Even in times of great change and difficulty, FFPC supporters and partners came together to support families and communities in the Caribbean and Latin America.
On April 27 2020, Food For The Poor Canada held our first virtual AGM reception via Zoom. We heard directly from the heads of Food For The Poor US and Haiti who updated us on projects, the challenges and changes countries face on the ground, and how Food For The Poor is helping communities through COVID-19.
Robert Ready, Chair of the FFPC Board of Directors, opened up the AGM. He welcomed listeners, introduced the FFPC Board Members and set the stage for the event.
Samantha Mahfood, Executive Director of Food For The Poor Canada, provided an overview of the projects completed in 2019 and FFPC’s approach to help provide food for families in the Caribbean and Latin America. Right now, the greatest need is food.
Bishop Oge, Executive Director of Food For The Poor Haiti, expressed his gratitude for Canadians keeping Haitians in their thoughts and prayers. He shared the staggering statistic that while 74 people in Haiti have been diagnosed with COVID-19, 4.6 million people are living without secure, reliable access to food. It is not the virus, but hunger, that worries most Haitians.
Ed Raine, CEO and President of Food For The Poor Inc, shared the challenges facing the countries we serve. These challenges go far beyond the virus and dramatically affect food security and the economy of these countries. FFP Inc launched a campaign to raise $10 Million for food aid for this year alone – far beyond what is usually spent on food aid in one year. Without a doubt, people are struggling to feed their families during the outbreak.
Following talks by the leaders of Food For The Poor, the reception was opened up to questions by listeners. Ed Raine and Bishop Oge discussed how distribution networks on the ground ensure that funds for food reach the communities for which they are intended.
Samantha Mahfood announced Food For The Poor Canada’s goal of raising $1million to help provide food for the growing number of families in the Caribbean and Latin America who need it during the pandemic.