Toronto, ON (October 16, 2018) A small village in Haiti will have hope renewed when poverty begins to recede, through the development of agricultural projects, the building of homes and water wells, and the installation of street lights.

Food For The Poor Canada hosted their annual Thanksgiving and Fundraising Luncheon this past weekend, officially launching the “It Takes a Village to Build a Village” campaign. Working with its village of Canadian donors over the next nine months, the goal is to raise $1,000,000 to build 60 much-needed homes that will have water, sanitation and solar lights; also in the works are two community wells, solar street lights, and a series of sustainable-livelihood projects, including the raising of dairy cows, egg production, beekeeping, and other agricultural projects.

Bishop Oge Beauvoir, Executive Director of Food For The Poor Haiti, was to attend the luncheon; ironically, a natural disaster interfered. There was an earthquake in Haiti within days of his planned trip. He sent his regrets as well as stories of need—need for the everyday aid Haiti can always benefit from, as well as that necessitated by yet another disaster. Despite his absence, luncheon attendees experienced a virtual but vivid tour around a Haitian village.

Also during the luncheon, Dominica Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, honoured Food For The Poor and its donors by recognizing its role in assisting after Hurricane Maria with the provision of food, emergency supplies, and rebuilding materials. 114 shipping containers of life-saving, life-changing goods were sent, and Prime Minister Skerrit travelled from Dominica to Toronto to acknowledge this important aid.

Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director of FFPC, states: “The village is one in a series being built across Haiti by Food For The Poor donors in Canada and the US; this will raise a community out of poverty in a sustainable way, by creating strength and prosperity. Through the compassion and generosity of our Canadian donors, the campaign ‘It Takes a Village to Build a Village’ is off to a great start, with the funds raised at the luncheon.”

About Food For The Poor Canada:

Food For The Poor Canada (FFPC) empowers communities in Haiti and Jamaica through five areas of programming: food, housing, education, health and livelihood. Through basic aid and sustainable development, FFPC responds to urgent needs while building community and social infrastructure. FFPC utilizes the pre-existing infrastructure of local affiliated organizations, so as to better sustain and grow the communities they serve. FFPC is part of the Food For The Poor family of charities; the founding organization in the USA is Food For The Poor, an interdenominational Christian organization that works in 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.

For More Information Contact:

Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director
Food For The Poor Canada
647.350.7269
SamanthaM@FoodForThePoor.com
www.foodforthepoor.ca