Food For The Poor - Angels of Hope

Drawing Contest 2011

2011-05-03T16:30:00.003-04:00

Our themes have been chosen and the flyers have already been sent out to all the participating countries. Once again we have 9 countries participating in the Angels of Hope program, serving over 95 orphanages with nearly 4,000 children. This contest will be hosted initially by home. Then the home winners will compete nationally within the program. After the Jr and Sr winners have been selected by country the finalists will be brought back here to the FFP office in Florida. This year we are hoping to get a lot of involvement from you! We will be hosting voting here in the office amongst the FFP employees, but also online! Look out for more details to follow.

This year's themes are:

Jr Age Group - Noah's Ark

Sr Age Group - Jesus

Can't wait to share with you the beautiful artwork from our talented kids!

just a smile to brighten your day...

2011-03-18T11:55:00.001-04:00

Days of Celebration

2011-03-18T11:53:00.003-04:00

We are starting to set dates for this year's Day of Celebration 2011 events!
The countries are excited and the kids are already practicing for the different cultural and sports competitions. My travel schedule is filling up and we are all anxious for the big days.

Also, we are currently selecting themes for this year's Angels of Hope Drawing Contest. We are going to try to set up a way for you, as sponsors and interested persons, to vote in the final competition as well. I will keep you posted!

Angels of Hope at Christmas

2011-01-24T14:45:00.005-05:00

This past year was a great one for Angels of Hope. We continue to grow and develop the support that we provide to the homes. Each year we are able to serve in new and different ways.

I thought I would share some Christmas pictures of all the different Christmas celebrations that we hosted throughout the 9 countries we serve. As part of the regular sponsorship we provide funding to host a Christmas party and provide gifts to each child in the program. Its a busy time of year full of blessings and joy.

Haiti Boys Orphanage

2010-11-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Want to see one of Food For The Poor's orphanages in Haiti?
Here is a great video that was recently posted by FFP on youtube.

Computers in Trinidad

2010-10-27T16:51:00.004-04:00

Our computer labs have finally been shipped, distributed and set up in the AOH homes in Trinidad. I already received two lovely thank you letters from the homes.

" your generosity toward the children at the Christ Child Convalescent Home goes beyond words, but we need to thank you, sincerely for your donations of six computers for the children of our home."

Each home received a minimum of six computers. The larger homes received multiple sets of 6 based on their greater needs.

Thank You Letter from Guyana

2010-10-25T14:16:00.006-04:00

This summer I visited St John Bosco Boys home in Guyana.

After touring the home and spending time with the home Director, I hung out for awhile with the boys. They had two board games. One was called "Fact or Crap" and it was a trivia game. I had never seen this game before and I was a little shocked at the title honestly. In my house as a child, the C-word was a bad word, and here was a group of kids playing a trivia game with that title. I was asking about the games and it became clear that the boys loved playing the games, but there were only two for a home of over 40 children.

They were so cute as they all sat around patiently waiting for their turn to participate. I sat down for awhile and talked with a boy named Gregory. Gregory was so smart and he really blew me away with his insightful questions about the United States and my job. He seemed so wise for such a young boy. As the kids played trivia in the background, he would split on a tangent and ask a question about something that didnt make sense to him. The game has a lot of idioms and references to things in America like Dunkin Donuts or famous rock stars etc.

I was really impressed by Gregory and the boys at St John Bosco's. When I returned home I went to Walmart on my lunch break and bought a variety of appropriate board games and educational materials. I bought a bunch of card games and envisioned Gregory figuring out the rules to Uno and Skip-Bo and teaching the other boys. I sent the package of things down with a co-worker who was traveling back to Guyana the following week.

Today I got this letter from Gregory.

The letter is super cute and nearly made me cry at work today. I especially love the globe with Gregory standing in South America and me, standing in North America.

This is the reason that Angels of Hope is so important. These children are such a blessing. They are so smart and full of so much potential. Just knowing that someone cares can change a child's life.

Guatemala.. fun surprise..

2010-10-20T15:09:00.006-04:00

What are the boys of San Francisco Xavier waiting in line for?? ....

Sunglasses... I see they are feeling very snazzy!

It is so fun to be able to offer these fun little surprises to the kids from time to time.

DOC continued... Guatemala

2010-10-20T14:26:00.011-04:00

The final event for the year was hosted in Guatemala in honor of Child's Day. We hosted two seperate events for logistical purposes. The weather was refreshingly chilly compared to the heat of Miami and our other Caribbean and Central American areas.

As always, these events are wonderful and it really is a special way to show the children they are loved. Each child went back to the orphanage loaded with gifts and prizes. Everyone received a hygiene kit with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, towels, combs, etc along with other gifts like soccer balls, t-shirts, books and toys. For the different contests we also had fun prizes including PlayDough, baseball hats, remote control cars, volleyballs and basketballs.

We stress that the fun day is a gift from each and every one of their sponsors. It would be hard for me to describe to you how important it is to the children that they have a sponsor. They are so proud to have a sponsor and to know that someone in the United States is thinking about them. The moment when the child receives a letter from their sponsor you can see the joy and pride beaming out of their beautiful little faces. Each one feels like a prince or princess knowing that their sponsor helped to provide this big, exciting party for them. You can hear them talking about "their" sponsor Mary or William who sent them a picture last month, etc.

Our sponsors are so important, not only for the incredible support they provide to the children and the home physically, but also for the emotional and spiritual support they offer.

DOC continued...

2010-10-11T11:18:00.009-04:00

Nicaragua hosts two seperate Day of Celebration due to the large number of homes participating in the program and the long distances between all of them. I missed the first event hosted in Managua in May, but I did attend the second event hosted in Chinandega in August. It was a beautiful, hot day and the children arrived full of excitement and anticipation for their performances and sporting events.

These cute bunnies are from one of AOH's newest homes in Nicaragua. It was their first time attending our Day of Celebration event and they had a wonderful time. They participated in everything and you could see how much time and effort they put into practicing their performances. Look at how adorable they are!

One of the many Marching Bands that we purchased and distributed to the children's homes last year. Initially they only started learning percussion and the trumpet. By now they have expanded and are utilizing every single one of the 40 instrument band that they received from us, in only 8 months time! These boys did such a great job and they were very proud. Can't wait to see the development by next year!

DOC 2010 continued...

2010-10-08T16:47:00.005-04:00

The event in Trinidad this year was hosted on August 17th. We decided to think outside of the box and provide the children with a fun opportunity that they would not normally ever get the chance to experience. We took them to MovieTown cinema and they were treated to "Despicable Me" in 3D! Awards were presented to the Best Behaved and Most Improved children from each home along with other incentive awards for positive behavior.

After the movie we let the children loose with pocketfuls of arcade tokens. There was an excellent magic show, a bounce house and once again, face painting for them to enjoy as well.

Days of Celebration 2010

2010-10-06T14:44:00.011-04:00

I am going to have to play a little bit of catch-up. I have been so busy traveling that I have not had a chance to really keep you all up to date with the events being hosted in the different countries. I see that my last DOC post was from Honduras in May! This year's events were a huge success. The staff in each of our countries does such a wonderful job planning the activities, prizes, entertainment and tournaments for each event. Each country has different ideas and offers different experiences to the children. In the end it is all about making the children feel special and creating fellowship in the program amongst the different orphanages.

In July I traveled to Guyana for their event. It was hosted in the National Gymnasium and started off with an impressive March Pass by the homes. Each orphanage proudly carried their banner and paraded across the floor to the applause of the other homes and invitees. The children also presented dances, songs, skits and poetry.

The afternoon was full of cricket and other games. I did not see much of the afternoon's activities as I decided to dedicate myself to face painting in a corner of the gym. I had a constant line up of candidates and eventually a couple other staff from the Guyana office came over to assist. Our artwork was amatuer but the children enjoyed it nonetheless. By the end of the day I had perfected my AOH angel!

continued..

Drawing Contest Winners 2010

2010-09-20T11:21:00.000-04:00

Senior Winner is...

Astrid Brigith Mejia

from Honduras

Junior Winner is...

Jonoy Bent

from Jamaica

2010 Angels of Hope Drawing Contest

2010-08-09T16:35:00.000-04:00

AOH 2010 Drawing Contest is on display in our Food For the Poor office!

The Jr category was given the theme "Love" and the bible verse

John 13:34

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Here are a couple of the entries...

The Sr category was given the theme "Generosity" and the bible verse

Matthew 25:40

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Here are a couple of the entries...

Voting takes place all week long and winners will be announced at our August 17th staff meeting. I will make sure to post them here too!

These children are so talented. Winners get $500!

Honduras 05/2010

2010-08-04T14:18:00.000-04:00

Day of Celebration 2010

In San Pedro Sula at the Children's Museum we hosted 17 AOH homes, and at least 4 other who will be becoming part of the AOH family this coming year.

The day was HOT. When I say HOT... I mean it felt like walking around in a sauna set at well over 100 degrees with little to no breeze all day. Despite the extreme heat, the event was excellent. The children all received Angels of Hope bandanas and a constant flow of drinks and snacks all day.

Amongst the day's competitions was dance, poetry, singing, Miss AOH, Mr AOH, and best decorated tent. This year's theme was "Celebrate Life" and all the homes prepared decorations for their individual tents to go along with this theme.

