EVENING PROGRAM
CELEBRATION OF HOPE
Virtual Gala
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Paul Jacobs
BLESSING OF THE EVENING
Delane Bailey-Herd
A WORD FROM OUR CEO
Ed Raine
“MY HOPE”
Music by Glacia Robinson A LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEY TO HAITI
Keynote Address by Dr. Lynne Nasrallah
A MOTHER’S PRAYER
Critical Need for Food in Haiti
VIRTUAL DONATION RALLY
A MOTHER’S THANKFULNESS
Beneficiaries Give Thanks for Lifesaving Meals
“SURVIVOR”
Music by Glacia Robinson
AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE R
The continuing acute shortage of food and unrest has worsened the situation for vulnerable people in Haiti. Agriculture, travel and other means of earning a living have been disrupted, and severe food shortages persist.
Tonight, with your support, the Celebration of Hope Virtual Gala will raise funds to purchase and ship 2 million meals for those in desperate need of food in Haiti.
Thank you for joining us for an inspirational and engaging hour of hope-giving philanthropy from the comfort of your home.
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Food For The Poor’s Celebration of Hope Virtual Gala. Your presence and encouragement are felt tonight, and we are on fire to make a significant impact together. Thank you for joining this evening of great love and fellowship in support of Haiti and its most vulnerable citizens.
We are united in our call to serve God and His people. We press forward, each of us modeling the compassion of Jesus no matter how many obstacles we face. In Haiti, the obstacles continue to mount for our Caribbean neighbors. The tropical storm that became Hurricane Laura unleashed torrential rain in August, ravaging Port-au-Prince and nearby areas with rising floodwaters. Communities across Haiti, already vulnerable due to political unrest, now face crop shortages because of the flooding. Our Haitian neighbors need us now more than ever as they are pushed even further into food insecurity.
God is doing a mighty work through you. Our goal tonight is to raise funds to purchase and ship 2 million meals for those in urgent need of food in Haiti. Thank you for loving, serving and caring for the people of Haiti who desperately need food. Hope reigns tonight because of you.
In service to the poor,
Ed Raine President / CEO
HOW WE ARE RESPONDING
FOOD FOR THE POOR’S COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS IN THE U.S.
The charity worked with Matthew 25: Ministries to provide 17 tractor-trailer loads of relief items such as cleaning supplies, personal care items, wipes, diapers and paper products to churches in South Florida for immediate distribution to families.
“Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami is pleased to be collaborating with Food For The Poor and the Knights of Columbus to help those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in our tri-county area,” said Peter Routsis-Arroyo, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami.
“This collaboration will help us to have a continuous supply of food and household supplies, which are so needed right now due to the shutdown and economic hardship that individuals and families are encountering,” he said.
HOW WE ARE RESPONDING
Since mid-March, Food For The Poor has shipped 396 tractor-trailer loads of aid to Haiti. That includes 64 containers specifically for COVID-19 relief, including food, personal hygiene items, medicine, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and more than 100 containers of rice from the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The charity has purchased and shipped 35 containers of food and relief items, including approximately four containers of food purchased directly from local businesses in Haiti.
In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Laura, Food For The Poor airfreighted a disaster kit with multiple pallets of relief items to Haiti to help families recovering from extensive flooding. The kit contains essential items such as food, blankets, tarps, portable stoves, cleaning supplies and bandages.
The charity is also sending six tractor-trailer loads of relief items to the FFTP-Haiti warehouse in Port-au-Prince. Items in that shipment will include personal care products, soap, blankets, clothing and tarps provided by longtime partner organizations Matthew 25: Ministries, Jezreel International and MAP International.
Glacia Robinson, a household name in Jamaica, is an award-winning singer, songwriter, composer, producer and author who is a Caribbean Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee. She has performed internationally and collaborated with a variety of singers. She is currently working on her sixth album.
Glacia, who is a native of Jamaica, began singing when she was 4 years old. She has performed extensively as a missionary, visiting hospitals, prisons and schools as well as ministering to impoverished people on the streets. She has also worked with various church groups and secular entities.
Glacia and her producer and husband, Emerson Ally, earlier this year wrote the song “We Are One” and shared the recording with Food For The Poor to use as a rallying cry. The song and Glacia’s voice are featured in a video at www.FoodForThePoor.org/glacia.
Online Auction
Food For The Poor is delighted to present the Celebration of Hope Virtual Gala Online Auction, now open until September 26.
