Food For The Poor 2019 Annual Report

Reflecting God's Love

“I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds.”

(Psalm 9:2)m m

Dear Friends in Christ,

You saved lives, reflected God’s love and restored hope to countless poverty-stricken people in 2019. Thank you.

Because of your compassion, families in the Caribbean and Latin America received fresh hope and a new start in life. Your generosity changed so many lives, whether you helped to provide food, housing, clean water, or some other critical need.

This year promises to be exciting and dynamic for Food For The Poor. As the new president and CEO, I envision continued growth to not only help even more poor families, but to lift them up to become self-sufficient. Our ultimate goal is to change entire communities into places where people no longer have to struggle to find water, food or safe shelter. Education for children will not be a luxury for poor parents, but a commonplace activity.

You are so important to those whom we serve, and you have done so much for the poor in the past. I am deeply grateful you have chosen to be with us on this continued journey to change lives across the Caribbean and Latin America.

I thank God for you. At Food For The Poor, we pray for your needs each day. May the Lord continue to bless you for lifting up the poor and setting them on a path toward a new life.

In service of the poor,

Ed Raine

Feeding THE HUNGRY ?

In the poorest parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, too often children cry from the pain of an empty stomach. This drives their parents to beg, forage in dumps and boil stews made from leaves and other non-nutritional items. But even those desperate measures are no match for the effects of malnutrition that can cause permanent damage or death.

Because you shared your blessings in 2019, countless stomachs were filled with nutritious food. You brought relief and rejoicing to those who had been suffering the unimaginable pain of starvation and peace to parents who feared the ultimate tragedy. Your lifesaving generosity was distributed to nutritional centers, churches and feeding programs for the destitute.

You chose to see the face of Jesus in the hungry poor and restored them to health. Your generosity brought new hope to those who were suffering from the pain of hunger.

FEEDING FACTS & FIGURES

✦ Thanks to you, in 2019, over 20 million lifesaving meals a month were provided to feed malnourished children and their families.

✦ Because of your generosity, we were able to provide thousands of meals a day, six days a week, to feed the hungry at our feeding center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, despite the civil unrest that has ravaged the country.

Through you, Food For The Poor supports hundreds of food-generating projects, and other projects and programs that help the poor like the ones listed on page 7.

“Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.” (Luke 14:13-14a)m m

AFTER

Sheltering THE HOMELESS ?

HOUSING FACTS & FIGURES

✦ Because of you, in 2019, Food For The Poor built 3,113 homes for families in need of safe shelter.

✦ Since 1982, we have constructed 86,670 homes for the poor.

BEFORE

Thank you for the smiles in 2019 that you put on the faces of children who used to live in misery. You helped to provide safe, sturdy houses for them, and their families. Before, they could only dream of living in a real home with a protective roof, a door that locked, sturdy walls and a solid floor. Thanks to you, that dream is now a reality.

Food For The Poor homes are solid and sturdy, giving families peace of mind and a fresh start. Because of you, families no longer have to fear the wind tearing at the plastic sheets they used as walls, or strangers walking inside and harming the children. Because of your generosity, thousands of impoverished families in the Caribbean and Latin America will sleep more soundly and enjoy better health.

Thank you for sheltering the truly destitute and lifting them up to a better future through the gift of a new home.

“The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.” (Matthew 7:25)m m

Developing A FUTURE ?

Thank you for the countless ways you have blessed the poor this past year. Because of your loving compassion and kind generosity, poor families in the Caribbean and Latin America were able to break free from the bonds of poverty.

The old adage, “Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” refers to more than just food. By selflessly sharing your gifts to build houses, provide educational supplies, create access to clean water, or enable poor families to generate their own income, you have transformed lives.

Communities are growing their own food because you supplied farmers with the tools, training and seeds they needed. Rural villages have clean water, thanks to the wells you helped supply. And fruitbearing trees provide nutritional sources of food, shade and income for many families.

Children are learning because of the educational resources you provided. Whether your gift went to school supplies, desks, computers, or agricultural programs, you helped to shape young lives for a much brighter future.

You truly are the living embodiment of Christ’s love. And by sharing His love so selflessly, you have helped lift the suffering poor out of the darkness of poverty into the shining light of a better future for their children.

“The kindly man will be blessed, for he gives of his sustenance to the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)m m

2019 PROJECT SUMMARY

PROJECT COST

Housing

(for housing, housing villages, community development and self-sustaining community development) .................... $ 13,793,351

Construction & Repairs

(for schools, clinics & multipurpose centers) ...... $ 4,293,843

Water

(for water treatment units, wells, housing water/sanitation and specific water projects) ..... $ 6,564,415

Development & Self-Help Projects

(for aquaculture ponds, fishing villages, fruit-tree nurseries, animal husbandry, etc.) ...... $ 2,237,415

Program Support

(for clinics, nursing homes, schools, feeding programs & children's homes) .......... $ 1,565,306

Total Projects ......................... $ 28,454,330

Healing THE SICK ?