Miss Angels of Hope was crowned by Linda Coello,

Founder and President of our Honduran partner organziation CePudo.

Jamaica 05/2010

2010-08-04T13:51:00.001-04:00

Day of Celebration 2010

This year's Day of Celebration event was hosted at the Puerto Seco beach. The children always enjoying swimming so each year we host the event at a beach location. This year was the first time hosting the event in Puerto Seco and it was a wonderful success. Children from 16 different facilities attended the event.

The day consisted of swimming, hula hoop contest, bun eating contest, three legged race, sack race, manicures, make-overs and recognitions given to the "Best Child" and "Most Improved Child" from each home.

The FFP Jamaica staff worked very hard to organize the event and coordinate things between all the different homes. We spent hours packing gifts for each of the children, making the award sashes, and packing gifts for all the staff and administrators of the homes. When the day finally came, it was a great success and a huge sigh of relief for all those involved in the preparation. Each child went home with a thermal lunch box full of different items, including wrist and head bands. Each staff member also received gifts and each home was given two brand new bicycles.

The purpose of the Day of Celebration event is to do something unique and special for the children. We want to show them how loved they are and encourage fellowship amongst the different children's homes. It is a time when the children are truly celebrated and showered with love and attention. In that sense, the day was perfect.

Guatemala 04/2010

2010-04-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

Guatemala will always hold a special place in my heart. I met Food For The Poor in Guatemala 4 years ago when I was working there as a volunteer and I continue to be amazed and impressed by our work there. I feel proud to be a part of this organization and proud to know that I play a role in making it all happen.

Angels of Hope currently works with four children's homes in Guatemala. In late 2009 two of the homes received a donation of a full Marching Band of instruments. The 40 piece donation includes all the needed accessories, reeds, and oils, etc. The bands were donated to all the homes program-wide who had more than 40 children and an exisiting music program.

When I visited each of the homes, those who had received the bands were proudly showing off their new instruments and playing a "welcome" march as I arrived. It is so nice to see the children have these additional opportunities that allow them to continue to grow and develop all the hidden talents that each one posseses. I always try to make eye contact with each one and send them my biggest smile. I also like to address individual children and ask them questions about their instrument; how long have they been playing? their favorite song? can they play a little as a solo? is it heavy? etc. I wish I could spend more time with each one of them. I try to as much as possible but the heavy work load and distances traveled do not allow enough time for "hanging out".

One of the other tasks I was trying to accomplish on this trip was to take full picture retakes of all the children. Every other year we send out Updates to the sponsors that include an updated photo of the child and a letter from the orphanage's director. So a focus of this trip was to retake each child's individual photograph. As you can imagine.. this takes time, lots of time. Here is a sample of Estuardo Cruz from Hogar San Jeronimo Emiliani. You can really see how much these kids grow and develop in only two years!

Guatemala will soon head into their rainy season. Even so, being the end of the dry season, it is such a lush and green country. As you drive through the countryside you can look at the rolling hills and mountains and see that "patchwork" that is sketched in children's books. Each crop or field has a different color and texture and the pattern covers the sides of each slope. I am always amazed that on pieces of the most trecherous terrain you will still find corn and coffee being planted and harvested. I am sure I drove by the plantations that grow that yummy coffee we all buy at Starbucks. :)

I would be so happy the day that this t-shirt comes to be true. Isn't he adorable!

El Salvador 03/2010

2010-03-30T10:49:00.005-04:00

I would really like to share with you some of the great projects that we have executed in El Salvador this past year. In 2009 we really wanted to focus on making the children's homes self-sustainable. With the economic crisis, these homes really struggle as donations and support diminish and costs continue to rise. We wanted to work to provide animal husbandry and agriculture projects for all the homes to allow them to stand more independently and ensure the nutritional quality of the diets they are providing for their children. As a regular part of the Angels of Hope program we distribute food items, but they are basic grains and non-perishable goods. The items that the homes need to find for themselves are fresh produce and protein products.

One of the projects that we did in El Salvador is a project in Hydroponics. The provision of the project started with training workshops and education, worked through construction and getting the gardens off the ground, and finishes with continued supervision and technical assistance as well as workshops regarding how to ensure the sustainability of the project and the costs associated with its continuity.

Seven orphanages participated in the project. As I visited the homes and saw the proyects for the first time in person, I was impressed and overwhelmed over and over again. The homes are harvesting fresh herbs and vegetables on a daily and weekly basis. They boasted of the fact that they were growing the most beautiful tomatos in the country and that their radishes were larger than any radish they have seen in the market. They are planting a variety of crops and cycling the boxes so that one box of each crop is ready for harvesting while the others are in different stages of growth. I ate fresh cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, celery, cabbage, broccoli, green onions and watercress.

In each of the homes the children are involved and assisting with the projects but in some homes they have developed the project even further and offer Hydroponics as a vocational course. In these cases the children are almost 100% responsible for the project and they themselves have received the technical training from our Hydroponics engineer.

One of the seven homes that is very dear to my heart is Hogar Dolores Medina. This home caters to a small population of boys who have previously been living on the streets and suffering from drug addictions. The boys generally come into the home when they are 8, 9, or 10 years old. These young boys have lived lives of struggle and suffering that many adults cannot even imagine. The home has always had difficulty becoming accepted in the community. The neighbors often shunned the boys or even feared them when they played on the street or walked by on their way to school or soccer practice. Despite the loving nature of the children, their pasts have continued to haunt them and affect how their community has treated them over the years.

As this project started to develop in the home, the neighbors grew curious. By the time they were harvesting their first crops, the home realized that they were going to have a large surplus of produce. The home only houses up to 10 boys at a time and the Hydroponics garden was providing more than enough for them to eat for lunch and dinner on a daily basis. The boys suggested to the sister that they try to sell some of the produce to the neighbors. This has opened new doors and changed the environment in which this home used to exist. The neighbors have come to know the boys and have fallen in love with them. Persons who used to close their doors, now call out and ask the boys to come knock on the door when the lettuce is ready. This project has indirectly changed the perceptions of an entire community towards this boy's home. They can now see that the boys are good-hearted, hard working, lovable children who flourish with the love and attention of those around them. The Sister who runs the home expressed this story and her gratitude for the project with tears in her eyes, saying that a large weight was lifted from them and replaced with love and acceptance.

Haiti Earthquake Update

2010-02-25T16:19:00.001-05:00

I want to post a further update for those of you who are sponsoring children in Haiti and continue to contact us for information regarding our orphanges there. Food For The Poor has been working around the clock on its relief efforts in Haiti. We have shipped over 350 containers of food, water, and other supplies. The response from our donor base has been incredible and we are working each day to provide the much needed relief to the people of Haiti. For more information, stories, and images go to our Food For The Poor Blog http://officialfoodforthepoor.blogspot.com/.

Our children's homes have always been and continue to be a priority for Food For The Poor. Therefore, rest assured, that with all the food, water, medical supplies, tents, tarps, building supplies, clothes, shoes, etc that we are mass shipping into Haiti, our children are receiving each and every one of these items as a priority. Unfortunately, the children are still living primarily outdoors, but due to the continued aftershocks the home directors and administrators do not feel comfortable moving all the children back indoors. We have been able to address all the urgent basic needs and satefy concerns for the homes. The security walls have been rebuilt and the water systems have been repaired. We are currently working on repairing and rebulding the physical structures of three of the five centers. The children, despite, the circumstances, always remain in high spirits and continue to find new ways to keep themselves entertained in their new living conditions.

In the last update we had not yet been able to visit our older boys home (003H) in Gressier (near Carrefour). Since then we have been to the site several times. Given that the facility is located very near the epicenter of the initial earthquake, they suffered severe damage. The entire facility is destroyed and has crumbled to the ground. The first story of the main buildling is completely gone and the second story of the building seems to have been shifted about one foot horizontally and dropped on top of the rubble of the first. Praise God that all of our boys are ok. They all ran out of the buildings and no one was severly injured. We sent out nice brand new camping tents and the boys are living in a little cluster of bright red tents until we can complete plans for a new structure on site.

One of our girls from the Maison d'Amour (002H) had suffered a severe injury to her right leg and was being treated at the US military hospital at the airport. She was selected for medical evacuation to the United States and is being treated at a hospital in St Petersburg. Her sponsors have been contacted and we are keeping them up to date with her progress. She was at high risk of needing an amputation and now with the excellent medical attention she is receiving, that risk has been eliminated.

Keep all of our children and the staff of the orphanages in your prayers. As we continue to make progress with the rebuilding of the centers I will keep you updated via this blog. If you would like to donate to the Haiti Earthquake Relief fund please go to http://www.foodforthepoor.org/. Thank you for your continued generosity towards the children of our Angels of Hope program and for all of those in Haiti who are suffering through this devastating tragedy.

Honduras 02/2010

2010-02-23T16:47:00.000-05:00

This month's trip to Honduras was very hot and rainy. The hot temperatures mixed with the daily rain created an environment that felt like an open air sauna. We were able to visit nearly all of the AOH sponsored homes in Honduras. Time did not permit me to visit two that are located far from San Pedro Sula and require a day's travel just for the one home visit.

I was able to see some of the Computer Labs that were already installed and operating in the orphanages. The home directors were extremely grateful to our sponsors for the donations of computers and they expressed how important the labs are for the children and their academic development.

