This National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, Food For The Poor is excited to highlight our Hispanic team members who are dedicated to our mission of supporting those in need throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Childhood Experiences Set the Stage for Maria Fernanda Rios’ Work at Food For The Poor
As the child of a diplomat growing up in Latin America, Maria Fernanda Rios has had the privilege of living in several countries, from Peru, where she was born and where she now resides, to Honduras and Uruguay, where she finished high school in the capital city of Montevideo.
Her father worked in various capacities for the Inter-American Development Bank, which is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Maria took note of his ascension in the ranks and his organization’s efforts to promote growth and sustainable development.
“Growing up with his influence shaped me,” said Maria, Marketing Operations Manager at Food For The Poor (FFTP). “I learned about his mission trips to places where people lack the basic necessities – especially in the medical sector. Listening to him talk about the needs of these countries, I became aware of the challenges they face.”
Maria’s family moved to Honduras when she was 8 years old. During the seven years they lived there, she got her first up-close experience with families living in poverty and learned about the importance of community service.
“While I was in middle school, they arranged community service projects for us,” she said. “We got to help people in their gardens or do other things to help. For example, in San Pedro Sula, where people needed homes, we started building houses for them, similar to what we do at Food For The Poor.”
After graduating high school, Maria moved back to Peru and settled in Lima, where she announced her plans to study culinary arts in pursuit of a career that reflected her family’s passion for cooking.
While studying culinary arts in Lima, she met Jorge Pereyra, a fellow student and her future husband. They continued their studies in Lyon, France, earning bachelor’s degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. After completing their studies, the couple had a destination wedding in Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla., and then began their lives together back home in Peru.
“We started working at Astrid & Gaston, which is one of the top restaurants in Peru,” she said. “I rotated in various stations. For example, you might work on the hot line one day, then the cold line, make entrees, or salads and sauces – it was a valuable experience.”
Maria’s career in the culinary industry came to an end in 2016, when surgery to correct two herniated discs left her unable to maintain the restaurant’s grueling pace of working long hours on her feet and lifting heavy containers. Undeterred, she returned to college and studied business administration, putting her love of organization and managing operations into play.
After graduation, she found employment as a sales manager with an American company that does business in Latin America, working under the guidance of an executive based in the company’s Miami office.
“She is one of my mentors,” Maria said. “Her strategic vision and leadership have continuously inspired me to grow professionally.”
When the executive, Vivian Borja, became Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at FFTP, she encouraged Maria to apply for the operations manager position in the Marketing department, believing she would be a good fit for the job.
“She already knew about my professional background,” Maria said. “And she knew about my experiences living in Honduras and the knowledge I gained from my father in his work as a diplomat.”
Maria applied for the job, went through the vetting process, and ultimately was offered the position. Two years after joining FFTP as a remote employee working from home in Lima, she couldn’t be more content.
“It makes me very happy that I get to work within an organization that helps people in the countries I’ve lived in,” she said. “We help people and that is super important, and I know we’re making a lot of progress.”
She recently went on a mission trip to Honduras with FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine and marketing team members.
“This time, I saw the country through a new lens, especially with all the work and support we provide,” she said. “It was a touching experience. Seeing so many children running around, living with so little but still being happy with what they have, really moved me. Despite their hardships, they appreciate what they do have.”
When considering the FFTP theme for Hispanic Heritage Month – Pioneers of Change: Shaping the future together through unity, resilience, and innovation – Maria focuses on unity.
“We have to be united with the people we serve to make progress in the humanitarian and sustainability projects that we have in their countries,” she said. “And we have to have unity with our partners in every single country to ensure proper implementation. So, yes, we must be united in order to accomplish all our goals for the people we help.”
Daniel Patiño Cherishes His Family and the Colombian Heritage They Share
A friendly arrangement between Daniel Patiño’s mother and his grade-school teacher helped put the bright young student on the path to success in his career decades later.
“My second-grade teacher, Mrs. Ibañez, told my mother, ‘Speak Spanish to him at home and we’ll teach him English here at school,’ and that stuck like Crazy Glue,” said Daniel, Radio Manager/On Air Fundraiser at Food For The Poor (FFTP). “To this day, my parents don’t speak English. They understand it but they don’t speak English.”
Daniel’s parents and two brothers, all native Colombians, moved to New York and later settled in Miami, where Daniel was born and raised. He and his brothers learned that the language barrier did not hinder his parents’ ability to see through their antics.
“My brothers and I would try to speak in code, which in this case was English, and my mom would respond right away in Spanish, ‘Nope, you aren’t going anywhere,’” he said. “I’m asking, ‘How did you even know what I was talking about?’ I love that! I appreciate it now because it did really help me with my career.”
Fluent in English and Spanish, Daniel has worked at radio stations in both languages, building a robust career that paved the way for his transition to FFTP in August 2023. Speaking Spanish at home, enjoying Colombian cuisine, and celebrating Colombian holidays are among the ways that Daniel’s family maintained their cultural heritage.
