What is Food For The Poor Doing?

Excerpt from homily by Deacon Leo Aman
St. Pius Tenth Parish,
Rochester, NY (April 2, 2006)

My group of 17 people was in Jamaica for two full days. Our first stop was at a parish named, of all things, St. Pius Tenth. I knew that I was in the right place.
St. Pius had a grammar school where basic reading, writing and arithmetic were taught to young and energetic children. Children are always the hope of the future.
Food For The Poor provides both breakfast and lunch to keep them ready to learn. It [FFP] equips the school with used chairs and desks, refurbished computers, books and supplies – all from U.S. donations. In addition, the young people were learning life-skills such as cooking and baking, hairdressing and sewing. We smelled the aromas from their stoves; tasted their sugar cookies, watched them brush wigs on wooden heads and listened to the hum of their sewing machines creating colorful clothes.

Leaving St. Pius School, we moved on to a community where homes were put together from scrap boards, twisted tin and rain-soaked cardboard. Families with as many as 9 people would sleep inside. But at the same time, new one and two room houses were also being constructed by work crews from Food For The Poor. A well-built house could be put up in less than a week with windows and water-tight roof. Families were waiting their turn to move into their new homes.

[Feeding destitute street people]. They sat and we served as though they were guests at a restaurant and we were the waiters. I could not help wondering if the heavenly banquet that Jesus talked about might be similar.