FOODfor THOUGHT REFLECTIONS OF YOUR CHARITY AT WORK
March 2012
Someone is
for you p. 15
Some of the poorest places on earth...
are Only 2 hours away.
pp. 19, 21
Haiti earthquake SURVIVOR A powerful testimony from a FFP employee who survived the deadly earthquake in Haiti. p. 9
EVERYDAY HEROES
How individuals like you make incredible differences in the fight against global poverty. p. 17
N “ o one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is brought to perfection in us.� (1 John 4:12)
2012
MARCH
Contents I Features
3
Love Letter
5
A Love that Will Never Die
7
Breaking the Cycle
9
Who We Are - Survivor Story
13 Journey of Hope 15 The Power of Prayer 17 Everyday Heroes 19 Land of Lack 21 The Heights of Guatemala 22 Simple Things 23 Fading Future 25 From the Field - Ever-Increasing Faith 27 Lost Harvest... Lost Hope 29 Kidz Korner 31 Get Involved 33 On the Scene On the Cover I V era Benitez, see page 5. Food For Thought, a free publication of Food For The Poor, is a testament to God’s incredible love working in the hearts of our donors, partners and friends. This magazine is an educational and inspirational link between the poor you serve and your charity of choice. Food For The Poor is honored to be an instrument of love for so many selfless, compassionate individuals. Copyright Š 2012 by Food For The Poor, Inc. Food For The Poor has maintained fundraising and administrative costs of less than 4% of its expenses; (more than 96% of all donations go directly to programs that help the poor.)
President: Robin Mahfood Executive Director: Angel Aloma Executive Vice President: Alvaro Pereira Creative Director: Mary Carroll Senior Editor: Donna Scheurer-Purre Editor: Robby Brumberg Lead Writer: Michael Hutchinson Contributing Writers: Bonnie Vanak, Debi Springer Lead Graphic Designer: Kathy Melo Contributing Graphic Designers: Aimee Sauer, Diane Dragone Photographers: Benjamin Rusnak, Hilda Perez Project Manager: Gail Selden
Love letter
3
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A heartfelt letter from a 12-year-old girl in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is confirmation of your life-changing support. Compassionate people like you helped move Tashana and her suffering family out of a dangerous, tent-like, hillside shed, and into a safe and protective new Food For The Poor home. Thank you so much. You continue to change lives‌ one precious family at a time.
Before
After
Click here to view a slide show featuring this thankful family's transformation.
feature story “There’s an emptiness in the house. There’s an emptiness in my heart.” It’s been four years since Jose Masin Benitez’s wife died. At night, when his three children are asleep, he feels the heavy weight of grief on his heart. Inside the broken shack, high on the hill of a small Honduran village, Jose, 41, remembers. He folds her favorite dresses, places them on the bed, and lays his head upon them. “I use them as pillows, just so I can remember her. These dresses were her favorites,” he said softly. “I remember when I first laid eyes on her and I asked her out. Those are the best memories. She used to live a couple of houses up the road and I invited her over for dinner. I remember her kindness, her smile, her tenderness.” It was Jose’s second marriage. His first wife died of an aneurysm. Too grief-stricken to consider marriage again, he remained single until meeting this kind widow who had two children. They married and had a son, Orlin, 4, who has Down’s Syndrome. They were happy, until one day when she complained of stomach pains. Jose rushed her to the closest hospital, where she died. After her tragic death, Jose didn’t hesitate to keep caring for her children Roberto, 16, and Vera,10 (featured on the cover of this magazine). He struggles daily to put food on the table, because work is scarce, and Orlin can’t be left alone.
“I worry a lot about them. I want to make sure they have something to eat, even if I go without. I miss my wife. It’s hard. It feels like an empty home,” he said.
5
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Remarrying isn’t an option, Jose said. Though he’s still young, he won’t consider it. “God gave me two wonderful wives and took them away. I’d rather be by myself to watch after the children and help them grow. I’d be happier with a partner, but in the back of my mind, there’s a fear. I don’t want to go through losing someone again.” The children also remember their mother, and feel the pain of her absence. Roberto misses his mother’s advice, her kindness, and how she used to cook breakfast. Most of all, he misses her love. “She used to tell me, ‘I love you a lot,’” he recalled. His mother frowned on Roberto quitting school at age 10, but said if he was determined to stop learning in the classroom, then he should learn to work hard in the fields. He gets up at 6 a.m.,
goes to the fields to pick corn or beans, and doesn’t stop until 3 p.m. “I felt more obligated to work the fields so I could help the family,” Roberto explained. When his mother died, he felt sad and lost. But thanks to her teachings, this young man has faith to carry him through life’s burdens. “I believe that God can help me with anything and give me the daily strength to survive day by day, because that’s what my mother taught me,” Roberto said. “Normally, I pray at night before I go to bed so I will be safe and have nice dreams.” Jose works when work is available. But last year, flooding in northern Honduras caused massive crop damage. He still worries about what tomorrow will bring.