You can participate in the auction by visiting www.FoodForThePoor.org/celebration
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AUCTION INCLUDE:
BLAST OFF TO FLORIDA’S SPACE COAST
An Out-of-This-World Vacation in Cocoa Beach, Florida, for Four Days and Three Nights at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront
THE MAGIC OF TUSCANY IN YOUR OWN HOME
12 Bottles of Classic Tuscany Red Wine Shipped to Your Home
DEEP SEA FAMILY FISHING IN FLORIDA
Family Fishing Trip in South Walton, Florida, for Three Days and Two Nights
MARILYN MONROE ART ON CANVAS
Created by Renowned Live Action Artist Michael Israel
DREAMS DO COME TRUE
Animal Encounters and Disney Adventures
A Spectacular Vacation for the Whole Family!
FLORIDA’S PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ
Four Days and Three Nights at a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Key Biscayne, Naples, Sarasota or South Beach, Florida
HAITIAN WOOD CARVINGS
Plus, attractions and activities, entertainment tickets, wine-and-dine baskets, art, jewelry, and much more!
Keynote Address
CELEBRATION OF HOPE GALA EVENT CHAIR
DR. LYNNE NASRALLAH
Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, a Food For The Poor Board Member since 2001, is one of our most dedicated supporters. She has volunteered as the Celebration of Hope Gala Committee Chair for over two decades.
Since 2000, Dr. Lynne has traveled with Food For The Poor to the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua. Her love for the poor has inspired many of her friends, family, fellow parishioners at Saint James Cathedral in Downtown Orlando and many Orlando-area donors who faithfully support the gala by attending and/or serving as committee members and event volunteers.
Those who know Dr. Lynne are drawn to her because of her love for Jesus, her powerful faith, her contagious compassion for the poor and her energy for doing good. Food For The Poor is grateful for her dedicated support as the Celebration of Hope Committee Chair for the last 21 years.
Committee
THANK YOU TO THE CELEBRATION OF HOPE VIRTUAL GALA COMMITTEE
Food For The Poor is blessed to have your compassionate dedication to provide lifesaving meals for those in desperate need in Haiti.
EVENT CHAIR
Dr. Lynne Nasrallah
EVENT COMMITTEE
Linda Bonnewitz
Bruny and Paula Compas
Tammie Cooper
George and Kim del Campo
Jacob and Viviana del Campo
Ben and Nicole del Campo
Mike and Dr. Desirae Friend
Cynthia Hawkins
Yani and Luz Jusakos
Dr. Anis Khalaf
Kathy Kinchla
Nicole Nasrallah
George and Joanne Olson
Lisa Padilla Ortiz
Nancy Padilla
Amira Rodriguez
Dwight and Lisa Saathoff
Liliane Santana
Tom and Jean Wilkes
Jean and Donna Wilson
Holly Wilson
Liz Zeitler
THE WORK OF
Food For The Poor
FOOD
“For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat...”
(Matthew 25:35a, niv)
Tens of thousands of children and families living in extreme poverty rely on Food For The Poor for their daily sustenance. Our donors enable us to feed the hungry.
MEDICAL CARE
HOUSING
“…I was a stranger and you invited Me in.” (Matthew 25:35c, niv)
Since our inception, we’ve built more than 86,600 homes with a total of 10,810 homes built in Haiti since the devastating January 2010 earthquake.
“… I was sick and you looked after Me...”
(Matthew 25:36b, niv)
Food For The Poor is a major supplier of medicine, medical equipment and health necessities to hospitals and clinics throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.
ANGELS OF HOPE
“And whoever welcomes one such child in My name welcomes Me.”
(Matthew 18:5, niv)
Food For The Poor has specially selected children’s homes for participation in our Angels Of Hope child sponsorship program to care for orphaned and abandoned children. These nongovernmental homes help these children grow and develop mentally and physically in a loving environment.
EDUCATION
“Let My teaching fall like rain and My words descend like dew...”
(Deuteronomy 32:2a, niv)
A cornerstone in our mission is the provision of school furniture, supplies and books to the impoverished schools of the Caribbean and Latin America.
CLEAN WATER
“…I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink...”
(Matthew 25:35b, niv)
In developing countries, many die every day from drinking water from contaminated sources. Since 1998, Food For The Poor has completed 2,606 water projects that provide clean water and sanitation to hundreds of thousands of people in need.
MICRO-ENTERPRISE
“You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.”(Psalm 128:2, niv)
Our micro-enterprise projects break the cycle of poverty with the skills training and tools essential for earning a living in sewing, auto body repair, welding, computers, electrical engineering, animal rearing and fishing.
EMERGENCY RELIEF
“…I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed.” (Psalm 57:1b, niv)
The areas we serve experience hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. Food For The Poor stands ready to respond with emergency supplies.
Thank You!
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, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for orphaned and abandoned children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance.