World Youth Day: Food For The Poor Celebrates the Energy and Passion of Young People
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 3, 2023) – Food For The Poor (FFTP) is commemorating World Youth Day, paying tribute to young people who have made a difference through their work with the charity to help those in need in the Caribbean and Latin America.
World Youth Day is a massive gathering of Catholic youth from all around the globe. It will be presided over by Pope Francis, the fourth time he has gathered this way with the world’s youth.
Held internationally every few years in a different city, the event aims to bring young Catholics together in celebration of their faith, providing a platform for them to deepen their spirituality, build relationships with others, and engage in service and charitable work.
This year’s 37th World Youth Day gathering in Portugal will be the first since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with events continuing through Sunday.
One of the Catholic Church’s basic tenets is a concern for the poor and the obligation to protect the vulnerable.
FFTP has long recognized the importance of empowering young people to become agents of change in their communities. By helping young people to develop leadership skills and encouraging them to get involved in service and outreach projects, the charity is helping to build a new generation committed to making a difference in the world.
Over the years, young donors have come alongside the charity to build schools and homes and provide critically needed food and medical supplies. They’ve hosted lemonade stands and organized sporting events that raise money to help vulnerable communities.
FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine said at its core, the mission of the charity and World Youth Day are very much aligned.
“Food For The Poor has been committed to providing hope and assistance to the poor for more than 40 years, and it is clear that World Youth Day shares a similar mission. Both seek to serve the most vulnerable populations and make a meaningful impact in their lives,” Raine said.
“We need their energy, creativity, and passion to help us in our mission to end poverty,” Raine added. “Young people have a fresh perspective on the world and a unique way of thinking. They can bring new ideas and innovative solutions to the table that can help us to improve our work and achieve our goals. When young people are inspired, amazing things can happen.”
Recognizing that education is essential to helping youth overcome generational poverty, FFTP is partnering with P4H Global, which provides training for teachers and administrators.
In addition to teacher training, the project in northern Haiti supports women educators through development and empowerment in the classroom, with the goal of helping them become more confident and self-sufficient in their daily lives. It also helps girls, who are often pulled out of school to work at home, by showing parents that their daughters can be successful academically and that getting an education can put them on a path to a brighter future.
If you want to support these kinds of projects, go to https://foodforthepoor.org/urgent-projects/
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, 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
954-471-0928
[email protected]