I was also working all week on evaluating the furniture needs of all of the homes. In 2009 we were able to provide tractor trailors of cafeteria tables, bunk beds, dressers, tables, chairs, desks, and other furniture items to the homes.

I created a report from this recent visit to document all the progress we made in improving the furnishings of the facilities and to compile the list of items that are still needed. I hope to be able to send more bunk beds and dressers this year. These items are in great need and they are oftentimes needs that are not urgent. The children will store their clothes in dressers that have fallen apart to the point where the drawers are missing and shelves are collapsed.

We started discussions to plan the Day of Celebration event for 2010. We are looking at dates in May. The children were already asking us about details of the day's activities and whether or not we will be hosting a Drawing Contest again this year. This Day of Celebration event truly creates a bond and a strong relationship between all of the orphanages in the program and you can easily see that it is the highlight of the year for most of the children.

One of the homes had just returned from the warehouse with their monthly goods distribution from Angels of Hope. These bags contain rice, beans, and corn for two months.

Given that it was the weekend of Valentines Day, we gathered a youth group together on Saturday morning and created handmade Valentines Day cards for the children. We then split into groups and brought a Valentines day party to each of the homes complete with cards and bookmarks for each child, ice cream, and candies. It was a special activity for the homes as well as a good opportunity for the local youth group to do a service project and gain awareness about the many orphanages in their local community.

Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-20T14:38:00.000-05:00

I would like to post for you updated information on our Angels of Hope program and centers in Haiti .

Last Tuesday's earthquake caused damage at all of our orphanages and centers in Haiti. Sadly we regretfully have to report that there was one fatality at our House of the Future (004H). The child's sponsor has been contacted in person and informed of her death. Some other children suffered injuries, but they have been treated and are healing at this time. The children are all shaken and this tragedy touches their lives in many different ways. Please continue to pray for them and keep them in your thoughts. They will need all the support they can get to recover physcially and emotionally from this tragedy.

Physcially the structures have been damaged at all of our centers and as of Monday January 18th workers and engineers are on site to assesss the damages and begin to repair. All of the children are currently sleeping outside under tents and tarps until the engineers give clearance to return to the buildings and living spaces. In our Little Children of Jesus Home (005H) two dormitories were damaged along with the dining area and multipurpose recreational space. At Maison d'Amour Girls Home the exterior wall has been destroyed and we have security in place to ensure the safety of the girls until the wall can be rebuilt. Water is an issue for them as their water system was also damaged. We are focusing on their water system as a priority at this time. At the House of the Future (004H) significant damage was found. There are some cracks that are pending evaluation by the engineers, and the structure may not be salvagable. Some of the girls have gone to stay at the Sister's convent in Les Cayes for the time being. The child who died from this home was in the street at the time of the earthquake and was killed immediately. At Notre Dame de L'Espoir (002H) the water tank collapsed as well as portions of the exterior security wall. Once again both of these items are a priority for our teams on the ground right now. The home for our older boys Salesian Gressier (003H) is located in an area apart from the center of Port Au Prince. Our teams have not been able to visit the site yet due to poor and unpassable roadways. We have also not been able to communicate with the director or administration of the home due to lack of telephone land lines. We are continuing to attempt to contact them and access them by car.

We have evaluated each of the centers' food and water capacity and we are ensuring to stock and store adequate amounts of food to secure the well-being of the children and staff for the upcoming weeks. All the structural, water, and security needs should be addressed and repaired in the upcoming week(s).

Please pray for all of these children, the staff and so many others who are suffering through this unimaginable disaster. We will continue to do our best and work to ensure their well-being and safety during this time of chaos in Haiti. Your support and prayers are so important at this time of need.

Jamaica 11/09

2009-12-10T16:07:00.000-05:00

This was my most productive trip to Jamaica ever. My co-worker and I literally worked every day from about 7:00 to 10:00 or 11:00pm for six days straight through the weekend. We spent every day in the car driving to all 17 of the homes that we support in the country. It is times like these that I really appreciate the infrastructure of the United States. The roads in Jamaica's countryside are narrow, windy, twisty and full of suprise pot holes. For me, as a passenger, this was like a free amusement park ride, but eventually the hours catch up to you and your back starts aching from the bumps and jerks.

Boys receiving and reading their letters from their sponsors.

One of the tasks that we were undertaking was the complete picture retakes of the entire AOH program in Jamaica. Once a year we like to send the sponsors an "update" which includes an updated picture of the sponsored child and a letter from the home administrator. Retaking every child's picture is no small task. Even though we did take advantage of the weekend, many times the children are on different class schedules and are taking part in many extracurricular activities so it is not easy to accomplish the task 100%. I can now say that I am very familiar with many schools in the country as we did stop by and catch children at lunch or at reccess for their photo opportunity. The sponsors will be happy and appreciate all the effort we put in.

Beds recently received by AOH to equip a new dormitory in one of the homes.

As we made our rounds, I also visited to supervise the progress of some of the projects we have provided for the homes. The homes received their computer labs this year and I saw some in action already, while others were still in the process of installing the equipment.

This year we made a big push for animal husbandry in the children's homes. By providing the homes with their own sustainable chicken coops, goat farms, and pig farms, they are able to be more self-reliant for the provision of adequate nutrition for their children. We are able to distribute rice and beans, but the homes still have the financial responsibility of purchasing fresh meat and produce. These projects allow the homes to produce meat and eggs for general consumption and increase the nutritional value of their daily meals.

The chicken farms that were provided included layer Hens as well as broiler Chickens. They were already proving to be a great success. The children are already harvesting eggs on a daily basis.

Dominican Republic 10/09

2009-12-10T14:11:00.001-05:00

The school year for most of the countries of the Caribbean is the same as the academic school year for the United States. So I generally like to travel to our Caribbean countries in October and November to update our rosters and collect materials for the sponsors. Oftentimes if there are any changes in the rosters they happen during the school vacation period. Many times the children are in the orphanage because their families cannot afford to adequately care for them. Sometimes the conditions change and/or a parent or family member may secure a new job and return to the home to take custody of the child. Usually they will not interrupt the school year for the child, and will wait until the break from classes to give themselves time to bring their child home and get them ready to attend school for the upcoming semester.

This trip was full of efficient work and also some treasured relaxed time sharing with the children. I chose to travel over a weekend to maximize on the time the children will be in the homes and not in class. This gave me more time to spend at the homes interacting with the kids rather than just business business business. I spent nearly all day on Sunday with our newest home. It is a smaller home of all teenage girls. We had a great time talking about Michigan (where I am from), winter, snow, bears, pine trees, coyotes, and all sorts of other things. The girls are very intelligent and I was surprised at how much they knew about this part of the world that was so far away and so different from their own. Two of the girls love the Discovery Channel and had recently seen a program about bears. They had a lot of questions about my day to day encounters with bears living in Michigan.. ha ha.

I took a collection of threads, beads, and other items to share with the girls. We spent a lot of time creating keychain, necklaces and bracelettes. It was a truly special time to get to know them and to share time together. Something that always amazes me about those who have so little is that they tend to be so generous. Out of all the beads and materials that I brought for them, each one of them had proudly made something that they wanted to give me as a gift. It was a wonderful and humbling day with the girls.

I was also able to see and evaluate some of the projects that we are developing in the homes. Some of those include scholarship funding for computacion classes as well as the installation of computer labs in each of the homes. We continued to develop a remodeling project for the kitchen space in one of the homes and revisited a previous project that was provided of a water filtration system for one of the homes. The filtration system is in need of some repairs and we were working to determine what they were and how best to address them.

Also during each home visit I was delivering letters to the children from their sponsors. You cannot understand what a great moment this is for the children. To receive a letter from someone who loves you in the best moment of their day. They all gather around to see if their sponsor wrote to them. They will read their letters and then show them to the other kids. All of the letters are safely stored under mattresses or between folded clothes in their dressers.

These letters are so important to the children. Please make sure to send letters and cards!!

Guatemala 09/09

2009-10-08T10:26:00.000-04:00

This past month's trip to Guatemala was short but action packed. First of all, our flight had issues. I spend a lot of time in airports and on planes, so I have grown very accostomed to waiting and sitting. I have adapted such that I fall asleep almost immediately after getting on a plane, and generally I may only wake up once or twice. Usually the jolt of landing will bring me out of the sleep and I am ready to go. In this case I got on the plane and accomodated myself to my routine set up and sleeping position. I awoke an hour later to realize I am still in Miami and we are deboarding the plane. Very dissapointing to say the least.

Anyway, we arrived late so the day's itinerary was a little rushed. First stop was San Francisco Xavier's boys home. The road up to this home is incredible. It is very narrow and the "best" spots are little distances where they have filled in the road with stones and paved strips to drive on. We played chicken with a large truck, and realized that we, as the smaller vehicle would finally just have to take the whole road in reverse until we found a small area to pull off to let this large truck pass.

We have completed an agricultural project in the home to produce mushrooms (hongo ostra). The shady, damp, cool, high altitude conditions of the home are perfect for cultivating this product and the home can use its harvest for general consumption as well as sale for profit. The project was incredible and I was very impressed with the Brothers and the boys for how well they understood and explained the details to me. It was obvious that they had gained a lot of information from the technical training sessions and have already become experts themselves. The project is already producing mushrooms and the boys all agreed when I asked if they enjoyed the new addition to their diet. The experts who assisted us in developing this project actually forecast that this project may be the most successful in the country due to the exact conditions of the surrounding environment and this home has the potential in the future to grow and develop it to the point of making a substancial sustainable income for the home.

