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FRIENDSHIP

2018

SINCE 1957 · OLDNEWSBOYSDAY.ORG

SECTION C

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE

Brand new shoes come from Assistance League’s shoe program kick up enthusiasm for going to school with bright smiles.

Clothes, shoes for school ‘empower’ kids KATIE SCHMIDT Junior Nerinx Hall High School

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n the St. Louis area, Assistance League’s nine programs respond to a range of needs. They help students without books, shoes or new school uniforms, as well as provide personal care products and clothing to crisis shelter clients.

For more than 30 years, the local organization – staffed completely by volunteers – has adapted the national goal of “designed to empower, not enable” to the needs and challenges of the local community. In the last year, it has touched more than 44,000 lives.

In fact, in last fiscal year 2017-2018, more than 500 Assistance League representatives contributed over 80,000 volunteer hours. The organization’s

president, Roxie Randolph, characterized Assistance League members as “great people who want to help the needy.”

Assistance League is funded directly through donations of supplies and money. Clothes, shoes, furniture, books, toys and household items can be donated to its resale shop, Fantastic Finds, which is completely staffed and managed by friendly league volunteers who help redirect the generously donated items.

The last grant from Old Newsboys provided athletic shoes and three-pair packs of socks to its Steps for Success program, while pants, shirts, pullovers, undergarments and belts were allocated to its long-time effort to supply school clothes in Operation School Bell.

Assistance League’s largest program serves 30 schools in six school districts in the St. Louis area – providing 7,834 elementary school students with new school uniforms, pants, shirts, fleece jackets, socks, underwear, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hats and gloves. Each girl gets a headband or bow, too. Each student also

receives a book of the child’s choice.

Through other programs last year, Assistance League volunteers visited 34 schools and two agencies to fit and deliver shoes and socks to 3,700 school children. Books were given to 12,000 aspiring readers. The lives of 22,400 children and adults in hospitals or facing traumatic situations were touched with activity kits and teddy bears.

Randolph added that a new direct delivery is being tested. Closets in St. Louis public schools soon will be stocked with new school uniforms and non-uniform clothing, shoes and activity packets.

Assistance League has a positive reputation as an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau and has achieved a Platinum Transparency Rating from GuideStar, the world’s largest source of information about nonprofits. Volunteers recently were awarded the 2018 Community Service Award by Commerce Bank.

Once the school year is underway, so are the Assistance League’s visible efforts to create awareness of the plight of people

in need. In mid-August, the organization held its first of 60 uniform fittings for the school year. When the Saint Louis Zoo hosted 120 students of Dunbar Elementary School on Sept. 24, the league made certain they were ready for school with new shoes and socks while setting a good example with a healthy lunch. Children also tried new dance steps, created masks and bracelets and learned about the conservation of cheetahs.

Anthony Virdure, principal of Dunbar, said, “The Assistance League has been positive in many ways by providing uniforms, shoes and other things like socks and underwear. They also sponsored our school visit to the Saint Louis Zoo. The children were able to participate in fun activities all day.”

He complimented Assistance League volunteers on their ever-positive attitude and setting examples for students.

“I have nothing but positive comments about the Assistance League and the great things they are doing for our children,” he added.

ST. JOACHIM & ANN CARE SERVICE

‘Houser’ saves the hungry and the homeless MADELEINE SHEA Senior Francis Howell North

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idden in plain sight.

That’s the case of many homeless families waiting for St. Joachim & Ann Care Service to save them.

In the counties of St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren, the service is the saving grace and “go-to” resource for families in need.

There is much it offers.

Services include a food pantry, where families can come on a weekly basis for their meals. A children and family development program incorporates social workers who help families become selfsufficient. Adopt-a-Family has delivered Christmas for about 500 families year since 1981.

These services are open to those who need it five days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. “ G e n e ra l ly s p ea k i n g , we a re ‘housers,’” Mary Reynolds, director of finance, said of the organization’s overall role in securing homes. “So, individuals in our service areas who are low-income and have found themselves homeless, or at risk of being homeless, can come to us and if they qualify, we can use funds that were either donated or granted to us to help them pay their bills.”

To keep St. Joachim & Ann Care Service alive, government grants and

A young client makes her own choice in the food pantry of St. Joachim & Ann Care Service.

donations from groups or people are essential. The Old Newsboys program has long been a donor.

Accounting records indicate St. Joachim & Ann Care Service has received funds from Old Newsboys since 2013 most recently to buy gift cards for families to purchase shoes for their children.

“We have made in impact in homelessness,” Reynolds said. “When we find that there is a child or family completely unsheltered, that is our top priority.”

