Homes are built on rotting trash in the muddy swamp in northern Haiti where Milouise and Liony once lived. Their hair turned orange from malnutrition. Hungry and living in extreme poverty, they trudged in bare feet over dangerous, disease-ridden filth. Food For The Poor built their family a new home and gave them clothing and food. Today the girls are healthy and no longer living in misery.

Now 10 and 8 years old, Milouise and Liony are in school, and thriving, although still small for their ages, due to earlier malnourishment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PENSACOLA, Fla. (Nov. 14, 2008) – Parents in Pensacola were surprised when their eight-year-old son, Pierce, casually walked into the kitchen and announced how he planned to use his birthday money. Pierce said he wanted to donate his entire birthday savings to benefit the people of Haiti through Food For The Poor.

“It was a no-brainer for him,” said Angela, the boy’s mother. “When you do not think your children are listening, they are not only listening, but they are learning by your example.”

The family personally supports many philanthropic causes. Through their actions they have taught their children the value and importance of sharing with others. Annually, their children sort through clothing, books and toys to donate to others. Pierce is eager to share his desire to help the less fortunate with his classmates at N.B. Cook Elementary School, and the entire Pensacola community.

“The innocence and sincerity of children are part of the reason why they are universally beloved, but when one adds compassion and generosity to a child as young as Pierce, the world becomes a better place,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director.

Pierce took notice when he read an article in the September 2008 issue of the National Geographic that described how desperately hungry Haitians eat “mud cookies” made with clay, shortening, and salt. For many poor mothers, these mud cookies have unfortunately become the only means of quelling a child’s hunger pangs. The article also described how less than 4 percent of Haiti’s forests remain, and in many places the soil has eroded down to the bedrock, making food production more difficult.

In November, a Food For The Poor speaker visited St. Joseph Catholic Church. Pierce was in attendance that day and took an immense interest in the Food For The Poor brochure that was distributed. He was touched by the expression of a young child inside the brochure. Pierce has read the Food For The Poor brochure to practically all of his friends and family members.  

“Pierce has made us extremely proud. He did not wait for ‘someone’ to do something to help people in need. He just stepped up to the plate to be that someone,” said Angela. “We pray the entire community will come together to support Pierce’s effort to raise enough money to build a home in Haiti. Pierce’s goal is to raise enough to build ten homes.”

Pierce has started a community effort to collect donations to build homes in Haiti. It only takes $2,600, to provide a destitute family with a basic, safe and secure home, and support Pierce’s initiative. Checks for any amount should be made out to Food For The Poor and should include a special code “SC# 067144” so the money can be tracked to Pierce’s Birthday Savings for the Poor.  The Combined Federal Campaign number is #10328. For more information, or to send your tax-deductible contribution, please call 1-800-487-1158, and reference the special code, or visit www.foodforthepoor.org/birthday.  

Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. We provide emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.