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Operation Starfish celebrates 20th anniversary with completion of 11th village in Haiti

Fr. Robert C. Cilinski (left), pastor of Church of the Nativity in Burke, presents Food for the Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood (right) with a donation for the completion of Operation Starfish’s 11th village, Nativity Village at Despuzeau. COURTESY

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Father Robert C. Cilinski, pastor of the Church of the Nativity
in Burke, recently presented Food for the Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood with
a donation from their 2018 Operation Starfish campaign that will complete its
11th village in Haiti.

After a joyful rendition of the song “Walk in
Jerusalem,” Father Cilinski spoke passionately about the power of love and
how to help the poor by working as a team toward the same goal.

“Through two decades of working together, Nativity parishioners,
Food for the Poor and the Haitian people have accomplished a miraculous amount
of good,” said Father Cilinski. “This project was designed to be
funded and built over a three-year period. Today, I am pleased to present to
you a gift that will complete development of Nativity Village at Despuzeau in
two years. What a beautiful way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Operation
Starfish by looking back at the good we started 20 years ago.”

Created in 1998 by the late Father Richard Martin, who died four
years ago, Operation Starfish is an appeal to each parishioner’s ability to
make a difference, no matter how small the gift, during the Lenten season.
Father Cilinski has continued the work of Operation Starfish and led a parish
mission trip to Haiti in October 2015 to dedicate Good Shepherd Village in
memory of Father Martin.

In 2017, Father Cilinski returned to Haiti to dedicate the
Nativity Village at Despuzeau. He also broke ground for a new school, Ecole
Union en Christ de Despuzeau, which has since been built. This year’s gift will
complete the second and final phase of the 11th village through Food for the
Poor.

When complete, 80 families will have a home with sanitation and
solar-powered lighting. A community water system and a community center for
vocational training and events will be built, and an animal husbandry business
co-op will be established.

“The Church of the Nativity has worked side by side with
Food for the Poor to help transform the lives of hundreds of families who once
lived in deplorable conditions in Haiti,” said Mahfood. “Nativity’s
parishioners have provided homes to more than 1,400 families, schools, clinics,
fish farms, sewing co-ops and disaster relief. We are deeply grateful for their
loving sacrifice. We were taught as children to love, and Nativity’s parish
understands Jesus’ teaching about love. May God continue to bless their sincere
desire to enhance the lives of the poor. We are so grateful.”

Find out more

To start an Operation Starfish program at your parish,
school or organization, go to FoodForThePoor.org/operationstarfish or call
877-654-2960, ext. 6148. 

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