Grammy Award-winning singer Shaggy is giving back to his Caribbean roots by performing in the Food for the Poor (FFP) 20th Annual Building Hope Gala next year.
The charitable event raises money to build housing for impoverished families in Pon Batay, Haiti, according to the Jamaican Observer.
The Building Hope Gala will take place on February 6, 2015 at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida. FFP President Robin Mahfood recently announced the Jamaican singer's involvement.
"Shaggy is a true friend of Food for the Poor," Mahfood said, according to the Jamaican Observer. "Thanks to Shaggy, the determination of Building Hope Gala committee members, and the South Florida community, Food for the Poor is positioned to build even more homes to commemorate the gala's 20th anniversary.
"The gift of a safe, secure home is a tremendous blessing for a family who lives in a crumbling one-room shack, and does not know where their next meal will come from," he continued. "A home offers more than shelter to a destitute family - it offers hope."
According to FFP's sponsorship proposal, $3,200 will build a single-unit home with sanitation, and $6,400 donations will build a double-unit home with water and sanitation components. "In countries like Haiti, where the average household has seven members, Food for the Poor builds only double-unit homes by combining two single-unit donations," the proposal read.
FFP is an interdenominational Christian ministry that was founded in 1982. The nonprofit serves the underprivileged in Latin and Caribbean America – providing housing, clean water, healthcare, education, emergency relief, and other assistance.
"Our hope is that this ministry reflects God's unconditional love, which surrenders all, inspires trust and faith, and embraces all people regardless of race, status or creed," the organisation's description reads.
"We believe that Christ is alive, and that we can best serve Him by being of assistance to those in the greatest need (Matthew 25:31-40). Finally, we stress the need for regular prayer to guide and maintain the purity of our mission, to link the church of the First World with the church of the Third World in a manner that helps both the materially poor and the poor in spirit."
Tickets for the gala are $250, and include cocktails, dinner, and a silent auction. Sponsors include Gregory's Fine Jewelry, TD Bank, and the Leslie L. Alexander Foundation. For more information, visit the organisation's website.
