With just days remaining in its annual campaign, Food for the Poor is closing in on its fundraising goal but still needs support to provide meals and clean water to approximately 130 more children across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Daniel Patino of Food for the Poor said the campaign is within reach of its target, describing the remaining gap as “a climbable hill.” A one-time gift of $150, he explained, provides two children with daily meals and access to safe drinking water for an entire year. Larger contributions scale accordingly, with $300 supporting four children and $1,000 feeding 13 children, currently matched to double its impact.
The organization, now in its 44th year, operates in 15 countries, including Jamaica, its founding country. Patino noted that beyond seasonal hunger relief, Food for the Poor also responds to natural disasters such as hurricanes that frequently devastate the region. While international attention fades once storms pass, many families remain without access to food, clean water, or basic infrastructure.
Unlike aid models that deliver temporary supplies and move on, Food for the Poor partners with vetted local leaders, pastors, and community organizations embedded in rural and hard-to-reach areas. Many of the communities served are several hours from the nearest city and lack even minimal safety nets. According to Patino, trucks are loaded and water projects are ready, but final funding is needed to ensure deliveries move forward.
More than 90 cents of every donated dollar goes directly toward programs and services, earning the organization high ratings from charity evaluators. Patino emphasized that the goal is not merely short-term relief but long-term transformation, including access to clean water systems and sustainable food programs aimed at breaking cycles of poverty.
The campaign has also drawn support from local businesses participating as benefactors through tax-deductible contributions. Those donations help fund operational outreach and expand the program’s reach. Organizers describe business leadership as critical to meeting overall goals in coordinated national efforts.
As the campaign approaches its deadline, Patino urged those who have considered giving to act now, describing the impact as immediate and measurable. For families like the one highlighted during the campaign—a mother in Guatemala struggling to feed her children—support can mean the difference between hunger and stability.
While the formal campaign concludes at the end of the week, donations will continue to be accepted. Organizers stress, however, that reaching the stated goal ensures prepared supplies and water initiatives can be deployed without delay.
For Food for the Poor, the mission remains straightforward: deliver food and water to families who otherwise have no access to either. As Patino put it, “Almost doesn’t feed a child. Delivery does.”