“I pray for the children, that I’ll be around long enough to see them with their families, and I pray that I can teach them well,” he said.
“The biggest concern is we know all will be more expensive six months from now because of crop loss. The whole community is concerned,” he said. Jose and his children are just one family of many who need your help to ensure a better tomorrow. Faith keeps him steady through grief. Prayer is a constant in his life, for he relies on it to raise his children, and get him through uncertain times. Won't you help answer his prayers?
•
FEATURED ON THE COVER: Since her mother died, life has become even more difficult for 10-year-old Vera and her impoverished family. FOOD FOR THOUGHT
6
BREAKING THE CYCLE
You don’t just provide relief:
you help break
ood tF u o
Without your help, the cycle of
poverty
continues.
Wi th
Without a job, parents can’t provide food and shelter for their children...
er
using t ho ou ith W
Without an education, children can’t get a job when they’re grown.
Without educ at ion hout a job Wit
Witho ut Wa t
Without a clean water source, children must walk hours to collect water for their family… instead of attending school.
... and so the cycle of poverty continues. Featured Project:
Goats and PelibÜey for life in Honduras have been just about as bad as they can get in Honduras Things recently. A sinking economy, destructive storms and persistent
poverty continue pushing the country’s poor (about 65 percent of the population) closer to the edge.
But even in the midst of such turmoil and misery, quiet miracles are happening. Food For The Poor’s Goats For Life program was created in 2010 to give impoverished families in the Sula Valley access to nutrition and an opportunity to earn income through animal husbandry. The hope is that the project will not only bring an economic boost to the area, but inspire the kind of enterprise, ambition and community pride that fights the hopelessness of poverty.
COMMUNITIES TRANSFORMED
7
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
So what does a program like this actually do for the people involved? The results are nothing short of miraculous.
generational poverty. Gifts like a new home, a water well, or an education can alter the course of a poor child’s life and be a release from the cycle of poverty.
ob aj With
N Wit h EDUCATIO
h Wit
SA FE HOU SING
WA TE R
escape from poverty Is possible.
A LE With C
N
Wi th F OOD
With your love, an
While the scope of poverty in developing countries is daunting, the power of God’s love at work in the hearts of people like you is greater. Through your compassion, even the smallest gifts can be combined to create tremendous differences in the lives of those who suffer. Poor families simply pray for the means to help themselves... the means to create change in the lives of their children. May God bless you for extending your hand to those mired in all-encompassing poverty.
The Goats For Life program has provided each community with the necessary supplies for raising goats, including a shed, a drinking and feeding center, food, de-wormers, vitamins, barbwire fencing and 55 goats and pelibüey (50 female and 5 male). To ensure the goats and pelibüey stay healthy and productive, experienced animal husbandry experts are providing ongoing technical support to the farmers (who are mostly women), in addition to offering them tips on how to market goat “products” (milk, cheese and goat and pelibüey offspring) for a profit. The Goats For Life program is making a tremendous impact on each community and family involved. The steady flow of income is a dream come true for these rural women, who have in the past struggled just to feed their children. The projects have been so successful in fact, the women from the farm in La Bendicion recently won 1st prize at Honduras’ “Día Internacional de la Mujer Rural y de la Seguridad Alimentaria,” a nationwide fair highlighting successful agricultural projects of rural women.
Carlos Coello, a Food For The Poor project manager in Honduras, said this about the farmers, “They are very grateful for Food For The Poor and thankful that they now have something of their own to work at and provide for their families.” Food For The Poor’s Goats For Life program is a shining example of how a small investment has the potential to transform entire communities – even in the world’s poorest areas.
•
who we are
“At about 4:50 p.m.,the earthquake struck. I knew it
was an earthquake, and I tried to run outside my hotel room, but I did not make it. Instead, while I was between the bed and the armoire, the floor fell out beneath me.
Food For The Poor’s resilient Missions and Travel Director, Leann Chong, has recovered and is once again leading groups on life-changing journeys to serve the poor. Here, she details her miraculous rescue from the rubble of the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the deadly earthquake of 2010.
SURVIVOR STORY I don’t remember the experience of falling. Perhaps I blacked out for awhile? I woke up in a fetal position, face down. I had no idea how much time had passed at that point. I was in complete darkness, buried under the debris. My left arm and leg were splayed out to my side, in a somewhat comfortable position. However, my right arm and leg were pinned underneath me. I did not want to fall asleep. I don’t think I did. I wanted to be alert in case a rescue team came. I realized I was buried under the rubble (not visible to anyone). I tried to move my arms and legs to dig my way out, but I could not move anything. The Lord had given me a small air pocket to breathe. If I had landed face up or on my side, I would have suffocated immediately. I tried to calm myself down by breathing in and out through my nose. I told myself that no one would be coming for me that night, as we were up on a mountain, and it was going to be dark outside. It was going to be a long wait. I must have gone into some kind of meditative state, as I was unable to keep track of time.
