St. Louis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2010
St. Patrick Center homeless clients present $57,000
to CRUDEM, MO) Several St. Patrick Center homeless clients today presented
a check for $57,000 to CRUDEM Foundation for the total funds they helped
raise during the “Helping Hearts Cookies for Haiti” initiative following
the January earthquake in Haiti.
More than two dozen homeless men and women volunteered their time in
January and February to bake heart-shaped sugar cookies to sell to local
businesses, churches, schools and organizations for community bake sales.
Hollyberry Baking Company donated time and materials to train and supervise
the homeless clients in the production of cookies. St. Patrick Center
donors, including Wells Fargo Advisors, World Wide Technology and GFI
Digital, covered all ingredient costs, allowing 100 percent of the proceeds
to go to the CRUDEM Foundation’s Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti.
Following the quake, St. Patrick Center homeless clients were looking for a
way to assist with the relief efforts. “Our clients were moved by the news
reports about Haiti,” said St. Patrick Center CEO Dan Buck. “They wanted to
do something to make a difference for the victims. One of our clients
suggested holding a bake sale, and Helping Hearts Cookies for Haiti was
born in our Culinary Suite in the BEGIN New Venture Center.”
Beginning on January 19, St. Patrick Center clients and community
volunteers baked, packaged, distributed and sold more than 30,000 Helping
Hearts Cookies in one of the St. Louis area’s largest bake sales. In
addition, the St. Louis business community embraced the endeavor. On
February 12, 2010, GFI Digital employees and several other local companies
volunteered their time to pass out more than 15,000 Helping Hearts Cookies
at Scottrade Center prior to a St. Louis Blues game. All donations
collected went directly to Haitian earthquake relief efforts.
“We were honored to be involved in this wonderful, grassroots effort on the
part of St. Patrick Center clients to assist the earthquake victims,” said
Holly Cunningham, president of Hollyberry Baking. “Every penny raised
during this effort will help to rebuild the lives of those affected by this
disaster.”
Representatives from the CRUDEM Foundation attended today’s event to
collect the check. “Helping Hearts Cookies for Haiti was a spectacular
idea,” says Charles Dubuque, CRUDEM Foundation board member. “Our entire
board was so impressed and grateful that St. Patrick Center clients and
supporters trusted our mission to support us in this special way.” The
CRUDEM Foundation operates the largest medical facility in Northern Haiti,
about 100 miles north of Port-Au-Prince. Prior to the devastation, the
facility held 73 beds. Since the disaster, the hospital has housed as many
as 400 people.
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Photos, including some from the hospital in Haiti, are available upon
request.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kelly Peach
Senior Director of Communications
St. Patrick Center
Direct line: 314-802-0687
Cell: 314-581-7126
kpeach@stpatrickcenter.org<mailto:kpeach@stpatrickcenter.org>
Stephanie Rea
Writer/Producer
St. Patrick Center
314.802.1968
srea@stpatrickcenter.org<mailto:srea@stpatrickcenter.org>
www.stlhelpinghearts.org<http://www.stlhelpinghearts.org/>
www.crudem.org<http://www.crudem.org/>
www.stpatrickcenter.org<http://www.stpatrickcenter.org/>
