Food for the Poor
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| Founded | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ferdinand Mahfood |
| Type | Non-Government Organization |
| Focus | Impoverished people throughout Latin America and Caribbean |
| Location | |
|
Area served
|
Seventeen countries throughout Latin America and the 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 |
|
Key people
|
Robin Mahfood (President, CEO), Angel A. Aloma (Executive Director) |
|
Employees
|
350+ (2012) |
| Website | http://www.foodforthepoor.org/ |
Food For The Poor, Inc. (FFP) is an ecumenical Christian nonprofit organization based in Coconut Creek, Florida, USA that provides food, medicine, and shelter, among other services, to the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Food For The Poor, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation.
Contents
History
In 1982, Ferdinand Mahfood began Food For The Poor to aid the poor and downtrodden in Latin America and the Caribbean. Clergy members of many Christian denominations, including Episcopalian, Lutheran and Roman Catholic, provide the core of the organization, preaching throughout the United States about the need in the countries they serve.
Since 1982, Food For The Poor has distributed nearly $11 billion worth of food, medicine, housing materials, water and other aid to the poor of the Caribbean and Latin America.[1] In 2007, the charity migrated its headquarters from Deerfield Beach, FL to Coconut Creek, FL. Currently, Food For The Poor employs more than 300 people out of its Coconut Creek location, in addition to employing members of the Clergy as speakers across the United States.
Fundraising
Food For The Poor aids the poor through donations of money and supplies, mostly from the United States. A majority of the organization's revenue is from donated goods.
In 2014, 95.6% of all donations to Food For The Poor went directly to programs that help the poor, while 4.4% went to fundraising and administrative costs.
Controversies
The Palm Beach Post has documented a number of controversies and scandals involving Food For The Poor. In 2000, Ferdinand Mahfood resigned as CEO amid allegations he diverted money to two female employees with whom he was sleeping. Ferdinand Mahfood ultimately admitted misappropriating $275,000 from FFP and took steps to pay the money back. [2]
Ferdinand's brother, Robin Mahfood, who took over as CEO amid the crisis, has also been the subject of controversy. Between 2003 and 2007, FFP paid out $1.9 million in salary and benefits to five of his relatives. [2] Until 2008, FFP also continuously did business with two for-profit companies run by Mahfood's family, buying in four years more than $200,000 worth of sodas and knee-high water boots in deals Mahfood had a hand in approving. CEO Robin Mahfood received a salary of $364,874 in 2008 [2]
Relief efforts
Food For The Poor provides, as its main objective, nourishment to the poor. The organization also erects homes for homeless families, supplies medicine and health care in hospitals and clinics, subsidizes orphanages, and teaches children and adults by providing training.
Targeted crisis relief programs
In addition to its general community development and direct aid programs designed to reduce poverty and malnutrition, Food For The Poor provides targeted relief for humanitarian crises. On January 11, 2010, it announced initial success in introducing a new food source, the Basa fish, for the critically malnourished nation of Haiti.[3] Then, on January 13, 2010, it announced a major relief effort directed toward the people of the same nation to help recovery from the catastrophic January 12 earthquake which struck Port-au-Prince. According to its website Food For The Poor has built 5,015 permanent two-room concrete block homes since the earthquake. [4]