During each home visited we celebrated the month of September being Child's Month. Each celebration included piñatas, a special meal, gifts, goody bags, prizes, and brand new baseball hats.

The following day started with an Inauguration ceremony for a wonderful project that we just completed in Ponte de Pie y Camina girls home. This home had been temporarily displaced as they were in need of adequate dormitory housing. Food For The Poor, in collaboration with Caritas, built a new dormitory for the home that cares for approximately 20 girls. The dormitory is complete with four large bedrooms for the girls, two bedrooms for the Sisters and two large storage/closets. Food For The Poor had already compelted a project previously to provide adequate sanitation at the home and the dormitory was constructed with a hallway to lead to those restroom facilities. The dormitory was beautifully constructed and all of the furniture has already been moved in. The only thing missing was this ceremony and blessing so that the girls could start moving in. The home had prepared a ceremony complete with dance and song presentations. I was very pleased with the project and it is very clear to see what a huge difference it will make for the home. The girls are currently housed in the space that should function as the dining room/multipurpose room. The home administrators expressed their gratitude and included the fact that they will gain that space back to better accomodate the girls with their mealtimes and studying.

A big part of our program is to show these children that they are special and loved. Whenever possible we try to celebration special days or give them extra attention so that they can feel God's love in their lives. Through their direct contact with our sponsors they gain a special bond with someone who cares for them and is interested in them. By celebrating Child's Month in each of the homes, we also took advantage of this small holiday to continue in this mission to boost their self esteem and self worth. One of the items that each child received was a baseball hat. These are original team hats from the professional baseball league of the US. Its may sound silly, but as we passed them out you could hear "ooohhhs" and "ahhhhhhs" and inevitably someone would yell "SON ORIGINALES!" The fact that they were new hats and still had the official league tags on them was a very big deal to these children. Simple as it may sound, these children rarely receive something brand new with the tags still connected. The boys, being sports lovers, talked A LOT about them and asked me about the teams and where they were located in the country. It was fun to watch the kids get so overjoyed about these great items that we are able to acquire and distribute to them through the generosity of our donors.

Guyana 08/2009

2009-10-02T10:14:00.000-04:00

I LOVE GUYANA!

While visiting Bright Horizons Children's Home we had the opportunity to play a little Cricket with the kids. Cricket is the most popular sport in Guyana, followed by soccer. The children use makeshift bats out of wooden boards with whittled handles. After enjoying our time here playing in the rain, we made sure to send a full set of Cricket equipment out to the home in their next distribution. I wish I could have been there when they received it!

I spent the week on the road, visiting the different homes participating in the program. Along with the Guyanese coordinators for the program we met with the different home directors and discussed everything from our support and potential future projects, to the current school year and the silly things the children do from time to time. The above picture is our FFP Driver Mr. Marks playing with the kids while we sitting with the house mothers and other children. Many of the children lack an appropriate father figure in their lives, and Mr. Marks gets lots of attention when he comes to the homes. The children know him very well and they all compete for his attention when he accompanies the AOH coordinators on their monthly visits.

One of our donors blesses us a couple times a year with a donation of beautiful hand-made outfits for the children.

The trip was wonderful and we were able to accomplish a full itinerary of visits and meetings. We also celebrated a Day of Celebration event with all the homes where the children went home loaded with gifts, candies and prizes. Each home had various children participating in the cultural presentations and it is always so incredible to watch children present to a large group of people. You can see the child gaining confidence and maturity when they complete the presentation and they are so happy that they had the courage to stand up and participate. One of the girls from Mahaica Children's Home ran up to me and gave me a big hug because she was so proud of herself for singing a solo to the group of 500 people. These children are extremely talented and it is wonderful to provide them with the opportunity to showcase themselves.

This is the exterior of a beautiful buildling addition that we completed at Joshua House. This large project gives the home the needed space to seperate the girls and boys dorms and provides a spacious breezy multi-purpose room/dining room on the bottom floor.

Here is a short video of the boys of St John Bosco's Boys Home's steel pan band.

They were practicing for a presentacion the following day to a gathering of all the homes of Angels of Hope.

The children of Guyana are so beautiful! Look at this beautiful face!

Nicaragua 07/09

2009-08-19T10:26:00.000-04:00

"Thank you for your support"

When I visit Nicaragua, there is never enough time. We support 23 orphanages in the country and with our time and distance limitations, it seems I can never do as much as I would like.

July's trip included many computer lab inaugurations. One of our initiatives this year 2009 is to distribute computer labs to ALL of the 93 homes in the Angels of Hope program. These computers are distributed in sets of 6. With our Ncomputing technology that we have been fortunate to acquire, we are able to operate 6 independent systems off of only one CPU. This is perfect for the orphanages because they do not have the resources to maitain so many individual computers with the repairs that will inevitably be required in the future. With these systems the homes have only one CPU to maintain and they get the benefit of 6 computer stations with internet capabilities.

New Computer Lab in NPH, complete with Desks!

During this trip we were able to inaugurate 5 computer labs that were already installed and functioning. Some of the larger homes received larger labs that included more than one set (12 or 18 computers). It is incredible to be part of the process that provides these incredible benefits and opportunities to the homes and the children. It provides our children with the opportunity to compete academically at the same level or maybe even a higher level that other children in the education system, rather than be a step behind.

Here is a little example of the process that happens when an orphanage submits a "wish list" to me. When I travel I always request that the homes present me with a letter and a "wish list" of their biggest needs when I am visiting. I receive the list and I go through the home to see the different needs that they are describing. I ask a LOT of questions and I take pictures. Here for example, I visited Hogar de Ninos Siervas del Divino Rostro. They care for over 20 children under the age of 4. The labor required to maintain the facility is intensive given that they have so many babies under their care. They submitted a list that included a prioritized need for a new stove. This stove that you can see here is the only stove they have. Only two burners work and since the oven is broken they use it to store dishware.

Can you imagine preparing formula, baby food, and meals for 20 babies and toddlers three times a day with only 2 burners!

Also they requested a new Washing Machine. They have an old donated machine that no longer works. They wash all the babies and children's clothing, bedding, and DIAPERS every single day by HAND! Bedding is changed and washed every single day for the cribs and the nun estimated that they wash an average of 2.5 changes of clothes for each child every day.

When I returned to the office I reviewed the list again and prepared a request for our donations and purchasing departments. Within two weeks, we had approval and are now already in the process of shipping a new stove and a new washing machine down to this deserving children's home. What a blessing my job is!

One of the homes who had received a set of 12 computers for a new computer lab (complete with desks and chairs as well) had also received a complete dormitory make-over of new furniture.

Donated furniture from a generous University was supplied to them and all the boys (nearly 90) received a new bed and a personal dresser!

It has completely changed the face of the dormitories and you can see the pride the boys had to show me their rooms and the improved conditions. Previously the boys did not have any personal space to store their clothing and personal items and now they have the privacy and dignity they need and deserve.

The home also has an incredible music program in which nearly 50 boys voluntarily participate. I spoke with the music director regarding the instrucments and resources for the program and the home has already received a donation from us of a complete 40 piece Marching Band.

Once again, I get blessed with all sorts of beautiful presentations, dances, poetry, songs, speeches, etc by the children every time I visit. Here are a couple short videos to share that joy with you!

And, of course, we passed out stuffed animals and candy to all the homes we visited on the trip.

El Salvador 06/09

2009-07-08T10:26:00.000-04:00

The fishing dock of La Libertad near one of our AOH homes in El Salvador

I left for El Salvador on Friday the 12th. In the airport I met a nice couple from Denmark who were embarking on a three month backpacking trip throughout Central America with plans to end in Colombia by the late months of the summer. I have to admit, I felt a moment of jealously which quickly passed when I was able to provide them with all sorts of helpful information regarding great spots to visit and certain areas that may not be all the Lonely Planet books makes them out to be. I felt pretty satisfied that I was able to comment, not only on El Salvador, but also Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Turns out that Food For The Poor works in some of the most beautiful and culturally rich countries of the world, and despite the incredible poverty, there are still many breathtaking sites and experiences to be had in these picturesque regions.

One of the places that I think is incredible. The scene of all the little fishing boats already docked for the day and all the vendors selling the freshest fish, shrimp, lobsters and other seafood. The sights and smells of a fish market are exciting and you can walk steps away from the market to sit at some outdoor picnic tables where local vendors will cook up the fish of your choice and serve it with fresh vegetables and rice. This is my favorite lunch spot when we are in this region of the country.

Friday consisted of lots of hard work and sweat. We were hosting a large event for all the children on Saturday, so the entire day was spent cleaning, setting up, organizing and making the finishing touches. We had the assistance of a local youth group in El Salvador that was a huge help. 23 youths came out and dedicated their entire Friday and Saturday to supporting the event for the children. As a treat, we packed them into the back of a truck and treated them to a delicious dinner of "Pupusas" and Coca-Cola. Pupusas are a traditional food in El Salvador made from Corn or Rice. The dough is hand-patted into thick tortilla form, but filled with delicious things like cheese, beans, and chicharon. They are then grilled on a big round skillet over hot coals and served with a tomato based salsa, hot sauce, and pickled cabbage/chile salad. It was really tasty and the entire meal, including staff and youth group, cost me a whopping $40.80.