God is so good!! It was a very supernatural experience that is hard to describe. I questioned God, to the point of being angry. Why would He allow me to die a slow, painful suffocating death? I told Him that He loves me too much to let me die this way. I made my peace with God and I prayed for a quick death (heart attack). I waited and waited. It never came, so there was some glimmer of hope that I would make it.
“…I prayed for a quick death (heart attack). I waited and waited. It never came…” While buried, I would silently pray and sing as I did not want to jeopardize the state of my air pocket. I also thought of trivial things, like I hoped my apartment was clean. I did get sad thinking about my family, and how much I wanted to tell them that I love them. I thought of the pain they would be going through…that was difficult to bear. (continued on next page)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
10
As soon as I heard banging noises or voices, I would call out by making a repeated noise with my throat. No one responded to my calls. Although I was discouraged at times for fear that no one would return to this area, I continued to praise God and remained hopeful. Finally, I heard more voices, which were very close to my location. The man spoke English and French. I screamed out to him that I was buried in the dirt. I knew this was it! He dug in the dirt (like a dog would) to find me. His first attempt was to pull me out (slide me out) by my left arm and leg. However, that did not work as my right side was buried deeper. He dug some more, to find out strands of my hair were also stuck. He took a very dull knife and between the two of us we cut the strands of hair that were stuck. I could see an armoire perched above my right side, near my head. Was it protecting me from other debris falling on top of me? That is what I would like to think. The rescuers placed me on a narrow board which they pulled from the armoire. They tied me down so I would not fall off. I then had to go through a second cave-like room through a tiny hole. I can’t remember if they put me on a door, or used the same narrow board. I was so worried about falling off the board. I then came out
of the darkness into the beautiful sunshine. Is this what Jesus felt like on Resurrection Day? All I could say over and over again through my tears was, 'Thank you Jesus!' I was so grateful to be alive! I was then taken to the pool deck and placed on to a lounge chair. It was Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., 17 hours after the earthquake struck. Thankfully, I don’t have post-traumatic stress syndrome. I never had nightmares. I truly believe the Lord protected me from situations that might have caused more emotional trauma. I left Haiti early. I did not see the destruction or dead bodies in Port-au-Prince. I never had someone die in my arms. I never had to make a life or death decision on someone else’s behalf. I suffered nerve damage on my right thigh, foot and arm/hand, with a 90% healing. My prayer now is, 'Lord grant me the opportunities to share my story so that you may be glorified, not me, but You! Reveal to me little by little Your divine purpose and plan. I know that this will all come together for good.'
A psychologist told me that we all react differently to traumatic situations. We make decisions based on past experiences, how we were brought up, our faith. Imagine… God had been preparing me all my life for that moment.
I don’t understand why certain things happen. His ways are not my ways; His thoughts are not my thoughts. Why was my life spared and so many others were not? All I know is that He is sovereign and is in control of everything. His plans always work out for good. He is in the midst of everything. His timing is perfect. It won’t be a moment too soon or too late when it is my time to go to my heavenly home, and no earthquake could change that.”
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
12
what you’ve done
Before
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked Port-au-Prince, Haiti, taking approximately 90 seconds to shake the country to pieces. On that awful day, 12 Lynn University students and two professors were traveling with Food For The Poor on a “Journey of Hope” missions trip. Eight of the Lynn University students returned home after the quake. Tragically, four students and two professors died. Haiti may have been temporarily torn apart, but the human connection remains intact. The “Journey of Hope Memorial Village” honors the members of the mission team, including those who lost their lives, who were selflessly serving the poorest of the poor in Haiti. Where there was once hysteria and fear, there is now comfort and peace. The village is relocating 42 families from the garbage-filled slums of Cité Soleil to a more secure and healthy environment in Croix-desBouquets, nine miles east of Port-au-Prince. “I pray for everyone that made this happen for my family and me,” said housing recipient Roselyn St. Fleur, 45. “It’s a privilege to come to live in this house. It’s a privilege that we get the chance to come out of misery and come live in this place.”
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A Food For The Poor two-room home has been constructed for each family, along with a system for water collection and sanitation. In addition to housing, the project includes a six-classroom school with a sanitation block, a community center, a water treatment unit, five solar-powered street lamps, 250 fruit trees and 62 goats. A meditation garden has also been established to celebrate and memorialize the lives that were lost in the earthquake.
•
“The children are very happy and they saw that when I was praying, it wasn’t for nothing. God was listening, and this is the proof,” said Judith Etienne, mother of four and a Journey of Hope Memorial Village housing recipient.
Journey of Hope Memorial Village Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti
After
A happy family recently relocated into the Memorial Village.
The Power of P
d
We begin everyday in prayer for our donors.
For many, Food For The Poor isn’t just their charity of choice, but a personal prayer partner. Through its Donor Relations Department and prayer ministry, Food For The Poor offers donors the unique opportunity to not only discuss and pray for the needs of the poor, but also their very own personal needs. Food For The Poor receives special prayer requests from donors through a variety of sources. Most of them are handwritten requests received in the mail, but many are also received on the phone, through the organization’s website or via the “Live Prayer” application available for smartphones.