Dia de las Velitas, or Day of the Little Candles, is a holiday they all hold dear. It is a Colombian tradition celebrated in early December on the eve of the Immaculate Conception that marks the start of the holiday season.
“You pray for yourself, for others, everybody you know, that they have abundant blessings to finish the year strong,” he said. “It’s on Dec. 7, and in Colombia, the joke is that we start celebrating December in September. The radio stations start playing the holiday music early, and they even create special imaging around it.”
It’s a tradition that has carried over to his own home, with his wife, Viviana, who is from Colombia, and their daughters, Daniella, 1, and Mariana, 6. Daniel and his family also enjoy the traditional Colombian foods that were a mainstay in his home while growing up.
Early in his childhood, Daniel’s family owned a restaurant in Miami called Cosita Buena, where they prepared traditional Colombian dishes, like rice, beans, fried pork belly, and arepas, a flat round cornmeal cake popular in Central and South America.
“My dad and my mom were in charge of the recipes and of cooking everything, so we ate really good at home because it was the same food from the restaurant,” he said. “It was real Colombian food, every day.”
When considering the FFTP theme for Hispanic Heritage Month – Pioneers of Change: Shaping the future together through unity, resilience, and innovation – Daniel reflects on his father’s hard work and the sacrifices he made to provide for the family.
“It was a single-income home, and my dad was working night and day, doing his best to keep everything together – there was always food on the table, clothes on my back and if there was something I needed for school, I got it,” Daniel said. “But I wasn’t the kid with Super Nintendo, flat-screen TVs, or shiny new Nikes. I was more of a Payless or Kmart special kind of guy. Still, my parents always found a way to make it work.”
In addition to his parents maintaining their Colombian traditions in Miami, Daniel was immersed in the culture when he joined his mother for their annual summer vacation to visit family and friends. It was during those visits that he also learned about poverty in Colombia.
He recalls the living conditions in Colombia, people bathing outside with water hoses and buckets, homeless people walking the streets, and the constant warnings from family and friends to stay close to home to avoid being robbed or kidnapped.
On one occasion when he was 13, he joined his mother at a friend’s house while in Colombia. Wearing new clothes purchased for the trip, he asked to go outside where other children were playing, and he was approached by a 6-year-old boy.
“He looked me up and down and said, ‘Be careful with those shoes; they might take them,’” Daniel said. “I quickly did a 180 and went back inside. I share this to highlight the poverty in Colombia. I wouldn’t have minded giving the shoes away but having them taken is different. Still, I never saw them as a threat, just people in need.”
It’s that desire to help people in need that drives Daniel in his work at FFTP, and he easily ties it to the heart of the charity’s theme for Hispanic Heritage Month – unity, resilience, and innovation.
“We help families that are resilient,” he said. “We are united in God’s work to serve children and families in need, and we’re constantly innovating new ways to work. We’re raising funds through new methods like podcasts, using TV, radio, email, and all social media platforms to reach the masses and fulfill our mission to help vulnerable children and families, and I’m proud to do my part.”
U.S. Government Career Paved the Way for Jesus Nuñez Rueda To Join FFTP in Honduras
Born and raised in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, Jesus Nuñez Rueda, enjoyed nearly 20 years of employment in the U.S. government, working in the Peace Corps, Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) before joining Food For The Poor (FFTP).
Jesus worked for the Department of State from 2004 to 2007 and, from there, he went on to work for the Peace Corps until 2011. He returned to the Department of State in 2012, and later joined USAID in 2014. It was during his time with USAID that he first encountered FFTP through his collaboration with CEPUDO, the charity’s longstanding in-country partner.
“Part of my job in USAID was to create a network of boys’ and girls’ clubs or community centers, in vulnerable communities that are challenged by poverty and gang activity,” he said. “We partnered with CEPUDO on those projects, and that’s how I learned about Food For The Poor in 2014.”
He also witnessed CEPUDO’s efforts to build homes for impoverished families, create job training programs, and offer various solutions to help those in need through its collaboration with FFTP.
“I said to myself, ‘that’s an organization that would be ideal for me,’” he said. “And dreams do come true.”
When considering the FFTP theme for Hispanic Heritage Month – Pioneers of Change: Shaping the future together through unity, resilience and innovation – Jesus reflects on his life and the resilience it required for him to be successful. Although he is enjoying his dream job today as an FFTP team member, Jesus has had his share of challenges.
His parents divorced when he was a child, causing enough stress in his young life that he lost one year of schooling. Years later, during his second year of college, he dropped out of school to marry his girlfriend, Yalile Maldonado, in a civil ceremony when they learned they had a baby on the way.