Some of the youth spent the day doing face-painting for the children.

The boys of Hogar Ninos en Familia presented a dance for the crowd.

The following Saturday was a whirl wind of children, games, sports, competitions, traditional folkloric dance, song, treats, and Burger King Kid's Meals. Unfortunately due to the flu epidemic two of the homes had to cancel their attendance at the last minute. Despite that big set back, the event went on and the rest of the children had more than their fill of candy, cake, churros, pinatas, and fun! The weather was hot and humid but the rain held off for the entire day's activities. Once again the children had a great time and every single one went back to their home loaded with all sorts of goodies, gifts, medals, and trophies.

Some of youngest "Angels" are from Hogar Dr Magana. Each home was given color coded kerchiefs to keep track of their kids at the event. (light blue in this case)

To make up for the fact that two homes did not get to attend due to flus and colds, we visited those homes the following day to bring them some of the party that they missed. They really appreciated us showing up with their gifts and sweets, and they were excited to present their dances and talents that they were not able to present at the event. The children spent months preparing their traditional dances, songs, and poetry and it was dissapointing to not be able to attend the event and present them for the talent competition. As always the children were amazing and beautiful and its always a pleasure to get to spend time with them.

Girls from Hogar Cuidad de Ninos received some new clothes that were handmade by a FFP donor.

The girls of Hogar Natalia de Siman were overjoyed to have their own "special" party regardless of the fact that over half of the population was sick with the flu.

We are working with the homes in El Salvador to be able to provide them with computer labs, new beds and mattresses and also for next school year's uniforms and school supplies. We spent a lot of time meeting with directors and administrators to organize the details of both of these initiatives. I was also able to visit a current project in progress at one of our boys homes. FFP is providing the home with a beautiful Tilapia production project. The project is nearing completion and is being executed very very well. Not only will the home have plenty of healthy Tilapia to serve its own population, they will be providing for 11 other homes and still have a surplus of fish to sell to the local community for profit. This small profit will allow them to reinvest in the project and maintain it as a self-sustaining aguacultural project. I was very pleased to see the progress and how well the project has developed. In speaking to the home director and the boys, all were very excited to see the final product and also interested in learning the techniques of Tilapia farming in the upcoming training sessions that we are providing for the home.

Honduras 05/09

2009-05-14T11:50:00.000-04:00

Last week's visit to Honduras went very well. The weather was hot and humid and I spent most of the week in a truck with no AC. You know its hot when the windows are down and it feels like someone is blowing hot air from a sauna in your face. Besides being hot, all this time in the truck with the windows down resulted in some interesting hair days. :)

Even little girls in orphanges in Honduras love Hannah Montana!!

The trip started with an AOH directors meeting with all of the directors of the 15 homes currently involved in the program and the 5 homes that are soon to be entering into the program officially. We discussed the children's letter writing, pictures, updating rosters, AOH drawing contest 2009, Computer Lab Installations, and a future project to assist them in their costs associated with the children's education. The homes were excited to hear about our project to provide and install computer labs. We answered a lot of questions and set a date for them to submit the necessary information.

Beds donated to the homes by the Angels of Hope Program

I also had the opportunity to go and visit some of the new homes that we are now entering in the program. As a rule, we try to "court" a home for a minimum of three months before involving them in the AOH program. This way we can ensure that our structure is set in place for providing goods and other support to the home before we start to formally involve them in the program. So far all five of the new homes have been receiving distributed goods and food items without any problems, so we are moving forward to enter their children into the sponsorship aspect of the program.

The homes that I visited were wonderful. They are very well managed homes full of happy, healthy children. As soon as you walk on to the property of a well-run home you can feel it in the environment. Dispite a lack in resources, the homes are clean and orderly while the children are warm, affectionate, and well-behaved. We evaluated some of the new homes for potential future projects in agriculture and animal husbandry as some of them are privledged to have large parcels of land to take advantage of. On this same note, our itinerary included a couple stops to visit project sites in a couple of the homes. We are currently completing two seperate chicken farms in the homes and starting on a vegetable garden in another. The chicken farms will have the capacity for 400 broiler chickens and 200 layer hens. Not only is the physical project provided, but the homes and children are given the technical training to maintain the husbandry projects.

Chicken Farm Project that is nearly finished. Once the training is completed the remainder of the chickens and hens will be purchased.

By the end of the week, we had collected lots of information and evaluations. I came home with a briefcase full of paperwork, a couple plaques of recognition that were presented to FFP, and a backache from bumping along the dirt roads all week.

We delivered a donation of funky sunglasses that we gifted to the girls at one of the homes.

Trinidad 04/09

2009-05-14T10:54:00.000-04:00

Without realizing it I had scheduled this trip to begin on the Monday following the 5th annual Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain Trinidad. What are the chances? But, by the time I arrived on Monday all the excitement was over and even the International Airport was pretty calm. You could see the aftermath of the large international event as there were flags, banners, billboards, event structures and other things that were testimony to high profile gathering. It was interesting to see how widely loved our President Obama is. There were some billboards just praising him or welcoming him, with images of his smiling face on them. I visited the buildling complex where the summit was hosted. A very impressive structure, complete with larger-than-life prints of some of Trinidad's famous paintings and artwork. I was told that to order to be able to accomodate all the persons in attendance, Trinidad rented some cruise ships and had them docked in the port due to a lack of available hotel space. What a good idea!

Aside from the lingering excitement of the summit, I had a productive visit to Trinidad. In April letters from the sponsored children in Trinidad were due to the office. So a portion of the trip was spent collecting, reviewing and organizing letters written by the children to their sponsors. This can be quite a task as the children are kept very busy and involved in many different activities. Therefore, if we are missing some letters it can be tricky to visit the home and find all the children present. As they should be, the children participate in many different sports, dance, tutoring, and many other extracurricular activities. Many times when we are taking updated pictures of the children you will notice they are still perspiring from the soccer field, or dressed in their school uniform on their way to class.

Playing with some children's books and keychains that I had brought for them.

We met with the home administrators and discussed the support being provided by the Angels of Hope program. We informed the homes of a new project that we are working on that will install computer labs in each of the homes. We are still collecting information from some of the other countries, but I was actually adivsed today that the computer sets for Trinidad were to be shipped next week. We worked with the homes to determine an appropriate location for the installation and ensured that the space was adquate and secure.

This is Sharaza. We spent a lot of time talking. She was telling me about her past and how grateful she is to be at the home because she is a lot "safer" now. She dreams of becoming a famous Indian actress and starring in Baliwood movies. This was her Baliwood pose!

As you can imagine, I spend a lot of my time in a vehicle, driving between homes in different parts of the country. But even this time is very enjoyable as I get to see the countryside and stop at different places to eat. I LOVE the food in Trinidad. It is an incredible blend of Asian, Indian, Caribbean and Latin food. For breakfast I had Shark and Bake, Peas Pie, or Doubles. I love Indian food, and I especially love to eat Indian food purchased from a vendor on the street. That is where the good stuff is! For lunch and dinner I had Jerk Pork, Curry Roti, Chinese Food, Rice and Peas, and some great Mexican Food. And even after all my travels, I am still trying new drinks. I had some peanut punch that was delicious.

Prayer for the Children we Serve

2009-04-17T09:46:00.000-04:00

Dear Lord,

We come to you today to offer up the children that we serve. We place them in your hands Father and we ask you to care for them. Please comfort them and provide the healing that they need to help them recover from the traumas that these innocent young children have had to endure: for those who have suffered from hunger, thirst, and the pains of malnutrition, for those who have had to live without adequate housing, lack of clothing, and no shoes, for those who have had to suffer through the experiences of abuse, neglect, abandonment or the death of one or both parents.

Please ensure that their basic needs are met so they are able to continue to develop physically, mentally, and emotionally. Show them your mercy and invite them into your arms. Provide for them a parental relationship where they can talk to you and trust in you. Fill them with your love and grant them peace and security. Give them hope for a bright future and bless them with the opportunities of education and guidance to lead them towards that future.

We ask you Lord to please care for these and all the children of the world. Bless them and those who have the responsibilities of caring for them. Protect their vulnerable and innocent lives and allow for them to experience the joy and carefree happiness of childhood.

We place their lives in your hands Lord, in the name of your son Jesus Christ.

Amen

Winter Update

2009-04-09T13:51:00.000-04:00

Now that we are already into Spring, I feel like I should fill you in on what we have been up to for the past couple months. As you can imagine, the Christmas season is always a busy time. In the Angels of Hope program we provide funding for Christmas presents and we host Christmas celebrations in all of the orphanages. It is a busy time for them as well, as many of the orphanages participate Nativity presentations, choral recitals, and other exciting holidays activities.

In December I had the opportunity to travel to El Salvador and attend some of these Christmas celebrations. Among other items on my itinerary one of the purposes of the trip was to visit and meet a new orphanage that was recently accepted into the AOH program. It was a wonderful visit. It is an orphanage that houses and cares for adolescent boys. The boys were dressed up with their hair standing on end with great amounts of hair gel. It was obvious that they were preparing and excited for the visit as they all stood out in the entrance of the home awaiting our arrival. They had made signs Welcoming our visit and attached decorations and balloons to the walls.