Each prayer request we 15
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
l atten receive is given persona
tion.
Some donors simply ask for God’s mercy upon the lives of the poor. Others relate a poor family’s faith with that of their own. And some ask for urgent prayer concerning a personal struggle. These donors and their prayer partners share a deep love for God and the poor, and an unwavering belief and faith in the power of prayer.
Prayer
d
“We do not take the privilege of being able to pray with our donors lightly,” said Anthony Lockhart, Donor Relations Manager.
“We are humbled that our donors entrust to us their concerns and cares, and are amazed to see how God works through our Prayer Ministry. Time and time again, our donors testify to the miracles that our prayers bring.”
&
Partners
Friends
The following are excerpts from a letter written by a donor and friend, Martha Brumfield-Coleman, of Beltsville, Maryland. “Back in early 2010, my daughters called me; they were very upset, their dad was taken to the hospital. I went to see him and we prayed for him. Feeling distraught, while driving home, my cell phone rang. I pulled over to the side of the road. Food for the Poor was calling to ask how things were – I think I broke down and cried; only God could have put us on your hearts at that very moment for prayer.”
“I have asked [Food For The Poor] for prayer for family, friends and co-workers. When it comes to prayer, I call Food For The Poor the ‘Heavy Hitters.’ May God bless you and your families.”
•
Prayer partner Ernestine Edward speaks with a dono r.
d
A few months ago, a member of our Donor Relations department received a heartfelt Christmas card from Carol Sanborn in Carolina Shores, North Carolina, whom she had been praying with for a number of years. Carol was requesting prayers over the health of her unborn son who was initially diagnosed with genetic defects. Miraculously, months later, to the surprise of her attending doctor, the little boy was born perfectly healthy. Carol now shares her testimony with friends and family, claiming, “God takes care of everything.” She recently mailed the Donor Relations Department a baptismal picture of baby John in honor of God’s faithfulness and mercy.
everyday heroes In one of the most expensive cities in the world, this man drives a van to an airport for a living. So, how
is he such a rich man?
Rory Mercurio considers himself blessed to earn a living driving a van for a large hotel to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. So much so, that he decided he would donate a portion of his tip money to help the less fortunate, rather than use it for himself. “My main motivation... was my realization as to how much I have in life,” Rory said. “Not only in that I am able to live comfortably, but that I have so many good things in life like family, health, peace of mind and other blessings. I thought it would be only fair to share with others.” About eight years ago, one of Rory’s passengers, Father Richard Nahman, a Food For The Poor speaker, began a conversation with Rory about the organization’s work in the Caribbean and Latin America. “Father Richard offered me a tip, and instead, I reached into the bag where I kept my charity fund and handed it to him, asking him to add his tip to what I had and pass it on to Food For The Poor,” Rory explained. Thus began Rory’s habit of setting aside his tip money to donate to Food For The Poor. He’d collect a few hundred
dollars, write a check and give it to Father Richard, directing him to use the money where it was most needed. Over the years Rory and his wife’s generous donations have equaled enough to build a house in Jamaica, dig a well for a village in Haiti, and help earthquake victims in Haiti. But it hasn’t been easy. Sometimes he’d look at his charity fund and think about something he wanted to buy for himself. Then Rory would realize he was fortunate compared to others.
“Because of my good fortunes, I feel
myself to be ‘rich’, although I don’t have a great deal of money,” Rory said. Both Rory and the families whose lives he’s touched are thankful for their special bond, a bond of love and sacrifice that’s an example to us all.
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“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” 17
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
(Matthew 6:20a)
Wish you could do more? Where there's a Will, there's a way. When you include Food For The Poor in your Will or Trust, your generosity makes incredibly lasting differences in the lives of the poor. Your beautiful work of caring for the less fortunate will not be forgotten. By remembering Food For The Poor in your Will and Trust now, you will leave a tremendous legacy that will continue to touch the lives of suffering families for generations to come. IT COSTS YOU NOTHING TO LEARN MORE. Food For The Poor has experts to assist you with Estate Planning.
For more information, please contact P lanned Giving at: 866.501.4052 or email us at: plannedgiving@foodforthepoor.com
www.FoodForThePoor.gift-planning.org
where you serve
land of lack Northern Haiti’s dusty, arid region receives little rainfall. Crops seldom grow here, unless they are irrigated. There is no food. There are no jobs. There is, however, plenty of hunger and suffering.
Edilia Lovejoy, 28, holds her newborn baby in her lap, gazing down at her helplessly. Baby Ediline is only 15 days old, and has been born into a home where her siblings struggle each day for even a mouthful of food to eat. Their house is dilapidated, and offers little protection against the elements, but it’s all they have. Each day, Edilia’s husband leaves to look for work — anything to earn a little money to feed the children. Each night, he returns home empty-handed. The Lovejoy family has land, but without rain, crops seldom grow. Edilia feels helpless and alone. “It’s painful to see the children so hungry. Sometimes when they cry, I ask a friend for something to eat. I feel humiliated, and I feel bad to ask them to feed my children,” she says softly. “But when you can’t feed them yourself, you are obligated to do what you must. It’s really hard for me.”
