LOCAL charity Food For the Poor (FFP) last Friday sent home approximately 15 workers, saying that it has seen a decline in donations because of the world financial crisis.

According to a source close to the organisation, shipping and wharf charges collected by the Jamaican Government also had a role to play in the staff cuts since they were the highest among the 16 countries where FFP operates.

Six departments have been affected by the job cuts, the source said, and among the staff issued with pink slips was CEO of public affairs Bradley Finzi Smith who left the charity last Thursday, a day before the other staff members were notified that they no longer had a job with immediate effect.

The letter issued to the workers, a copy of which was obtained by the Observer, said in part: “As it has for many other organisations in Jamaica and around the world, the new year has opened with significant challenges for our operations. The downturn in the local and global economy has resulted in a decline in the number of donors for Food for the Poor Jamaica and a reduction in the value of donations to carry out our work.

“In times of difficulty it is the poor who are most negatively affected, and therefore we at Food for the Poor have an inescapable duty to do everything we can to safeguard the interest of the poor whom we serve.

“In the current circumstances, it is essential that we reduce administrative cost to ensure that the value of gifts often given in the spirit of the biblical widow’s mite go directly to fulfilling our mission.

“Following a review of our operations, Food for the Poor Jamaica must now summon the courage and discipline to undertake painful but necessary cost-cutting measures to ensure that our efforts continue to be directed at the purpose of our existence.

“As we continue God’s work with less resources, several staff positions at Food for the Poor Jamaica will have to be made redundant. Unfortunately. your position is among those that will have to be sacrificed effective today,” the letter said.

Last month, Finzi Smith’s colleague, Ron Burgess, CEO of operations, admitted in an interview with the Observer that the organisation was out of food. However, he said that was a result of a delay in the renegotiation process with the United States Department of Agriculture from which FFP received the bulk of its supplies.

Burgess had said that the 18-month contract between the two organisations ended in October and was pending renewal, but was taking some time because of the US political transition.

Staff at the local arm of FFP were apparently expecting the cuts when officials from FFP Florida arrived in the island for a meeting with FFP Jamaica directors last week, the Observer was told.

“We had figured that there would have been redundancies but we just didn’t know who and how many would be going,” said one staff member who was not affected by the cuts.

One of those who was affected, told the Observer he was worst off now than when he started at FFP several years ago. He said he no longer owns a car since he sold it when the company told him he would be able to own the one issued after a few years.

The organisation told the affected staff that they would be contacted this week about payments.