More children are going to sleep hungry as the number of people living in extreme poverty in the Caribbean and Latin America rises due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Food For The Poor continues to respond to urgent requests for food. The charity will bring supporters together for a one-night National Celebration — We Are One, a virtual event that will raise funds to provide more food to families devastated by the pandemic.

The event will be livestreamed from 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, August 13, from Boca Raton Community Church, in Boca Raton.

Countries in the Caribbean and Latin America are not only facing increasing cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, but lasting economic damage and fears of a food crisis.

“We knew early on that the problems were going to be terrible in the countries we serve,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine. “If you add the challenges of unemployment and all the people desperately seeking food, the scale of the problem is enormous. This has only underscored our efforts to do even more, all made possible because of our generous donors.”

Nine-time Grammy nominee Matt Maher will perform two songs for the event and share his heart for families in need. Earlier this summer, Maher’s current single Alive & Breathing was climbing Rolling Stone’s Trending 25 list and was the third fastest rising song within all music genres.

In addition to entertainment by Maher, the program will include testimonials from donors, videos from the countries and details on the charity’s pandemic response.

With needs growing in the countries served by the charity, Pastor Bill Mitchell, of Boca Raton Community Church, said the virtual event is an opportunity to follow Jesus’ teachings to feed the poor. The church offered its space and technical support to livestream the event.

“We are blessed to be able to give back in this way to families who are suffering,” said Mitchell, who will give the opening prayer. “Food For The Poor turns the face of the American church to the Caribbean and Latin America. Our church resonates with that mission.”

The event’s silent auction will open at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10 and close on the day of the event, Aug 13. To register for the event, go to www.FoodForThePoor.org/one.