I was able to meet the home administrators and tour the facility. Located on the top of a mountain in rural El Salvador this home was truly incredible. They maintain a farm complete with chickens, goats, cows and pigs as well as large plots of agriculture all maintained by the staff and boys of the home. The boys are divided into groups that are responsible for different areas of the farm. They proudly toured me around and explained which sections they were in charge of. It was clear that these responsibilities gave the boys a sense of accomplishment and pride.

We shared a special Christmas lunch along with fresh fruit and dessert. The boys enjoyed breaking piñatas and participating in drawings for some highly desired prizes (more hair gel!).

One of the teenage boys approached me and thanked me for the celebration. He said that this was the first time that anyone had come to throw them a party. I assured him that now, as a part of the Angels of Hope program, this will not be the last party that is hosted at their home. My schedule when traveling on an AOH trip is very full. We had originally only alotted two hours to attend lunch and a portion of the party at the home. It was a long drive back to the city and we had other stops that we needed to make. BUT... the boys were so much fun and so entertaining that we stayed long past our two hour time limit.

It is truly a blessing for us to be able to work with these great orphanages and these beautiful children. It is amazing how the support provided by the program can change the face of an orphanage and provided the much needed assistance to make their daily life a little bit better. This home had submitted a project request for a Tilapia Farm to be created on their premisis. I am happy to say that we recently sent down the first disbursement of funds to make this dream a reality. With the help of our partner organizations and ICDF aguaculture experts from Tiawan, we will be constructing a small tilapia farm at the orphanage that will cultivate highly nutritious fish for consumption at the home. Imagine the pride of the boys who will be trained and taught how to manage and sustain a tilapia farm project. I can't wait!

Nica 06/08

2008-08-08T16:08:00.000-04:00

In June I had the wonderful opportunity to accompany another one of our sponsors on a trip to visit her sponsored children. All four of the sponsored children are from Nicaragua and we planned a four day trip to meet them all. It was an incredible experience for our AOH sponsor and for all of the children as well. We were able to visit each child in their orphanage as well as attend the second Day of Celebration event in Nicaragua where two of the children were present. It was truly a special day for everyone.

This Day of Celebration event was incredible. It was bright, loud, energetic, competitive, cultural, athletic, delicious, and entertaining. I took a break and faced off against a group of the teens in some 5 on 5 basketball. My team won, but it cost me a lot of blood, sweat and tears (literally, a cut on my foot, sweat, and tears from a smaller child that was accidentally knocked over in the heat of the game).

It was truly a Day of Celebration. I particularly liked observing the orphanage staff members at the event. It is a day of entertainment and pride for them as well.

While visiting the children at their homes we had the opportunity to go to the island of Ometepe. We had to take a ferry ride across the lake to the island to meet the home administrator who drove us the rest of the way to the orphanage. It was a beautiful, tropical island covered with lush vegetation. The island itself is comprised of two large volcanos. The home was prepared for our visit and presented us with a dance show and some hand-crafted gifts. Our AOH sponsor even ventured for a quick horseback ride with one of the children before we continued on our way.

Honduras 05/08

2008-06-25T13:50:00.000-04:00

This most recent trip to Honduras was very short and sweet. I have been pretty busy between all the different events in each country so I was not able to spend too much time in-country on this trip. The event was very successful. It was extremely well organized and exciting. We had 13 children's homes present and many staff and volunteers to help us keep it all in order.

The day's activites included soccer tournaments, Marimba concert, folkloric dances, a play (all actors were children from the different AOH homes), discoteca, carnival games, a snake to play with and a tent decorating competition.

After all the games and contests were finished the kids were literally showered with surprises of stuffed animals, candy, toys, and soccer balls. The bigger children were indoors at the "Discoteca" and all the smaller children squealed and cheered to get the gifts.

The day ended a half an hour early due to rain. We were lucky to have such a beautiful day and it was appreciated that God held off the major rain storm until the late afternoon.

Jamaica 05/08

2008-06-25T13:07:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the pictures from the Day of Celebration in Jamaica. It was hosted on Saturday May 10th at a park on the beach in Portmore. Mother nature tested us a little bit with some heavy winds, but we were able to secure the large tents with sandbags and twine.

Also, most of the children do not get the opportunity to swim very often, so we like for them to spend the morning playing in the ocean. This year the water became pretty rough due to the high winds so we had to limit how far they were able to swim. We had a group of soldiers who volunteered to attend the event and work as life guards and security.

Some of the favorite events are the Hula Hoop contest, Tug of War contests, and the Dance competition.

Each child went back to the home with a package of nice toiletries, a gift bag of presents, and lots of chocolate! Each home also received large igloo coolers full of food, paper, and plastic items for general use. The caregivers and administrators were not forgotten. They too received gift bags.

Nicaragua 04/08

2008-05-20T16:30:00.001-04:00

This is what I look like at work...

This Day of Celebration event was unique for a couple reasons. First of all, it is hosted at Zacarias Guerra Boys Home and the home is lucky enough to have a pool. Therefore as part of the day's activities each home had a set period of time that they could enjoy time playing in the pool. This was a first for most of the children and no one wanted to get out when their time was up.

This event also has long standing competition between homes in scooer and track and field. The junior boy's soccer tournament ended in a shoot out that had the entire crowd screaming and jumping around.

The homes spend lots of time preparing for the cultural show. They bring traditional costumes, many of which are made by the children themselves, and dance to folkloric Nicaraguan songs. Some of the homes sang or played musical instruments.

Given the large size of the Angels of Hope program in Nicaragua and the expensive costs of transportation we divided the event into different regions this year. This was the first event, taking place in Managua where the majority of the homes are located. The following events are in different regions of the country. The Angels of Hope program in Nicaragua includes over 20 children's homes and over 1,000 children.

Dominican Republic 4/08

2008-05-20T16:07:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned before, the Days of Celebration are in full swing. This trip included the events in both the Dominican Republic as well as Nicaragua. Thanks to American Airlines and their cancellation of my flight, I was actually able to go home and sleep for four hours in between the two trips. Just enough time to nap, throw all my clothes out of my luggage, and repack my bags.

The Day of Celebration in the DR was hosted in Santo Domingo Savio Boy's Home. In one word, the event was LOUD. The children arrived in buses blaring loud music. They were screaming, dancing and singing before they were even off the buses. The talent competitions rocked with loud music and the cheering sections for each home competed with the volume.

Pizza was served for lunch and the afternoon was filled with children's shows, sports, and other competitions.

We were honored to have two of our Angels of Hope sponsors attend this event. They came all the way from Michigan to meet their sponsored child and attend the Day of Celebration event. We were able to visit the child's orphanage and they passed out goodies and sweets to all the children.

Preparations for an event of this size, approximately 600 children and 70 staff and volunteers, takes a lot out of you. By the time the event was over I was so exhausted, sweaty, and ready to go to sleep. I returned to the hotel, packed my bags, went to sleep, and woke up at 4:00 am to catch my early morning flight back to MIA. I had completely lost my voice from the day's activities and arrived in Nicaragua the following day to face another large scale event with nothing but a squeak.

Trinidad 04/08

2008-05-20T11:51:00.000-04:00

Trinidad started off our season of Days of Celebration with their event on April 5th, 2008.

In our Angels of Hope program we host an event once a year in each country called the Day of Celebration. It is a day dedicated to all of the amazing children in our sponsored children's homes. All of the homes come together for one large celebration. The day includes food, snacks, gift bags, prizes, trophies and medals, competitions, children's games, clowns, music, dancing, talent shows, parades, and lots more. Each country organizes and plans their Day of Celebration individually, so each event has its own unique touch.

The event in Trinidad was hosted at our largest Angels of Hope home, St Dominic's Children's Home. The event hosted approximately 400 children and 50 staff and volunteers. The day started off with a parade/march pass. As is customary in Trinidad, the children organized themselves into teams and prepared a coordinated march pass in front of the audience and judges. The passes included some acrobatic tricks and dance moves. It was an exciting, entertaining, and very loud start to the event.

The rest of they day included a magic show, sports competitions, an appearance by a popular Soca singer (Blue), dance competitions, drawing competitions, prize give-away, goodie bags, and tummies full of sweets and fried chicken. Each home received a box of FFP donated basketballs, soccer balls, and volleyballs along with three brand new bicycles.

The children really enjoyed themselves and searched me out all day to ask about their sponsors. They always want to know if I know each one of them individually and they want to know when they will be receiving their next letter. This program is really important for these children and they relish in the attention they receive from their individual sponsors.

I also had the opportunity to visit a couple homes that are new the Angels of Hope program in Trinidad. After a long drive to the country-side I received a warm welcome and a tour of our newest addition. The home was beautiful and the children were truly adorable. They were many smaller children at the home and they all wanted hugs and kisses from the visitors. We evaluated project needs and possibilites and promised a return visit soon.

I love Trinidad for its unique blend of cultures, music, food, and energy. One night I walked down the street and sat in on a pan presentation in a local yard. The band played quite a few warm up numbers of loud, rapturing pan music. Then the judges arrived and arranged themselves at a little table lit up by a gentleman holding a flashlight in the night. The band started up again to play the featured song that was to be judged in the on-going competition. The drummers were jumping and dancing with so much energy, it was impossible to keep your feet still. The song ended and the judges piled back in the van to head to the next yard.