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“In my distress I called out: Lord! I cried out to my God.” (Psalm 18:7a)
Battered by decades of crushing poverty, the people of Haiti have endured unimaginable suffering. The devastating earthquake of 2010, a terrifying cholera epidemic, and widespread crop loss have all taken a horrible toll on Haitian families. Chronic hunger is forcing countless parents to watch their children slowly starve to death. The Lovejoy family is just one family in Haiti facing this crisis.
“ I’m really afraid because I can’t feed the children and one is really sick. I’m afraid of losing her,” Edilia said.
Some days the family is lucky enough to get a small amount of money from a kind neighbor or two to buy a scant amount of rice to mix with plantains for the meal of the day. Usually it’s whatever the family can scavenge. Mothers like Edilia desperately need your support. They lack lifesaving food – food you can provide that will help save the lives of their children.
•
Faith gives Edilia strength when the children cry from hunger, and everything seems hopeless. “I pray to God a lot because each day when I go to bed, I don’t know how tomorrow will be,” she says. “If I didn’t have God, I would not be here anymore." FOOD FOR THOUGHT
20
where you serve
The Heights of
While Guatemala is the largest Central American nation in terms of population and economic activity, it's largely rural, Mayan population face extremely difficult conditions. Distribution of land, income and other wealth is controlled by a small percentage of Guatemala’s Spanish-speaking population. Therefore, roughly 5 million Mayans are isolated socially and economically due to geographic and language barriers, as well as the lack of educational and economic opportunity. In the heights of a predominantly mountainous country, poor indigenous children remain tied to a rich culture and tradition... but suffer from the fourth-highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world. Less than half of rural Guatemalans have access to running water and less than one in ten have access to modern sanitation facilities. Infant, child and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in Latin America and the world. But your generosity can make a tremendous difference by providing lifesaving food, water and sanitation. You'll also let these isolated people know they are not alone.
Large-scale problem; little-known statistics: • One out of every two Guatemalan children under the age of 5 is chronically malnourished. (USAID) • Guatemala has the highest rate of child chronic malnutrition in the Western Hemisphere. (UN World Food Programme)
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A little boy in Honduras plays with a toy truck made of wood.
Lacking electricity, the poor often cook over dangerously open flames.
Simple Things (We take for granted)
The poor in developing countries face many daily challenges that are rarely encountered in the United States. Many families lack water, electricity and sanitation. For these families, living conditions today have changed little from those hundreds of years ago. Without sanitation, some poor families construct pit latrines.
The poor travel great distances in search of drinking water, and are often forced to collect from contaminated sources.
Women and children must hand-wash clothes in rivers and streams.
who you serve
Her face lights up when describing her studies. And God's love shines in her eyes as she reads Scripture. But the heart of 12-year-old Geanelle Campbell is filled with worry. She has the promise of a child… but poverty is slowly breaking that promise. The following is an excerpt of a conversation we recently had with Geanelle inside her family’s dilapidated shack in Jamaica. Q: What’s your favorite subject? A: English. Q: And what do you want to be when you get older? A: A teacher… because I love to teach. Q: A:
What is your typical day like? I wake up at 4:30 in the morning to reach school at 7:00 a.m. First, I have to fetch water for bathing and drinking. I can’t be late to school.
Q: A:
What’s your biggest problem right now? Some days I go to school and don’t have anything to eat... I don’t do good at school when I don’t have breakfast. I just drop asleep.
Q: Do you have problems with the house? A: When it rains, the water leaks in and my bed gets wet. Q: Do you pray a lot? A: Yes sir, I’m a Christian at my church. Q: A:
And what do you say to God? I pray to ask for food and shelter and I pray for my brother who is in trouble. I ask Him to guide and protect me so I can grow up and also to open my father’s eyes to find a way for us.
Q: What does God say back to you? A: In my heart, He says ‘just hold it’ because things will be alright. Q: A:
What do you learn at church? I learn about God and about Jesus and His followers… to follow God and to be in His pathway.
Q: And how do you follow? A: By listening to His words and praying and doing what I’m supposed to. Q: What would be your dream? A: I would like to own my own basic school and be a teacher. Q: What do you think blocks your dreams? A: My father doesn’t have money, so we can’t do much. Q: Is Jesus your friend? A: Yes sir. It feels good when I finish talking to Him.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
24
gEver-Increasing Faithg
FROM THE FIELD
"How do I learn to be more faithful?" I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve met a grandmother in the field taking care of her grandchildren with no food and she says, "God will provide." And then here I am with my tiny troubles (she laughs). As I said, I am learning every day.