His resilience paid off. Jesus eventually earned his undergraduate degree in international business at National Autonomous University of Honduras in 2004 and his master’s degree in local development and tourism at the Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana in 2009. In between degrees, he and Yalile went on to have the Catholic wedding of their dreams in 2006, and today, they are a loving family of six.
After graduation, Jesus worked in sales, selling cars, vitamins, and credit cards, trying to make a living to support his growing family. Within time, he was able to use his degree in international business as a stepping stone to his career in government.
“As a salesperson, you’re going out knocking on doors trying to get customers and you must have patience because you receive a lot of ‘no’s,’ and you must wait for the ‘yes’ and finalize the sale,” he said. “So, for me, it was a blessing to secure a stable job in the U.S. government and it was a great ride.”
Jesus worked at the USAID/Honduras Democracy Governance office from June 2014 until September 2023. During his tenure as a project management specialist, he focused primarily on youth violence and crime prevention initiatives. He quickly moved up the ranks, earning the admiration and respect of his colleagues along the way.
While he loved his work, Jesus began to yearn for a change. He ultimately decided to leave in search of a position that would still allow him to serve those in need within a faith-based organization.
He spent the next nine months freelancing as a consultant for small nongovernmental organizations, providing interpreting services and teaching graduate classes at his alma matter until he landed at FFTP as the U.S. Government Programs Manager in June 2024.
Jesus is one of 16 people who work in Honduras for FFTP. His work experience at the USAID prepared him for his new position, which includes managing USAID-funded FFTP programs in Guatemala, Jamaica, and El Salvador.
“It’s the best decision that I could have made; I feel blessed and very happy,” he said, reflecting on joining FFTP. “I truly embrace the vision of Food For The Poor, and I’m inspired by our leadership. I’m having the time of my life.”
For Ana Duarte, working at FFTP builds a stronger connection to her Colombian roots
Born in Arlington, Va., and raised in Boca Raton, Fla., Ana Duarte proudly traces her roots to Colombia, a country she’s never visited, but that nonetheless has helped to shape her into the person she is today.
“I grew up with my mom, my aunt, and my grandma, who are all Colombian women that were raised in Colombia,” said Ana, Church Alliances Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at Food For The Poor (FFTP). “It was a Spanish-speaking household, very traditional Colombian, God-centered, and immersed in Colombian culture.”
When considering the FFTP theme for Hispanic Heritage Month – Pioneers of Change: Shaping the future together through unity, resilience, and innovation – Ana immediately thinks of her mother, Annette. The youngest of nine children who grew up on a farm in a small town in Colombia and later made her way as a single mom in the United States, Annette didn’t let her circumstances define her life.
“My mom’s resilience is something that has always stuck with me and definitely shaped who I am,” Ana said. “Growing up on the farm, she worked with her hands, and she knew the importance of hard work. She always tried to support her family and even when things were not easy, she never quit. I owe all of what I am today to her.”
She credits her mother, aunt, and grandmother with keeping her connected to her Colombian roots, whether it’s by sharing the music of Juanes and Carlos Vives, enjoying popular Colombian dishes, such as pan de bono, arroz con pollo, fried yuca, and Colombiana sodas, or watching Colombian teams play soccer on TV.
When Ana was 2 years old, she moved with her mom, aunt, and grandmother to South Florida, where she would ultimately begin a series of firsts in her family: First to get a driver’s license, first to graduate high school, and first to earn a college degree. While at Boca Raton High School, Ana was introduced to FFTP when she participated in food-packing events the charity hosted at Advent Lutheran Church and Florida Atlantic University (FAU), both in Boca Raton, with longtime partner Feed My Starving Children.
“My best friend’s father and his company were participating in a packing event, and he wanted his family to come along,” she said. “I was glued to my best friend’s side, so I joined them. We had so much fun – I loved the event, and I loved everything that we accomplished that day.”
Ana went on to graduate high school and attend FAU and major in social work, with the goal of pursuing a career where she could help others. She wanted to work at a Christian nonprofit and began her online job search, unsure of where she might ultimately land.
“One day I refreshed the LinkedIn job search page and Food For The Poor came up, and I thought the name sounded familiar,” Ana said. “I told my best friend about it, and she was, like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s where we did those packing events.’”
Ana applied immediately and two interviews later she was hired, first as an administrative assistant for Special Events and later in Church Alliances, where she works to introduce young people to FFTP and its mission. Working at FFTP has done more than fulfill Ana’s calling to work at a Christian nonprofit.
She’s bonding with colleagues who grew up in Colombia, and she’s brushing up on her Spanish, which she spoke as a child but lost her proficiency as she began communicating in English at school. Most of all, Ana has found comfort in the FFTP mission and its impact on impoverished families in her family’s home country.
“I really love the values we stand by – United in God’s Work – and so happy to work with an organization that serves the country where my mother was raised because it ties everything together,” she said. “It feels in a way like it brought my life full circle.”
