Food for the Poor

Food for the Poor is the number one international relief and development charity in the United States, feeding 2 million poor every day. Our late Passionist Bishop, Paul Boyle, CP, did much to promote this organization which served the poor throughout the world including his own bishopric in Jamaica West Indies. Today many of our Passionist members continue to preach missions for Food for the Poor to help financially promote the great work that this organization does for the poor worldwide.

Below Fr. Chris Gibson, CP and Fr. Ken O’Malley, CP share their experience and thoughts with regards to their ministry of preaching in support of this organization. Click here to visit their website.

Serving Christ Crucified with Food for the Poor in today’s crucified people who suffer hunger - By Christopher Gibson, CP

Since leaving office as General Mission Secretary for the Passionists missions in 2007, I have been working for the largest International charitable organization in our country: Food for the Poor. It keeps alive my contact with the poorest of the poor. In a world where 1.200.000.000 go hungry and over 9.600.000 die of hunger, Food for the Poor does it’s part among other things to feed 2.000.000 people daily in 17 Caribbean –Central American countries. It sustains hundreds of orphanages, cares for the elderly and disabled, schools, micro projects, housing, healthcare, water facilities with only a 2.3 % administration cost.

Twice a month I am assigned to some parish in the country to preach on behalf of the FFP to raise funds. This is one way in which I can serve The Crucified Christ in reaching out to those who are crucified today and inviting others to join the cause.

The Work of Food For the Poor (FFP) by Fr. Ken O’Malley, CP

Two years ago, Bishop Paul Boyle, C.P. invited members of Holy Cross Province to preach for Food For The Poor.  The reason was that FFP was so helpful to him when he was the Bishop of Mandeville, Jamaica, West Indies.  Food For the Poor was founded in 1982 to work with seventeen Caribbean countries, the Central American countries, plus Mexico and some of the Gulf States. In such a short time FFP has become the largest international non-profit in the U.S. and the fourth largest non-profit in the U.S.    

                In such a short time FFP has built over 50,000 housing units, 43,900 tractor trailer containers of food, medicine, clothing and other necessities, 568 water project in villages without running water, 450 orphanages for 3,600 orphans, etc.  I feel privileged to travel throughout the U.S. in parishes asking Catholics for donations to FFP.  It is also an amazing experience of seeing the Church at the grass roots, and the generosity of Catholics to the poor and less fortunate.  Most recently I have preached in Wheeling, SC, Sublimity, OR, Bellerica, MA, US Marine Base, in Lejeune, NC, Patrick AFB in Cape Canaveral, FL, El Segundo AFB in San Pedro, CA, Conrad, MT, Chesapeake, VA, Meridian, CT and  Waterville, NY.  It is edifying and exhilarating to see all the good accomplished by the faithful and FFP.