Food For The Poor talks to Susan James, Project Manager of Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and the Eastern Caribbean, about traipsing through jungles, building villages and learning to have faith. Food For The Poor: You’ve spent 12 years at Food For The Poor, and 10 of those have been in the field, what’s your go-to philosophy when things seem overwhelming? Susan James: (Without hesitation begins reciting Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Wow, I just surprised myself — I have really become a spiritual person. FFP: What do you suppose has brought you to this place spiritually? SJ: You know, it has to be the faith of the poor. It’s the number one thing I try to learn from every day. The poor have faith that God will help them. And I think, 25
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
FFP: I know part of what you do is to help facilitate the building of villages through the generosity of our supporters, what is that process like? SJ: First, we have to find recipients. Someone is their voice. Churches or contacts of ours in the areas we work will bring people to our attention. Recipients are always selected based on need. We’ll go out and check the situation to see what we can do. More times than not, we are saying, "Yes," whether or not we have the funds at the moment. Our goal is to help the poorest of the poor. FFP: What about land ownership? How does that work, especially if a family has no land to build on? SJ: Ownership of land is one of the greatest challenges and tragedies we deal with. Many times the families we visit who live in the worst conditions are the ones who have no way of owning land. This is why if we can build a village, it's such a relief to us because we can incorporate that family into the village. FFP: Before moving day, a lot of construction takes place. How in the world do you get supplies to some of the remote, rural settings you build villages in? SJ: It’s hard. For example, in New Haven, Siriki, Guyana, just to visit the proposed site we drove across a large land mass, then a bridge, continued driving for about an hour, then we took
a 45-minute boat ride on the Essequibo River, which is massive like the Amazon. Once we arrived on land, we traveled for about an hour on rough roads; we then took another boat up the Pomeroon River, then down a manmade canal. It really depends on the country and the area we are building in. FFP: What does an average village include? SJ: Each village is planned and built based on need. For example, we constructed the New Haven Village in Siriki, Guyana, to include 70 homes and a school. Each country has its own struggles and challenges. I know in Guyana one of the areas has families who row their children in makeshift boats to and from school — three to four hours each way. Imagine what time they must wake up in order to get their children to school! FFP: What is your dream for the people we serve? SJ: I always hope that their lives will be better. My heart is with the children, and the children having a chance of becoming what they want to become… not mired in poverty. For most families, their goal is to send their children to school. There is one gentleman in Jamaica, we gave him five boxes of bees. We returned and within a year he had 37 boxes — they were even on his roof. He never bought any bees; he just kept splitting the hives. He can afford to send his kids to school, and he wants to teach others how to keep bees. This is all happening in an inner city community in Jamaica and in each country where we serve. We’re really trying to help people become self-sufficient. You have no idea of the impact our work can have on an individual.
•
small investment
After
of time may yield your
highest
returns. Does your employer match charitable donations?
Before
A minute of your time could help save the life of a child like Alex Gaitaá‘ n. Many companies not only offer their employees the opportunity to direct charitable giving towards their favorite cause, but will match contributions, often at 100%! At 7 years of age, Alex Gaitaá‘ n weighed only 29 pounds. Alex was rushed to a Food For The Poor-supported nutritional center in Guatemala where he was miraculously nursed back to life. Miracles can occur through your support. Please ask your Human Resources department today about the opportunity of direct charitable giving.
After
A small investment of your time could save a life!
FFP Employer
matchinggifts@foodforthepoor.com
Gift Program
or call (954) 427-2222, ext. 6064.
Matching
For more information, please email
www.FoodForThePoor.org/match
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
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feature story
In October, after 10 consecutive days of heavy rains that caused landslides, floods and bridge collapses throughout Central America, families began to realize just how much they’d lost. Fortunately, the death toll across the region was low. But economic heartbreak settled in among the mud and debris. Crops that took months to harvest lay dried out, decomposing and useless.
For destitute farmers across Central America, growing and harvesting corn and beans is the only way to stay alive. But extensive property damage and threats to their children’s health from their soggy environments have forced many families to start their lives over elsewhere.
“I’m worried a lot. I have small children, and I have to feed my whole family with this,” said Lulia Tulen, 37, who lives in Cacho de Oro, El Salvador, and lost her entire corn crop.
Mothers like Lulia use the money from corn harvests to feed, clothe and send their children to school. This year was supposed to be a bountiful crop. “The hope of the new year is based in the crop, and it makes us sad to start the new year with less hope,” Lulia said. “The happiness went down with the corn.” Father David Blanchard, a missionary in El Salvador, expressed concern about not only the residents in El Salvador,
“My biggest worry for the future is feeding my children. Only by the grace of God have I been able to feed them up to now.” 27
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
-Maria lBonilla
but across Central America. The loss of corn, beans and rice crops meant that not only would people not have these staple foods to eat, but there would be no surplus to sell to make money to survive. Father Blanchard explained that the steady rains caused the price of beans to go up 300 percent in just one week, and that 75 percent of rice crops were destroyed. “It wasn’t heavy rain. It was just too much water over a long period of time. It just wouldn’t stop,” Father Blanchard said. Sowing crops requires capital that most farmers in Central America don’t have. In order to purchase seeds and fertilizer they take out loans, and then gamble on a good harvest to repay the loan. “The bank won’t forgive you for this,” said Jose Eduardo Aguilar, 34, whose family lives by their harvests. “Regardless of how you lost it [your crops], you have to pay them back.” In May, Jose’s family will need to replant their crops, but they have no way to pay off their past debts, and even if they did, the access road to their field was destroyed by a landslide during the rains.
