Food for the Poor
| Founded | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ferdinand Mahfood |
| Type | Non-Government Organization |
| Focus | Impoverished people throughout Latin America and Caribbean |
| Location |
|
Area served | Seventeen countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Method | Direct assistance of churches and charity organizations operating within in-need areas through the delivery of food, medicine, housing, and other vital goods |
Key people | Robin Mahfood (President, CEO), Angel A. Aloma (Executive Director) |
Employees | 350+ (2012) |
| Website | http://www.foodforthepoor.org/''' |
Food For The Poor, Inc. (FFP) is an ecumenical Christian nonprofit organization based in Coconut Creek, Florida, USA that provides food, medicine, and shelter, among other services, to the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Food For The Poor, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation.
History
In 1982, Ferdinand Mahfood began Food For The Poor to aid the poor and downtrodden in Latin America and the Caribbean. Clergy members of many Christian denominations, including Episcopalian, Lutheran and Roman Catholic, provide the core of the organization, preaching and personally distributing necessary items in the poor countries, while going abroad to seek more donations. Members of the laity are also heavily involved, providing aid and resources both alongside clergy and in places where there are few or no clergy members.
Since 1982, Food For The Poor has distributed approximately $9 billion worth of food, medicine, housing materials,water and other aid to the poor of the Caribbean and Latin America.[1] In 2007, the charity migrated its headquarters from Deerfield Beach, FL to Coconut Creek, FL. Currently, FFP employs more than 300 people out of its Coconut Creek location, in addition to employing numerous members of the Clergy as speakers across the United States.[2]
Fundraising
Food For The Poor aids the poor through donations of money and supplies, often from the United States and Europe. Clergy and lay people go on trips in such regions to ask for donations. A vast majority of the organization's revenue is from donated goods.
In 2011, 96.3% of all donations to FFP went directly to programs that help the poor, while 2.9% went to fundraising costs and .8% to administration.
Relief efforts
Food For The Poor provides, as its main objective, nourishment to needy people. The organization also erects homes for homeless families, supplies medicine and health care in hospitals and clinics, subsidizes orphanages, teaches children and adults by providing knowledge and training for the careers.
Targeted crisis relief programs
In addition to its general community development and direct aid programs designed to reduce poverty and malnutrition, Food For The Poor provides targeted relief for humanitarian crises. On January 11, 2010, it announced initial success in introducing a new food source, the Basa fish, for the critically malnourished nation of Haiti.[3] Then, on January 13, 2010, it announced a major relief effort directed toward the people of the same nation to help recovery from the catastrophic January 12 earthquake which struck Port-au-Prince. According to its earthquake press release "Food For The Poor (is) accepting: cash donations, canned meats, fish, condensed, evaporated and powdered milk, and water. The agency is immediately sending 400 containers of rice, beans, water, blankets, lumber and repairing zinc."[4]
See also
Notes and references
- ↑ History, Food For The Poor website. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
- ↑ New Headquarters. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
- ↑ "Basa Fish to Boost Haiti’s Food Supply" (Press release). Food For The Poor. January 11, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
- ↑ "Immediate Relief for Earthquake Victims" (Press release). Food For The Poor. January 13, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2010.