Homelessness is real and one of the top priorities for this nonprofit and there is always room to make its services more accessible.

Thanks to a new coordinated entry, services can be provided to a family in crisis – even when the doors are closed.

If a family finds itself with nowhere to go, the outreach program can contact a Care Service staffer who swings into action to find them a place.

This is possible because of hardworking and dedicated volunteers who last year reported 73,000 total hours.

The same principle drives the staff as well as unpaid volunteers. “(It’s) the gospel,” Reynolds said, “where Christ commanded we feed the hungry and help the homeless. That’s what we do.”

The goal is to help families, particularly those who are homeless, become stable.

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UNLEASHING POTENTIAL

Creative fun translates into career skills

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hen you walk into the Magnificent Creations t-shirt workshop in the basement of the Gamble Community Center, you notice the smiling faces and infectious energy of high school students working to print shirts for local businesses.

Darius Harris is one of seven people in the mix working that day for whom Unleashing Potential has made a difference.

Clients of the t-shirt screen-printing store include churches, Unleashing Potential alumni and local nonprofits.

Unleashing Potential, formerly known as Neighborhood Houses, grew from a small organization founded in 1913 to a large network of programs in schools and communities around the St. Louis area. It works to close the opportunity gap and showcase strengths of students in the programs.

“It’s really important that organizations reinvent themselves if they want the longevity and sustainability of the mission,” said Darlene Sowell, Unleashing Potential president and CEO. That mission has not changed in more

High school students who work at Magnificent Creations, t-shirt shop of Unleashing Potential, learn quality work skills. (Photo, right, of Darius Harris by Emily Hood.)

than a century, but its means provided impetus for a new name.

She explained, “We are still providing opportunities for young people and underserved communities to give them the chance to experience things. Many times in the business that we are in, you spend a lot of time talking about the circumstances of kids in under-resourced communities.

These programs help to change what I call

From early childhood to high school, the aim of Unleashing Potential is focused UPward.

the narrative and focus on the strengths that each one of our children has. Our job is to unleash it, which is why we changed our name.”

Unleashing Potential evolved to offer multiple services to families and children in St. Louis and surrounding cities.

It works to provide educational experiences to youth through programs such as early childhood care, after-school services and summer enrichment camps. Its early childhood education program instills values in young children and prepares them to be ready to start kindergarten.

Programs offer support for parents as well as provide students with new experiences through guest speakers and field trips throughout the community.

The most recent outreach program provides teens with job training and professional experience through Magnificent Creations. Founded in 2016, the business uses screen-printing to create more than 6,000 shirts for local organizations and nonprofits.

“We really wanted to hold on to youth development. Our organization has a rich, rich history of working with teens, and we didn’t want to let that go,” Sowell said.

The lively attitude of each student working in the shop creates a fun atmosphere while it teaches valuable career skills. Local

high school students like Harris are hired to work in the shop and learn the process of t-shirt design and printing.

“I started a year ago,” Harris said. “I wanted to work with animals, but they couldn’t get me a job with animals. They said, ‘How about t-shirts?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’

It was something I would never think about doing.”

Not only are students able to learn screen-printing techniques, but they are shown other opportunities for life after high school. Skills like handling a job interview and managing money through a checking account carry them forward.

“The importance of understanding those soft skills that we use is so they can get a living wage job and develop career opportunities for themselves. That’s not just to help them – of course, it does –but to help the community in which they live.

That makes a huge difference,” Sowell said.

Employees are taken on tours of businesses and colleges to showcase post-high school options. Tours of local St. Louis institutions such as Wells Fargo and Harris Stowe State University inspire students to set goals for future aspirations.

“I’m looking at Ranken (Technical College) or Harris Stowe,” Harris said. “If I go to Harris Stowe, I’ll probably take up something like finance. I also might want to pursue something like video game design.”

Inspiring Harris and other students to achieve goals and create a successful future contributes to their success and fulfills the mission of Unleashing Potential to improve the St. Louis community as a whole. “[We want to make sure] kids can see something beyond what I call their ‘threeblock radius.’ There are many young people and their parents who haven’t experienced a lot of what St. Louis has to offer just because they don’t have the means. If you can’t see it, you can’t be it,” Sowell said.

Unleashing Potential helps with the vision and, yes, unleashes enthusiasm.

“We want to make sure those young people are prepared for adulthood so they can be productive citizens in the St. Louis region. It makes the region stronger if we engage those young people that otherwise might be left behind. It makes us stronger,” she added.

Overcrest Capital Advisors is proud to support the youth of St. Louis with Old Newsboys Fund for Children’s Charities.