I spent all week eating curry goat and roti, akee and saltfish, beef and cheese patties in coco bread, and all natural juices. I even ventured to try some pig tail. The people are such a beautiful mix of Indian, African, English, and Chinese. The most adorable little children with dark skin and light green eyes. I love visiting Trinidad and I look forward to going back on my next trip.

Haiti Video

2008-04-10T14:14:00.000-04:00

My good friend here at Food For The Poor, Shawn, recently posted a video about FFP in Haiti on YouTube. I wanted to share it here. Enjoy!

Jamaica 03/08

2008-03-25T13:52:00.000-04:00

I returned to Jamaica again this March. I stayed for a week long trip and visited all 12 of our Angels of Hope sponsored homes and also three children's homes that we are going to be entering into the program this year. These visits took me all over this beautiful island country, from the parishes of St. Andrew and St. Catherine through Clarendon and Manchester all the way up Trelawny and St. Ann. It was my first time passing through Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.

My work at the homes consisted of visiting each home and checking to see that they have been receiving food items as well as additional clothing, cleaning products, hygiene products, etc. Each home sets an appointment once a month with FFP and the Angels of Hope coordinator pre-arranges all of their goods. This allows for the homes to easily collect all the items and have a brief meeting with the AOH coordinator to ensure that all is well at the home.

We also saw the finished results of a number of projects that were completed in the children's homes. They included roof replacements after Hurricane Dean, water pumps, cisterns, Agricultural assistance (tools and seeds), and construction. Each home administrator is encouraged to submit a "wish list" of needs each year. This helps us to search out needed items in the warehouse or look into the possibility of aquiring the items through a donation or discounted price.

On our second day driving through the country it took us four hours to arrive at our destination. The "highway" was incredible. Imagine a primary roadway. Your mental picture probably has at least two lanes in each direction, probably a median in the middle and nice marked exits for the passing cities and highways. This crazy road that we were on was a narrow two-way cutting and bending around the rugged, lush mountains of Jamaica's countryside. The cars were frantically speeding along this winding, slender road with a jutting cliff falling down the mountain to one side and a tall, rough, rock wall covered with flowers and vines on the other. To top off my giddy excitement over this crazy car ride, in Jamaica the steering wheel is on the right and we were driving on the left side of the road.

My co-worker, the AOH coordinator for Jamaica, could not understand my awe about this experience. I kept pointing out the tiny humble shacks that had been built teetering on the peak of a jutting rock formation. The colors of the homes and flowers were vibrant and alive. It was such a contradiction to see such beauty and suffering in the same moment. Its incredible that so much poverty and desperation exists on such a beautiful island, but it could easily be seen along side the road as we passed through.

After the home visit we took the highway out to the coast. This highway looked more like the highways of our imaginations, except it follows the beautiful resort coastline of northern Jamaica. I got to spend about 7 minutes in Montego Bay as we crusied through town. I could see the touristy strip and all the amazing resorts and hotels along the beach. The water is a surreal blue-green and the beaches are perfectly framed on one side with royal palms. I can definitely understand why this area is so popular for cruises and travelers.

We continued on our way and had a similar experience in Ocho Rios. This time we actually stopped at a local jerk shop for some jerk pork and peas and rice.

As if the road trip wasnt already amazing enough, we came back on a highway that wound through an area called Fern Gully. It was exactly that. The road was cut deep into a humid, eerily cool section of mountain. The road was barely open to sky because of the steep cuts of dripping rock on either side. Ivy and vines hung down from the canopy of treetops to dangle over the road. Here and there along the Fern Gully were small areas large enough for craft and food vendors to set up small shacks.

Day of Celebration - 03/2008

2008-03-05T09:05:00.000-05:00

Food For The Poor's Angels of Hope Program supports over 4,000 children spread out in 90 children's homes throughout Central America and the Caribbean. Besides providing basic support to these homes Angels of Hope also hosts a Day of Celebration in each of our 9 countries in honor of all these wonderful children. They are treated to a full day of activities, games, contests, food, entertainment, music, and dancing.

Below is a video documenting the Day of Celebration in various countries. It offers a glimpse into what this day means to not only the children, but to everyone else who is a part of the event. And yes, if you look carefully, you can spot me in the video!

Honduras 02/08

2008-02-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

Honduras is such a beautiful country. As I cruised along the countryside visiting different orphanages I couldnt help but be amazed by the beautiful landscape; lush greenery, majestic mountains, colorful people, simple homes, grazing animals, tropical flowers, and a warm, humid climate. Its incredible to think that in a country so fertile, there are so many people struggling to survive. As in most of the countries we serve, the main purpose of these orphanages is to provide the basic needs and a quality education to children whose families are not able to do so. Food For The Poor is very active in Honduras and is working continuously with housing, water wells, food distribution, animal husbandry, agriculture, tilapia production, vocational training, and education. It is a country full of potential.

My agenda was packed for the week. We are constantly increasing our Angels of Hope program so one of the tasks was to visit three new potential Angels of Hope homes and discuss their candidacy for the program. We are also looking to develop our support more into the direction of sustainable projects.
We evaluated many of the homes for agricultural and animal husbandry projects and will soon have agricultural engineers working with each home individually to develop small plots of vegetables, herbs, fruit trees, and ornamental flowers. For the homes that are lucky enough to own larger pieces of land we will move forward with some chicken coops, goats, and maybe a tilapia pond. I am excited about these new projects and how they will benefit the homes.

Through our regular distirbution of goods we are able to provide the basic food items needed, but this fresh produce will provide an improved level of nutrition and maybe cut down on some of their monthly expenses.

The young ladies at Hogar Amor y Vida received a workshop on jewelry making. They proudly gifted me this set of orange jewelry when I visited. The home cares for 35 HIV infected children. All but 2 of these children have lost both their mother and father. You would never know by meeting the children and sensing the hope and happiness in this home, truly a wonderful place.

I was blessed by a large donation of brand new children's clothing. A generous FFP donor sent me four large boxes of new children's clothes. I have been distributing some of them on each trip and I also send a box down to Haiti to be taken to one of our housing villages. This trip I took two suitcases of the remaining clothes and distributed them to three of our most needy homes. The clothes were beautiful and brand new. The children and the staff were very excited and appreciative. The girls were already picking which dresses they would wear to church this week. It is so nice to receive items like this. I know that the donor will never understand how wonderful their generosity really was and how is affects the spirit in these orphanages.

I met in a child in Hogar Emanuel that had a shocking story. As I was walking with the home director a small boy came up to us and reached up to hold both of our hands. He walked around with us for the remainder of the visit. The director told me the story of how he came to live at the orphanage. The young boy was actually about six years old. I assumed he was 2 or 3 given his physical size and demeanor. She said that he was found by social services severly mistreated and abused. He was grossly malnourished and suffered from a variety of illnesses. Apparently he had been found physically tied to a chair in his home. He was completely neglected for nearly his entire life and treated like a chained animal. Fortunately the child received barely enough food to at least keep him alive until his life would change for the better.

After being removed from his home he was evaluated at a government run orphanage. He was found to be deaf and mute. Since Hogar Emanuel already has several hearing impared children in their care, the boy was sent to their orphanage to reside. After two weeks of attending classes at the hearing impared school the teacher approached the home director. The child is not deaf. He was just so severly neglected that in 6 years he had never learned to speak. He was not potty trained. He cannot eat by himself. He was not used to being around other people. He hid in the corner when approached or showed affection. He is at a 2 year old level developmentally.

It was an amazing story. Incredible that this boy who has suffered so much, after only 4 months, is now babbling jibberish and has learned 6 words so far. He is now playing with other children and approaching strangers to affectionately hold their hand. He has been cured of intestinal parasites and other illnesses. He is healthy and putting on more and more weight. He will be given the opportunity of a quality education and a loving home. These orphanages are doing the work of God. I am so proud to be able to be a part of their work.

Dominican Republic 12/2007 - Tropical Storm Olga

2007-12-31T14:42:00.000-05:00

Based on what I had heard before leaving the United States on December 10th, I expected my trip to the DR to be pretty routine. Amongst the items on my list of things to do: distribute Christmas funds to the childrens homes, gather an update report and photographs on a kitchen renovation project, update the rosters of new children and others who have been lucky enough to return home with family, and attend meetings regarding further support that we are trying to receive for the homes.

I had heard nothing of Tropical Storm Olga bearing down on the island of Hispañola. As soon as I arrived I was quickly informed about the local buzz. The country was still struggling to get back on its feet after Tropical Storm Noel blasted them with 5 consecutive days of wind and beating rains. It seemed that everyone was especially nervous about the strength with which Olga would hit.

The city of Sanitago got the worst of the storm. Not only are they already dealing with low elevation and a large river, but the dam that monitors the water flow on that river was nearing a bursting point and had to be opened. The entire city was severly flooded. Thousands of homes were lost and sadly, many lives as well. We sat and watched the evening news in horror as it showed the water rushing over entire homes and throwing an SUV onto a second story balcony.

