The livestreamed gala will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. ET. Jamaican singer-songwriter and humanitarian Glacia Robinson will perform songs from her album “Hands of Mercy.”

Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, who has chaired the gala for a quarter of a century, reflected on her countless mission trips to Haiti and the contrast between the poverty she’s witnessed and the unwavering hope that exists among the people.

“Through my travels with Food For The Poor, I have seen unimaginable destitution in Haiti, but I have also seen remarkable hope,” Nasrallah said. “It is our donors and partners who continue to unite us in this work, giving life-changing support to those in need. Together, we bring light where there is darkness.”

Nasrallah recalls being given an assignment in the 6th grade at Sacred Heart School in Auburn, Maine: Go to the library and choose a book on the life of a saint. Nasrallah chose “The Story of a Soul” by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the patron saint of the missions.

Later in life, when Nasrallah encountered impoverished families in her travels with FFTP, she was reminded of a valuable lesson taught by St. Thérèse, Mother Teresa and the Mahfood founders of FFTP.

“If I looked carefully, I would see Jesus in the poor,” Nasrallah said. “And then discover Jesus in the poor who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, unemployed, the outcast with leprosy. All I had to do was open my heart and my hands to embrace the hopeless, the unwanted and actually experience the embrace of Jesus himself.”

In Patasson, a remote community in Haiti’s northeast region, residents live in fragile structures that offer little protection from storms. The new homes will include two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a rainwater collection system connected to a 500-gallon water reservoir – transformational blessings for these families. A community center will provide families a place to gather.

“What we are building in Patasson is more than just shelter,” FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine said. “We are building a foundation for hope, dignity, and self-sufficiency. The homes we provide change lives in ways that go far beyond walls and roofs. They create opportunities for families to thrive.”

Last year’s Celebration of Hope Gala raised funds to build more than 40 homes for families in Trouchouchou, Haiti, and 20 of those homes have already been completed.

“Thanks to our generous donors, these families’ prayers are being answered,” Raine said. “Their dreams of safety and stability are becoming reality, and we are humbled to be a part of that transformation.”

For more information on how to support the 25th Annual Celebration of Hope Gala or to RSVP, please visit foodforthepoor.org/celebration.

Committee members include: Dr. Lynne Nasrallah, chair, Linda Bonnewitz, Bruny and Paula Compas, George and Kim del Campo, Mike and Dr. Desirae Friend, Cynthia Hawkins, Nicole Nasrallah, George and Joanne Olson, Lisa Padilla Ortiz, Nancy Padilla, Dwight and Lisa Saathoff, Tom and Jean Wilkes, Jean and Donna Wilson, and Holly Wilson.

Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 15 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training, and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit foodforthepoor.org.