Food for the Poor, Inc.

Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = Food for the Poor, Inc.
Non-profit_
Non-profit_type = Non-Government Organization
founded_date = 1982
founder = Ferdinand Mahfood
location = Coconut Creek, FL - USA
key_people = Robin Mahfood (President, CEO), Angel A. Almoa (Executive Director)
area_served = Sixteen countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean
focus = Impoverished people throughout Latin America and Caribbean
method = Direct assistance of churches and charity organizations operating within in-need areas through the delivery of food, medicine, housing, and other vital goods
total distribution (USD) = $3,885,785,101.00 (1982-2006)
num_employees = 250+ (2007)
homepage = http://www.foodforthepoor.com

Food for the Poor, Inc. (FFP) is an ecumenical Christian nonprofit organization based in the United States that provides food, medicine, and shelter, among other services, to poor people in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Food for the Poor, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation.

History

In 1982, Ferdinand Mahfood began Food for the Poor to aid the poor and downtrodden in Central America and the Caribbean. Clergy members of many Christian denominations, including Lutheranism and Catholicism, provide the core of the organization, preaching and personally distributing necessary items in the poor countries, while going abroad to seek more donations. Members of the laity are also heavily involved, providing aid and resources both alongside clergy and in places where there are few or no clergy members.

In 2000, Ferdinand's brother, Robin Mahfood succeeded as the next President of the non-profit. [" [http://www.ministrywatch.com/mw2.1/F_MinDesc.asp?EIN=592174510 Food For The Poor Background] " Retrieved 2007-08-29.] Since 1982, Food for the Poor, Inc. has distributed more than $3.5 billion worth of food, medicine, housing materials and other aid to the poor of the Caribbean and Latin America. [" [http://www.foodforthepoor.org/site/c.dnJGKNNsFmG/b.844877/k.D5E2/History.htm History] ", Food For the Poor website. Retrieved 2007-05-16.] In 2007, the charity migrated its headquarters from Deerfield Beach, FL to Coconut Creek, FL. Currently, FFP employs over 250 people out of its Coconut Creek location, in addition to employing numerous members of the Clergy as speakers across the United States. [" [http://www.foodforthepoor.org/atf/cf/%7B7C3EFD88-ADC6-4282-93C9-66E9DE4E24F5%7D/New_Headquarters.pdf New Headquarters] ". Retrieved 2007-05-16.]

Fundraising

Food for the Poor aids the poor through donations of money and supplies, often from the United States and Europe. Clergy and lay people go on trips in such regions to ask for donations. A vast majority of the organization's revenue is from donated goods.

In 2006, 96% of all donations to FFP went directly to programs that help the poor, while the organization operated with an administrative ratio (Fundraising and other costs) of 4%. [" [http://www.foodforthepoor.org/site/c.dnJGKNNsFmG/b.844879/k.D6E1/Finances.htm Finances] " Food For the Poor website. Retrieved 2006-02-19.] The administrative ratio is 10% higher than the average ratio of the top 200 charities in the U.S. Accordingly, Charity Navigator awarded FFP its highest rating for fiscal efficiency. [" [http://www.foodforthepoor.org/site/c.dnJGKNNsFmG/b.2421503/k.92F5/New_Headquarters.htm New Headquarters] " Food For The Poor Website. Retrieved 2006-05-30.]

Relief efforts

Food for the Poor provides, as its main objective, nourishment to needy people. The organization also erects homes for homeless families, supplies medicine and health care in hospitals and clinics, subsidizes orphanages, teaches children and adults by providing knowledge and training for the careers.

Currently, the organization is currently active in seven mainland countries and nine island nations. They are:
*Belize
*El Salvador
*Guatemala
*Guyana
*Honduras
*Nicaragua
*Panamaand
*Dominican Republic
*Grenada
*Haiti
*Jamaica
*St. Lucia
*Trinidad and Tobago
*Antigua
*Dominica
*St. Vincent

Angel's Travel Journal

Executive Director of Food for the Poor, Angel Aloma, travels to the places FFP services and records his experiences in a travel journal, published [http://www.foodforthepoor.org/site/c.dnJGKNNsFmG/b.1714355/k.6701/Angels_Travel_Journal.htm here] . The site offers readers a chance to see photos and read reports on the work done by the organization, as written by Aloma. The journal is also posted on FFP's [http://www.myspace.com/food_for_the_poor MySpace page] .

The journal also offers a comment form for readers to submit both questions and comments for Aloma regarding his journal. Both submissions and answers to inquiries are posted on the mainpage of the journal.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.foodforthepoor.org/ Food for the Poor, Inc. Official Website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/food_for_the_poor Food for the Poor, Inc. on Myspace]