Bees are an important part of the eco-system. They pollinate plants and provide honey, which can supply a poor family in developing countries with important nutrition and a potential source of income.

At Food For The Poor’s first FlaMingle event in Fort Lauderdale this fall, guests can help establish bee farms and provide training and equipment for beekeepers in impoverished communities across Jamaica.

FlaMingle will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30 at the Grateful Palate, 3003 NE 32nd Ave., Fort Lauderdale, with honey-infused hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, live entertainment, a raffle and a silent auction with items from Jamaica and the Caribbean. Guests also will be able to sample honey produced by bee farms in Jamaica established with the help of Food For The Poor’s generous donors.

Proceeds will focus on establishing bee farms in Jamaica. Each bee farm will be equipped with hives, a smoker, veil and gloves, a screened tent and other basic tools. Bee farming in Jamaica is a vibrantly expanding industry and honey can be easily sold for a profit. Farmers can sell their honey for baking, as a sweetening agent or for medicinal purposes.

Jamaica has a greater advantage over countries with cooler climates, because its tropical temperatures are conducive for year-round honey production and harvesting. And due to the indigenous herbs and flowers of Jamaica, the honey produced is very unique and distinct from honey produced elsewhere in the world.

For a poor family without access to refrigeration, honey is a blessing because of its long shelf life. And with the alarming trend of bee populations being decimated around the world, healthy beekeeping projects are all the more important.

“One of the best ways to help the poor is to empower them to help themselves,” said Food For The Poor Executive Director Angel Aloma. “To help break the cycle of poverty, Food For The Poor has developed long-term, sustainable solutions like beekeeping to improve the economic situations of poor communities.”

Standpoint Research is a presenting sponsor for FlaMingle.

Donor and stock researcher Ronnie Moas, founder of Standpoint Research, has a Top Ten ranking for his stock picking since 2008 versus more than 4,000 professionals in his industry. Moas now covers digital currencies as well.

Moas, who has traveled to Haiti with the charity, has helped transform the lives of destitute families through Food For The Poor.

“FlaMingle will be a very nice evening to support a fantastic cause,” Moas said. “Food For The Poor will take the proceeds to set up beehives in the poorest communities in Jamaica and educate the local population on how to monetize that via the honey market.”

Other sponsors include Victoria Mutual Building Society, Downtown Photo and Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey.

Tickets for FlaMingle are $75.

The evening will include specialty cocktails provided by Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, plus a full bar.

For more information, contact Special Events Manager LeToya Boyne at 888-404-4248 or by email at [email protected].

Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. Over the last 10 years, fundraising and other administrative costs averaged less than 5% of our expenses; more than 95% of all donations went directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.