Because of you, lives were saved in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019. Your generosity provided tractor-trailer loads of medicine, medical supplies and other lifesaving essentials to the poorest of the poor. Often, the poor must walk for miles simply to reach a local clinic. Sometimes, they carry their sick children in desperate hopes of finding treatment. These clinics are supplied with lifesaving medicine you helped to provide through Food For The Poor.

Because of your generous and loving support, hospitals, clinics and medical centers could give the destitute the care and attention they needed. You helped young children avoid the risk of death from treatable or preventable diseases due to lack of care. You also gave babies the healthy start in life that all infants need to grow and thrive.

Thank you for your generosity in helping the sick and suffering.

MEDICAL FACTS & FIGURES

For The Poor shipped 660 tractor-trailer loads of medicine and medical supplies in 2019.

ABOVE: Children recovering from severe

“Heal me, Lord, that I may be healed…” (Jeremiah 17:14a)m m

“I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)m m

Teaching THE CHILDREN ?

All too often, the path out of poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean is blocked — the costs of day-to-day survival keeps poor parents from being able to dream of a prosperous future for their children. There’s little to no money to buy food, let alone afford the fees, uniforms, books and other essentials needed for their children to attend school.

But because of your generosity in 2019, children have a chance to break out of poverty’s shackles that have kept their mothers and fathers struggling.

Educating children is one of Food For The Poor’s top priorities. We passionately believe that education is essential for fully realizing the unique gifts God gave each one of us.

EDUCATION FACTS & FIGURES

In 2019, our donors built, repaired or expanded 51 schools and shipped 123 tractor-trailer loads of school furniture, books and supplies.

In addition to furnishing the needs of individual children with backpacks, clothing and school supplies, you also help build schools in countries like Honduras. You have delivered school furniture to Haiti and other countries. You have equipped schools with books, computers and other supplies throughout the countries Food For The Poor helps.

Thank you for helping to forge a path to a better future today.

Caring PARTNERS ?

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.”

(Hebrews 13:16)m m

Our caring partners are the generous hands that help us save lives. Working together, we are able to lift up impoverished families by providing them with critical food and aid, desperately needed materials, medicine, medical supplies and emergency aid.

Our dependable partner organizations are vital to our ministry. They stand with us to answer the poor’s cries for help. Our partners help us to deliver comfort, aid and hope, reflecting God’s love and mercy to countless poor families.

Our partners' love for the poor is obvious through their generosity year after year, and we thank them. Each year, we will be highlighting two of our compassionate partners and their missions to help end suffering and misery. This year we are proud to honor Feed My Starving Children and MAP International’s efforts to end poverty through their work with us.

CARING PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHT

✦ Feed My Starving Children has provided over 49 million meals in the form of MannaPack which is a pre-packaged nutritious meal made of rice and soy meal with vital nutrients and minerals to provide nutrition to help combat starvation.

✦ MAP International’s targeted initiative “Bringing Children Health” provides sick children access to antibiotics. Through this initiative, MAP International has provided over 5,500 treatments of pediatric antibiotics to mutual partners in Guatemala to help save children’s lives and increase global health equity.

1

Your generous outpouring for a region afflicted by economic catastrophe spurred a new Food For The Poor partnership in Colombia, beginning efforts that will grow sustainable community development projects, new skills training programs and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Food For The Poor partnered with Minuto de Dios, a Colombian nonprofit to help bring relief to tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who fled to escape shortages of food, water and medicine in their country. Minuto de Dios is dedicated to providing counseling, job training and homes to poor families while empowering them to manage their own success and development. The organization got its name from one-minute radio spots that started more than 60 years ago, where its leader, Fr. Rafael Garcia Herreros, would discuss a specific religious topic for one minute.

Food For The Poor is excited about the new possibilities this partnership presents that will go beyond emergency aid.

Your generosity helped to uplift Colombia’s poor and welcome those fleeing circumstances beyond their control.

Building RELATIONSHIPS ?

Minuto de Dios, Colombia

2

1

2

Colombian immigration officials check IDs of a few of the thousands of desperate Venezuelans crossing the border daily in search of food and supplies for survival.

Venezuelan migrant families attend a ceremony in Colombia where they were presented with their income-generating businesses provided by Minuto de Dios. The Minuto de Dios staff works closely with beneficiaries over several months on skills, and they are taught financial structure and business management.

