We often think of Thanksgiving as a joyous time when we gather together with family and friends. We share food and drink, laughter and, most importantly, our time with each other.

On such an occasion it’s hard to imagine that in nearby Haiti, countless people are homeless, starving and have little hope for a better life. Because their day-to-day survival has become so grueling, most Haitians cannot adequately care for themselves or their children, who often suffer from severe malnutrition and dehydration.

This Thanksgiving, Food For The Poor wants to offer these destitute Haitians hope through a life-changing experience. Our Forty Days of Thanks project focuses on Haiti’s children and elderly, who are some of the most vulnerable members of society.

Without our Notre Dame de L’Espoir Boys Orphanage and Maison d’Amour Girls Orphanage, many innocent Haitian children would be starving in the streets. These orphanages provide a much-needed refuge — but they currently need our help to make building repairs, offer medical assistance and support educational programs.

Food For The Poor’s Village for the Elderly, a full-care facility, provides dignity to those who can no longer help themselves. These elderly individuals must depend on the kindness of others — or face a desperate life sleeping in cardboard boxes, begging for food and lacking essential health care. Please help us care for these often-neglected seniors.

Beginning seven weeks before Thanksgiving, Forty Days of Thanks uses a simple method of fundraising: we’re asking each family to set aside 50 cents a day for 40 days and place the money in a box or basket. At the end of the 40 days, when combined with the gifts of others, that
money will help bring relief and hope to those who are truly in need. The spirit of thanksgivingwill then be expressed through our “thankful giving”!

Please contact Food For The Poor today and join us in helping our less-fortunate brothers and sisters. By sharing our gifts with others, we can make an enormous difference in their lives.
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About Church And School Development at Food For The Poor
Our Church & School Development Department provides opportunities for a church, school or other group to come together to collectively help the poor. Church & School Development assists in finding a suitable project for your church, school or group to sponsor. We'll also provide ideas that help get your congregation or student body excited about helping the poor. We'll assist with ideas for fundraising, as well as providing a project proposal, budget and updates on the project.

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The Operation Starfish Program
Whether your congregation is large or small, by working together, you too can make a difference. Just 100 families saving 65 cents a day for 40 days will save $2,600: enough to provide a new Food For The Poor home for a destitute family. When you consider that Food For The Poor can feed a family of four for a month for just $9, you can see that any amount your congregation raises will make a great difference in the lives of those who are suffering.

Operation Starfish is simple to administer too. Just explain the program and how it works, provide the materials to your congregation, and send the proceeds to Food For The Poor. Helping one child, one family at a time will enable you and your congregation to say, “We made a difference to that one.”





churchschool@foodforthepoor.com
For more information about Food For The Poor, please visit www.foodforthepoor.org