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WEBSTER CHILD CARE CENTER

More than just a daycare for all kids ASHLYNN PEREZ Sophomore Francis Howell North High School

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ebster Child Care Center (WCCC) h a s p rov i d e d child care and preschool education to the St. Louis community for nearly a half century. Lisa Jones, executive director, helps lead the way, working to create a place for children to grow in a nurturing environment by preparing them for kindergarten and the years beyond.

“It’s an important organization because we provide quality care and education to the kids and their families,” Jones said, noting a variety of children in its classes.

“We take kids in from the foster system, we help low-income

Jason Ngyuen discovers hidden treasures in the sensory table.

families and we even help with scholarships.”

Webster Child Care Center teaches children from ages 6 months to 6 years. The center currently hosts about 165 children guided by a staff heavy on

teaching professionals. The teachers give primary care for the infants and teach toddlers important self-help skills.

With preschoolers, WCCC uses hands-on activities to foster both academic and socialemotional growth.

Basic care is important, so Old Newsboys was asked to help fund its infant program last year with formula and food.

Jones ensures licensing and oversees curriculum development. While she may not work directly with the children, she has seen the impact of the Webster Child Care Center on lives.

“The kids are socially ready, confident and able to problemsolve,” she said. “They’ve created close friendships within the classroom and with their teachers.”

Kristi Richter, mother to two foster children in the program, finds Webster Child Care Center is supportive for growth of the

children, one with special needs and the other with behavioral issues. She credits the staff for caring about them, not only in their interaction, but in the curriculum and the teaching.

“I liked the curriculum. It was spot-on for us,” Richter said. “I liked the diversity, not just in the kids, but in the staff, too. The staff has reinforced that Webster [Child Care Center] was a good decision. They’re always on top of it. They give feedback, they let us know what’s going on and they incorporate what my kids’ therapists recommend. They listen intently and they’re engaged.

That’s not [found] everywhere.”

WCCC provides a way for working parents and low-income families to receive child care. Not only is it a beneficial financial alternative, but diverse student enrollment is a bonus for consistent learning.

“Very limited programs accept

foster kids,” Richter said. “Here our kids don’t feel any different.

They need normality and continuity and the center gives this to them. There’s not an enormous turnover. Our kids see familiar faces every year. It’s incredibly important for foster kids to have something stay the same.”

As the child care center’s 45th anniversary approaches, Jones said it expects to continue what it has always done: Be a place that fosters growth and community.

“We’ve been around for 45 years,” Jones said. “We plan to be around for another 45.”

Although its name is specific to its calling, it also is certain that this organization is more than just a place where young children go for everyday care.

“I feel like it’s an extended family,” Richter said. “You can’t say that about every place. It obviously shows that it’s not just a daycare, it’s a community.”

ST. LOUIS CLASSICAL GUITAR

Musical goals strike strong chord for community SOPHIA GRAACK Senior Lindbergh High School

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rriving early before school, students of Bermuda Elementary School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District began learning to play the classical guitar. This is one of 24 local schools in the St. Louis area which the St. Louis Classical Guitar organization supports.

Performances by professionals and donations of instruments harmonize students with the experience of learning to appreciate

and play the classical guitar.

“Students are learning cooperation towards a common goal, as well as accountability. They are also gaining social and musical skills. Teachers are gaining skills in a new art form that they can teach to their students,” said Bill Ash, the organization’s education director.

Through donations, the nonprofit is able to improve the lives of students. It is supported by 15 businesses and given grants through the Augustine Foundation in New York and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as Old Newsboys locally.

Donations let them expand knowledge and teach classical guitar to students plus teachers.

“We have great relationships with our partner schools and they all are extremely appreciative. At the Bermuda School, it is a student’s first experience with learning an instrument, especially with a professional who helps to co-teach the class with their music teacher,” Ash said.

Students also become comfortable onstage and, as a bonus, show great improvement in attendance, behavior and academics due to the way class is taught.

Parents complete the support as they see them grow in character.

Ash hopes the program can expand to other local schools.

“We support more than just schools. We support the community,” he said.

Students at Bermuda Elementary School hold eight new guitars purchased with a grant from Old Newsboys. Alongside are classroom teacher Skip Thompson, back left, and St. Louis Classical Guitar teaching artist Sam Jennings, far right.

Let’s Rise ‘N Shine For Heat Friday, February 15, 2019!

Heatupstlouis.org reminds you that the 19th Annual Hardee’s Rise ‘N Shine for Heat fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, February 15, 2019 during breakfast hours only at MO/IL participating area Hardee’s.