3

5

3

Jessica, 19, and other students learn design and pattern making as a part of a training initiative at a vocational learning center run by Minuto de Dios in Colombia. The students use their skills to make clothes for the needy that are distributed at Minuto de Dios clothing donation centers. Jessica likes that the program teaches not just basic sewing skills, but technique, design and manufacturing aspects, which she feels give her greater economic potential.

4

“Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)m m

4

Andres, 17, works on a motorcycle as part of a vocational skills program in Colombia run by Minuto de Dios. Andres will be able to use these skills in the future to financially help his family and be a role model to his younger sister.

5

Maria’s daughters looked on as she joyfully received a certificate reflecting her completion of a Minuto de Dios’ training program. As part of the program, Maria received a food cart, training and supplies she needed to get started in the small business project to help her earn an income to support herself and her children.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT* 2019

Statement of Activities

Statement of Financial Position

ended December 31, 2019. Subject to final audit.

3,262 tractor-trailers worth $799,546,964

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

P. Todd Kennedy Tax and Estate Planning Attorney Chairman

William G. Benson Certified Public Accountant Vice Chairman, Treasurer

Edward Raine Food For The Poor President/CEO

Grace Bonina Business Professional

The Right Reverend Leopold Frade, D.D. III Bishop of Southeast Florida, Res.

Robin G. Mahfood, CD. Retired CEO of Food For The Poor

Rhonda Maingot Missionary Living Water Community

to final audit.

His Eminence Óscar Andrés Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B. Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, C.A.

Most Reverend Burchell McPherson Bishop of Montego Bay, Jamaica Diocese of Montego Bay

Dr. Lynne G. Nasrallah, Ed. D. Professor of Counseling

The Very Reverend Monsignor Honorable Gregory Ramkissoon, OJ Vicar-General, Archdiocese of Kingston, Jamaica

OFFICERS

Ed Raine President/CEO

Mark Khouri EVP/Chief Operating Officer

Dennis North EVP/Chief Administrative Officer/Chief Financial Officer

William G. Benson Treasurer

Gail Hamaty-Bird EVP/Secretary

These smiling little ones line up to receive hearty meals daily at a lunchtime program supported by caring Food For The Poor donors at a feeding center in Guatemala.

Giving THANKS ?

Our gratitude for you, our Food For The Poor supporters and partners, is boundless. Your love, prayers and enormous compassion form the cornerstone of everything we do for the poor. Rest assured, your collective outpouring for those who needed it most uplifted countless lives in 2019.

Your heroic generosity toward those living in the poorest parts of the Caribbean and Latin America is also an inspiration for us here at Food For The Poor, and a sign of God at work in the world for all. We give thanks for kindhearted people like you who are willing to share their blessings and spread the word that God does not forget any of His children.

For those who arranged a legacy gift through our Legacy and Gift Planning Department, we are grateful and honored to be carrying out your generous intentions. Your compassionate gifts, trusts and bequests are a tremendous source of support for creating lasting change.

However you chose to give, and whatever you gave, you are doing as Jesus asked.

Whether it was a gift of clean water, a home for a family, nurturing for an abandoned or abused child, food, or some other critical need, you helped to heal the pain in the poorest parts of the hemisphere. And that’s what Jesus did for suffering strangers he encountered.

Our goal for 2020 is to do even more to improve the lives of the destitute poor of our countries. As always, we will depend on your prayers and generosity, together with others who will join our ranks, to be able to achieve our common mission. May God bless you and may your selfless sacrifice for the poor be a joy to your heart.

“They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for.” (Psalm 107:30)m m

HURRICANE DORIAN: SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR DONORS

You became the Lord’s hands and feet for the Bahamas in 2019 when Hurricane Dorian became the most destructive storm ever to hit the island nation.

Thanks to you, we were able to send 31 tractor-trailer containers and one airfreight shipment full of emergency relief supplies to the Bahamas in response to the storm.

VISION STATEMENT

Food For The Poor is God’s instrument to help the materially poor and to renew the poor in spirit.

Our ministry is a reflection of our Lord’s unconditional love — a love that surrenders all, that inspires trust and faith, and that embraces all people, regardless of race, status or creed.

It is also shaped by our belief that Christ is alive and can be served directly by serving those in greatest need. (Matthew 25:40)

For guidance and to maintain the purity of our mission, we stress the need for regular prayer.

Through surrender, service and prayer, we seek a closer union with our Lord.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to link the church of the First World with the church of the Developing World in a manner that helps both the materially poor and the poor in spirit.

The materially poor are served by local churches, clergy and lay leaders who have been empowered and supplied with goods by Food For The Poor.

The poor in spirit are renewed by their relationship with and service to the poor through our direct ministry of teaching, encouragement and prayer.

Ultimately, we seek to bring both benefactors and recipients to a closer union with our Lord.