Bankers Healthcare Group Employees Donate School Supplies To Haitian Orphanages, Travel To Meet The Orphans

South Florida Caribbean NewsAugust 9, 2015

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To honor the life of her brother Peter "Cato" Estrada who lost his battle with cancer, Sofia Castro is fulfilling his wish to send backpacks and school supplies to Haitian orphans with the support of Bankers Healthcare Group and Food For The Poor.

DAVIE – To honor the life of Peter “Cato” Estrada, Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG) has partnered with the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor (FFP) to supply Haitian orphans with backpacks, pencils, notebooks and other supplies needed to attend school this year.

After BHG donated $35,000 of office furniture to schools and orphanages in Haiti and Jamaica in February, Estrada, the brother of President Bob Castro‘s wife, Sofia, was inspired to initiate a backpack and school supplies donation. Tragically, Estrada lost his battle with cancer on April 30, 2015.

Now, BHG is fulfilling his wish. “My brother Peter was determined to help the children in Haiti who live in such heartbreaking conditions,” said Sofia Castro. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to carry out his vision with the support of our close family and friends at BHG.” BHG has raised nearly $5,500 to purchase 345 backpacks filled with school supplies.

Last week, a BHG employee of Haitian heritage was able to travel to Haiti and meet the orphans in person. “I had already planned a trip to Haiti to visit my family,” said Tourissa Joseph, BHG customer support specialist. “In light of BHG’s fundraiser, I expressed great interest in visiting the orphanages while I was there. These are my people, and I wanted to see what a great impact we would have on their lives.”

Accompanied by Soraya Louis from Food For The Poor, Joseph visited Orphelinat de Fondation Sens Universel et Damabiah (FSUD), one of three orphanages in Haiti that will benefit from BHG’s donation. FSUD is home to more than 70 children.

**Tourissa Joseph, BHG customer support specialist, traveled to Haiti to meet the children at Orphelinat de Fondation Sens Universel et Damabiah (FSUD).**

Next to the orphanage is a five-classroom school currently under construction, which will be completed in the next three months. School supplies will be crucial to its operation. Joseph continued, “I am both humbled and proud to have had this experience. Peter would be so thrilled to know that we’re fulfilling his dream and making a difference in these children’s lives.”

Orphelinat de Fondation Sens Universel et Damabiah (FSUD) is one of three orphanages in Haiti that will benefit from BHG's donation through Food For The Poor's Angels of Hope program. — Orphelinat de Fondation Sens Universel et Damabiah (FSUD) is one of three orphanages in Haiti that will benefit from BHG’s donation through Food For The Poor’s Angels of Hope program.

“The loss of a loved one is never easy. What Sofia Castro and the staff at Bankers Healthcare Group did in her brother’s honor is really remarkable,” Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma said in a statement. “On behalf of the children who will be receiving these backpacks for the start of the new school year, we say thank you for your generosity.”

In addition to the 345 backpacks, BHG is currently fundraising for an additional $5,000 donation to provide the students lunches for one full school year. BHG will present the check to FFP at the Grand Opening of its new Davie headquarters on Friday, August 21, 2015.

BHG’s donation is made through FFP’s child sponsorship program, Angels of Hope, which supports more than 4,500 children in 139 orphanages throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. To donate, visit www.donationto.com by August 17, 2015.

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