Unless you have traveled outside of our borders, it is very hard to imagine the poverty and living conditions of many of the people that we serve. Homes are merely shacks made of scrap pieces of metal and wood. Roofs are constructed of plastic, palm, and tin. Lives are balancing on invented shelters and makeshift comforts. One single thunderstorm can be devastating to someone living in these conditions, much less any level of Tropical Storm. One strong flow of water will destroy an entire home in seconds. The news was full of stories of mothers losing small children in the current. Lives swept away at a moment's notice.

Once the rain let up, we checked up on our Angels of Hope sponsored homes. Aside from leaking roofs and water creeping in under the doors, the homes were unaffected by the storm. It was exam week and school was closed for two days. The kids were having a great time, but the administrators were feeling a little stressed given the end of the term and the storm throwing their schedules off.

I spent some time talking to a couple of young boys in one of the homes. We were talking about Christmas and whether they would be going home to stay with their parents or other relatives for the holiday. Many of these children do have living relatives, just that they are not economically stable enough to care for the children full time. It was interesting to hear the boys' responses.

One said that the home administrators do not allow them to leave for Christmas because its not safe for them at home. Everyone would be drinking and shooting firearms and fireworks. Its better for them to stay at the home for Christmas where they are safe with their "real" family. Another boy said that he was not excited about going home to see his family because he has six siblings, and all of them live at home with his mother. If she did not want him and abandon him at the orphanage, he did not want her either.

It was so sad to hear these 12 year old boys speak about the realities of their lives. Neglected or mistreated by their own families, these boys find comfort in one another and the orphanage that has come to represent family and home to them.

To brighten their day, I happened to be delivering packages of letters from their sponsors and the boys each received a letter and a Christmas card. It may seem like a simple gesture from the sponsor, but to these children it means the world. They eyes lit up as they each ran to a different corner to read their letters. Quickly they all gathered back together around me to tell me what their letters said and compare the translations to the original English letter. They were comparing letters and teasing each other regarding comments on needing to work harder in school or how handsome the boy is in his photograph.

The trip was a mix of emotions: of shock over the storm and its consequences, of affection and joy from interacting with the children, and of satisfaction over the administrators' responses to receiving checks for the AOH Christmas Funds.

It was, however, far from the routine trip I expected.

Guatemala 11-07

2007-12-04T10:26:00.000-05:00

Mid-November I was in Guatemala again. This time I went on my own for personal reasons and ended up staying a few extra days to take advantage of the fact that I was already there and get some work done. When I am working in the field I spend a lot of time visiting the different homes and meeting with their administrators. Sometimes I have the opportunity to spend time with the children and hang out for awhile, but usually I am running around all day long and we do not have much time to play.

I gather the photographs and letters necessary to maintain our sponsorship program and to cultivate the relationships between the children and their sponsors. I also speak to the home administrators about the support we are providing and if there are any other needs that we might be able to address.

I like to spend time getting to know each home and understanding their biggest struggles. This allows us to customize projects and support to meet their most desperate needs. We do not send cash directly to the homes. We send support in the form of staple food items, goods, furniture, clothing, school supplies, cleaning products, personal hyigene items, etc. on a regular basis. So understanding each individual home and their needs helps us to complete that support with projects and specific donations.

The situations of the children in our supported orphanages throughout Latin America and the Caribbean are different than our stereotypical idea of Orphan Annie. Most of these children are not orphans in the sense that both of their parents are deceased. The homes that we support play the role of foster home, nutritional rehabilitation center, long term child care, as well as orphanage. Most of the children are brought to live in the homes merely because their families are suffering from extreme poverty and are unable to maintain them. Many are from very poor families who do not have access to proper nutrition, health care, or education. These children come to the homes and are not only taken care of, but also receive the opportunity for a quality education. Some children are the victims of mistreatment and abuse, while others are temporarily residing in the homes until the courts determine custody and guardian issues.

The children are amazing and beautiful. Its so difficult to hear their stories and hear them talk about what they have all been through. We are so truly blessed here in the United States. So much of what we have we take for granted. These children talk about getting their first pair of shoes the way our children talk about getting their Playstation 2 or their new Ipod. There are 12 year old children in first grade classrooms because it is the first time they have ever been to school. Its just amazing and inspirational to spend time with them and learn more about them.

All Saints Day in El Salvador 11/07

2007-11-27T13:39:00.000-05:00

Despite some large setbacks with the airlines, my recent trip to El Salvador was a great experience. First of all, I had to deal with a cancelled flight and as a result a complete lack of luggage once I arrived. Thankfully I finally did receive my baggage the night before I was scheduled to return back to Miami.

The trip itself was a wonderful mixture of family, cultural holiday, and work. We hosted an end of the year meeting with all the directors of the different orphanages. We discussed project possibilities for the upcoming year and evaluated all the support they have been receiving up to this point. The homes in El Salvador greatly benefit from our Angels of Hope program. In fact, we are the primary, and perhaps only, source of outside support that many of them receive.

This year we completed water-related and/or construction-related projects in all the homes. Now that they are already benefiting from their new bathrooms, cisterns, cupboards, etc, we are looking forward to starting to work with agricultural and animal husbandry projects that will further enrich the nutrition and quality of life within the homes.

Within the past four months we have added three new homes to the program. I took the time to visit each of the homes and meet the administration and staff. I love visiting the homes. The children always have a "show" prepared and are very eager to receive us. I get a tour of the facility and always call the children out who have not made their beds yet. It was wonderful to see all of the new homes and welcome them into our Angels of Hope family.

I love the children in El Salvador because they are very affectionate. I enough hugs and kisses to last me a year. All the kids line up to say hello and goodbye with hugs and kisses each time I see them. It's great!

On top of a great work trip, I also happened to be present for All Saint's Day. This Friday is a national holiday and nearly everything in the country was shut down. I spent the day with my in-country coordinator and her family. I found that all the people in El Salvador were in the cemetaries or out visiting relatives. We stopped every ten minutes for great home cooked food and more visiting. By the end of the day I had eaten my fill of Pupusas, elote asado, tortillas, requeson, caldo de gallina, frijoles, and jugos naturales.

We went to visit her grandparents, aunts, and uncles. They all lived in small little pueblos up in the mountains. The scenery was beautiful and each of the homes was filled with unique smells, food, and people. We picked beans out of the pods and an Aunt showed me how to make fresh cheese out of natural cream. We visited the cemetaries and decorated the tombs of different relatives who had passed. There were bands playing music for the dead and families gathering over the graves of their loved ones.

And I did all of this, five days of work and travel in El Salvador, in the same outfit because my luggage still had not arrived!

Guatemala 10/10

2007-10-10T13:29:00.000-04:00

Since I had spent nearly a year working as a volunteer in Guatemala, its always exciting for me to go back. Luckily for me, I get to go back a couple times a year.

I spent time this trip in meetings and evaluating some different projects in our Angels of Hope sponsored homes. All of the children are now finishing the school year and looking forward to their summer break. They start classes again in January.

I love markets. I love crazy, loud, colorful, smelly, crowded, random, bustling village markets. This has always been one of my favorite things since I started traveling. You can find anything, from buttons and telephone cords to pirated dvd's and handwoven placemats. The traditional fabrics and patterns in Guatemala are beautiful. The colors are bold and risky in their combinations. Long running cultures and ethnic groups have their own individual patterns which have been adapted and are now appearing on journal covers and picture frames to cater to the ever-growing tourist crowd.

You could easily lose me for a couple hours, if not days, in a place like this.

Dominican Republic 09-07

2007-09-25T08:51:00.000-04:00

Last week's trip to the Dominican Republic...

I was fortunate enough to be traveling with FFP's Project Manager for the DR. We traveled to see some of our current project sites including some incredible efforts along the Haitian-Dominican border. There are these tiny little forgotten communities of people struggling to survive along this no-man's-land. The mountains are the only thing embracing these suffering families.

Food For The Poor is completely changing the face of these villages. The initial facelift comes from buildling brand new concrete block homes for each of the families. Their shacks of sticks, mud, rotten wood, and scrap metal are being replaced with brightly-painted, sturdy, large, cement block homes. A large multi-purpose community center is nearly finished, along with a community school.

But this project is not just a face-lift... a communal chicken coop is nearly finished, and plans for further animal husbandry and agriculture are the next step for this revitalized community. The men and women of the village are being employed to construct their own homes and those of their neighbors.

Their is a spark of life and most importantly hope that can be seen in the faces of the villagers. I felt truly blessed to have been able to take part and see it with my own eyes. I look forward to seeing the finished projects.

After traveling the countryside I returned to Santo Domingo to spend time with the children's homes that we support through our Angels of Hope program.

We harvested tomatos, peppers, and plantains of a seperate FFP agricultural project and delivered large boxes of them to each of the six of our Angel of Hope sponsored homes.

The children are all back in school now and it was truly a joy to see them rolling into the homes with their school uniforms on... buzzing about what happened at school and who has a crush on who.

For most of these children it is an advantage that they have been placed in one of these homes. The majority of them are not orphans in the "orphan Annie" sense. They do have living parents or relatives, but unfortunately the parents are so poor that they are unable to provide and care for these children. Outside of the homes the children suffer from malnourishment and do not have the opportunity for an education. On the contrary, once these kids are brought to the homes they are nourished not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. They are often provided with the opportunity for vocational/skills training in a specific job field or scholarships for college tuition.