“The happiness went down with the corn.” -Lulia Tulen
In El Angel, El Salvador, most homes were flooded with about 2.5 feet of water. The Sanchez family's home was in ruins under four inches of thick mud, and their one acre of crops fared even worse. “We lost everything, everything, everything,” said Leli Sanchez, 38. Mercedes Medina, 81, the sole caretaker of his two grandchildren, lives in the small community of Las Graditas, El Salvador, where 17 homes and the local church were destroyed. His home of 25 years was badly damaged in the floods, but what hurt even more was the devastating loss of all of his crops. “Some were just planted, some were already grown,” Mercedes said. He plants the crops each year mostly for his family to eat, but will sell whatever is left over. “From here forward, what are we going to do? How am I going to buy anything?” Mercedes asked. There was no answer; no one could tell him what tomorrow would bring. Your gifts can provide disaster relief to families like Mercedes' who have lost so much. Won't you help today?
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Hi! I’m Chirpy the bird!
Korner
food for thought...
Wo r d Se a r c h Wheat Cauliflower Barley Broccoli Corn Carrot
Potato Honeydew Lettuce Orange Onion Watermelon
over As Chirpy flies in the sky many so s see he , ies poor countr Chirpy children that are hungry. he wants you to join him as hts flig his m fro s rie shares sto and an be rib Ca the t throughou Latin America. Look below chats!” and watch for his “chirp
Activity:
We are blessed to be able to eat many different types of food that help keep our bodies healthy. Make a list of all the healthy foods you like to eat. (Older Students - Create your own word-search puzzle using these same words.)
Lots of kids don’t have enough to eat. Without food, they don’t have the energy to play or learn, and they get sick a lot because their bodies aren’t strong. What if all you had to eat for a whole day was one small snack? That’s what I’ve seen happen to a lot of kids. When I’m out flying over poor countries and meet kids living like this, I want to help them and share food with them.
When we share what we have with others, it makes us feel good. Caring for poor people just as we care for our families is a way to feel good.
_________________
A lesson in lifesaving compassion
Spot the difference Find 5 differences in the two pictures...
Activity:
Many children wait in line for hours for their only meal of the day. Make a list of the differences between your life and the life of a poor child.
Children’s Workbook & Collection Box These tools are a way for parents or teachers to teach children about giving selflessly, and how we can make sacrifices to help the poor.
Let’s Chat With Chirpy:
1. How do you feel when you’re REALLY hungry?
Operation
2. I f you were eating lunch and you saw a friend who had nothing to eat, would you share your food? 3. W hen you’re feeling sick, do you feel like going to school or even playing?
____________ 4. Why is it important to help others who don’t have food?
To order materials or learn more, please contact us toll-free at
877.654.2960, ext. 6641 or email
churchschool@foodforthepoor.com FOOD FOR THOUGHT
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Five differences: 1. boy’s shoe, 2. missing bowl, 3. length of girl’s skirt, 4. color of boy’s collar, 5. missing flowers on woman’s pink skirt
Get Involved! One of the true joys in our ministry is seeing diverse members of the body of Christ working toward the common goal of helping people in need. We want to be a vehicle that helps people connect, engage and get involved in the lives of the poor in a highly personal way. With that hope in mind, we want to let you know about the many opportunities FFP has for people of all ages to partner with us, and engage in this good work. Have a look at the list below, and see how you can get involved today! Gifts in Kind Do you work, or have contacts in manufacturing or distribution outlets? Would your company like to donate any of the following items in volume? • Non-perishable food items • New clothes and shoes • Personal care items • School furniture • First-aid kits • Seeds • Diapers Contact: 954.427.2222, ext. 6509 or gik@foodforthepoor.com Major Giving Looking to make a big impact? You could alter the future of entire villages! • Proper Nourishment – feeding centers • Secure Housing – community projects • Quenched Thirst – water wells & water treatment units • Brighter Futures – schools & micro-enterprise projects Contact: 800.897.5054 or majorgiving@foodforthepoor.com Speakers Bureau Be challenged, uplifted and inspired by one of our great speakers. • Invite a speaker to visit your church, school or business • A member of our diverse, interdenominational group of speakers will be sure to bless your group with a powerful message Contact: 877.654.2960, ext. 6419 or speakers@foodforthepoor.com Donor Relations It is our pleasure to help answer any questions, or to pray with you and your family. • Visit us on Facebook • Download our Live Prayer A pplication • Call anytime during business hours for prayer Contact: 888.940.4076 or liveprayer@foodforthepoor.com 31
