During the month of May, the credit union is partnering with Food for the Poor to feed more starving people on the island and ultimately save more lives.
"Unfortunately, we have starvation across the globe, but Haiti is right here in our own backyard," said Mark Holmes of Eastern Financial. "Many of our members and employees have family and friends on the island and are personally affected by the crisis which is getting worse by the day. Because of those close ties and the severity of the situation, we wanted to initiate a program to help out."
Each of Eastern Financial's 22 South Florida branches is inviting members and employees to make a monetary donation to Food for the Poor, which ramped up its efforts in Haiti when the food crisis began.
Since an average family on the island can be fed for just $12 per month, people are being encouraged to donate in increments of $12. Eastern Financial's corporate office is collecting all of the checks and mailing them out daily so that the funds go to work immediately. Members will also have an opportunity to donate by way of direct account transfer or by going online to a customized site www.foodforthepoor.org/easternfinancial.
With more than 20 years of experience working in Haiti, Food for the Poor has an extensive infrastructure in Haiti, and in-depth knowledge of import regulations and customs requirements, making sure supplies get quickly to those who need it most. Through its feeding centers, the nonprofit agency currently feeds more than 20,000 Haitians daily and regularly supplies food to hundreds of thousands of hungry Haitians through its partnerships with schools, orphanages, churches, hospitals and other groups on the island. Food for the Poor has low operating costs, which means that more than 96% of all donations go directly to programs serving the needy.
