're making the statement that poverty isn't inevitable.

Every purchase helps create a stable economic environment within impoverished communities, which can lead to food security and reduce dependency on aid. It’s an investment in breaking the cycle of poverty through fair trade practices that uplift entire communities.

Each handbag is a unique piece of art, handcrafted by skilled artisans who draw on traditional techniques passed down through generations. This supports cultural preservation while giving artisans a source of pride and financial independence.

Empowering Women Through Sewing Flora Handbag

Flora Petite Crossbody in Turf Moss

The Flora Petite Tote is a square silhouette trimmed with leather piping and paired with structured leather handles. The detachable leather strap means you can carry it comfortably over your shoulder or remove it to wear in hand for an on-trend look.

Price: $128

SHOP NOW

Flora Petite Clutch in Lavender Maple Empowering Women Through Sewing

Flora Petite Clutch in Lavender Maple

The Flora Petite Tote features a square silhouette trimmed with leather piping and paired with structured leather handles. The detachable leather strap means you can carry it comfortably over your shoulder or can be removed to wear in hand for an on-trend look.

price: $128

SHOP NOW

Empowering Women Through Sewing Pilot

Mini Lily Wristlet in Cream Soda

Featuring a leather wrist-let and zipper pull, our Mini Lily conveniently and stylishly stores your essentials. Keep in your handbag as an organizer and remove for a chic night look!

Price: $58

SHOP NOW

Handbags are ethically crafted, prioritizing fair labor practices and sustainable production. With each purchase, you’re helping prove that we can tackle poverty through sustainable community development.

Buying a Mercado Global handbag provides sustainable income for artisans in marginalized communities, directly helping them support their families. By working part-time, artisans can make up to $8 a day, which is enough to lift themselves out of poverty over the course of a few months of engagement.

By shopping with us, you’re supporting a test initiative designed to demonstrate that we can build a sustainable, closed-loop system between our micro-enterprise programs and an online marketplace. If the test is sucessful we'll be able to scale up our programs.

Choose your gift amount

$500 $300 $150 $75

SPACER

Choose your gift amount