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Special Events Find an event or auction near you on our website, or call us and we'll help create your own! Get involved through: • Committees • Sponsorship • Team building opportunities Contact: 888.404.4248 or events@foodforthepoor.com Radio & TV Marketing Let us know your favorite radio and TV stations you think may air our programs! • We’ll be glad to send you promotional DVD’s (30 or 60 minute versions) you can show at your home, church or community group • Become an Angel Of The Poor monthly sponsor • Listen to us coast-to-coast Contact: 954.427.2222, ext. 6400 marketing@foodforthepoor.com Church & School Get your church, school, business or other group engaged and personally involved in helping the poor! • Start a ‘Students For The Poor’ chapter at your school, or host an ‘All-Nighter For The Poor’ • Operation Starfish is a great way to show children the reality of poverty and the joy of giving • Invite your business, team or community group to adopt a project to sponsor Contact: 877.654.2960 or email churchschool@foodforthepoor.com
®
Planned Giving Let us help you identify your goals, discover gifts anyone can make, see how gifts can pay you income, and explore gifts that protect assets. • Join the Servants of the Poor Society • Remember the poor in your Will or Trust. • We can assist with an easy Codicil Contact: 866.501.4052 or plannedgiving@foodforthepoor.com
Public Relations Have an FFP project you’re trying to promote? Let us tell your story! For requests for press materials, photos, video and media interviews go to www.FoodForThePoor.org/newsroom or contact us at: newsroom@foodforthepoor.com Missions & Travel We bring you into direct contact with those we serve! • Witness firsthand how your gifts are meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the poor • Meet (and be forever changed by) the beautiful people we serve Contact: 800.568.8124 or missions@foodforthepoor.com Global Alliances Global Alliances partners with non-governmental agencies, foundations and governments to maximize efficiency and impact for sustainable development. Some endeavors include: • USAID/IBD – housing projects in Haiti • USDA – McGovern Dole Food For Education in Nicaragua • Working collaboratively with international NGOs on building communities, school and water projects. Contact: 954.596.4072 or alvarop@foodforthepoor.com Emerging Media Download FFP’s Live Prayer Application, become a Champion For The Poor, make your next donation online, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter! www.FoodForThePoor.org
you can
y t r e v o p d n e Operation Starfish ® is a unique, free program that allows you to combine your charitable efforts with those of your family, friends, colleagues, school or church. For both children and adults, it is an invaluable educational and spiritual tool. While you are giving to help others, you too, will receive in so many ways.
(For this child.) No one person will ever end poverty. IBut together, we can make a world of difference… one child at a time. To learn more, log on to www.FoodForThePoor.org/starfish, email churchschool@foodforthepoor.com, or call 877.654.2960, ext. 6641. Operation
®
Food For The Poor donors Darren Dwyer and Joe Roetheli take a ride through Guyana to view the life-changing housing villages they helped construct.
ON THE SCENE
Students celebrate the reconstruction and reopening of Jean Marie Guilloux, a school destroyed in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. “Students for the Poor,” along with FFP employees, stand outside a replicated Food For The Poor home at Lynn University.
Visitors at or “Art Embracing Hope” — a South Florida art show benefitting Food For The Poor. Rachel Wheeler —named one of America’s top 10 youth volunteers for 2011 — greets a Haitian family she helped shelter through her fundraising efforts.
Robin Mahfood greets Grammy Award-winning reggae star, Shaggy, who performed at FFP’s annual Building Hope Gala in Boca Raton, Florida.
Guests enjoy dancing at Food For The Poor’s ninth annual Palm Beach gala, “Fine Wines and Hidden Treasures.”
During a recent trip with Food For The Poor to his native country, the Dominican Republic, Miami Marlins baseball star Emilio Bonifacio handed out T-shirts and baseball equipment to needy children.
Robin Mahfood, President and CEO of Food For The Poor, playfully kisses a pangasius fish, a product of a Food For The Poor fish farm in Haiti.
Sami Kerker, a 16-year-old high school student, raises funds for the poor by selling her homemade tie-dye clothing. Paul Jacobs, a FFP Radio On-air Fundraiser, leads a charge of motivated participants at FFP’s “Walk for Hunger” event in Miami.
Kara Seelye, a member of Boca Raton’s Building Hope Gala committee, leaps across an open sewer in a marshy slum in Cité Soleil, Haiti.
6401 Lyons Road • Coconut Creek, FL 33073
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“My biggest worry for the future is feeding my children. And if we lose our house, I ask God to provide a better one for us. We’re a poor family. How can we defend ourselves?”
— Maria IBonilla, a weeping mother, days after a tropical depression devastated her village. In El Salvador, it rained 10 consecutive days last October, triggering massive floods that claimed lives, devastated homes and destroyed crops. As in any natural disaster, the poor were the most vulnerable.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)