100% of all proceeds from the sell of Sausage Biscuit or Egg Biscuit sandwiches and canister collection monies will stay in the local communities where collected, so needy people and seniors, can get help with their utilities, and avoid unsafe methods of heating their homes.

Urgent! Don’t forget to make your firm or group’s sandwich bulk order by going on-line to www.heatupstlouis.org or sign up for 1 hour or more as a volunteer greeter. You can email info@heatupstlouis.org or fax to 314-241-1860.

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BIRTHRIGHT OF WENTZVILLE

Support eases fear, builds new family life SUNDUS MALIK Junior Jefferson High School

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he list of concerns for a mother – particularly a young, firsttime mother –begins the moment she discovers she is pregnant. This was the situation in which Eva Trubacikova found herself.

“When I took the pregnancy test, I was worried. I was working two full-time jobs. I just bought an apartment. I was having problems with the father,” she recalled.

Two years ago, she was at a point in her life where she was filled with uncertainly. If it was even possible to have her child born, she wondered if she would be able to provide for her infant.

A friend recommended she contact Birthright of Wentzville.

With that link, Trubacikova quickly learned she was not alone. Birthright of Wentzville assisted her and her child every step of the way. From counseling she received before and after pregnancy to the baby formula, diapers and clothing after her daughter was born, Trubacikova is grateful for the assistance.

The Wentzville chapter of Birthright has helped thousands of other moms and families just like Trubacikova in the St. Louis area. The organization provides pregnancy tests, pads, supplies for breastfeeding, toiletries and clothes for children up to age 2 completely free of charge. Birthright volunteers even will support mothers, if needed, during delivery.

Its facility is open to the public with plenty of snacks, parenting books and toys, a place where

Trubacikova’s daughter, Vivian, now 2 years old, loves to play. According to Diane Graslie, director, the goal of offering such vital services is to “make sure [the children] are well taken care of.”

The organization’s goal seems to have been met in the flourishing Vivian. Her mom describes her as a happy, well-mannered, somewhat sassy toddler who loves to play, socialize and sometimes pick out her own outfits.

Trubacikova also is thankful for Graslie’s support, because she now is able spend more time with her favorite little girl and ease off her workload. “If it wouldn’t be for them, I’d be in a lot of trouble.

I would not have my own place, not as much food or diapers or electricity,” she said.

Both Birthright and Trubacikova recognize how vitally important a mother’s presence and well-being during infancy can be. This is why the organi-

Vivan, age 2, has thrived with Birthright of Wentzville’s help.

zation appreciates donations.

With many families needing assistance, inventory depletes quickly.

According to Graslie, all supplies recently donated by Old

Newsboys – cribs, mattresses, car seats, portable playards – were gone within the year.

Though items like formula are often donated, the Wentzville chapter accepts a wide variety of items and passes along those it cannot use to a shop or other organization. Graslie is confident that the organization’s future will remain positive because “the community is very giving.”

As for Trubacikova, she is excited for the future opportunities her daughter now has to grow, develop and become a strong, loving person. She still visits Birthright and hopes that “one day [she] can help other people and also give emotional support.”

For now, she has one piece of advice for pregnant mothers: “Do not be scared about your problems. There are people in this world to support other people. The people at Birthright are wonderful and will help you.”

ANGELS’ ARMS

Resources link foster children, homes of siblings EMILY O’LEARY and BRETT JONES Seniors Fort Zunwalt North High School

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ngels’ Arms is dedicated to providing homes for foster children and making sure that they are loved and cared for.

Founded in 2000, the organization has provided more than 500 children, including over 120 sibling groups, with homes and other resources.

Amber Odom, office and m a i n t e n a n c e m a n a g e r, described Angels’ Arms as “a local nonprofit that provides

loving homes and support to foster families by keeping brothers and sisters together until a ‘forever’ home is found.”

A lot of day-to-day activity happens in the homes. Foster parents teach these children typical household/family tasks, such as chores and eating with their family, and engagement in extra-curricular activities, homework, peaceful problem solving, sharing and much, much more.

Angels’ Arms was founded in 2000 by Bess Wilfong after she served as a foster parent herself. Receiving frequent calls to care for sibling groups, Wilfong learned that fostering is an extremely difficult calling.

There was an apparent need, she decided, for sibling groups to be kept together in loving home environments in the St. Louis area.

Wilfong also realized that fostering had another drawback.

The community was not given the chance to be involved in foster children’s lives. Therefore, she decided to start a program which the community could support on many levels.

Angels’ Arms employs five full-time and two part-time individuals who work together to make these children safe and happy.

Angels’ Arms believes that every foster child deserves the chance to be a child, to be a part

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of a caring family and to live up to his or her capability. This leads to the organization providing everyday resources like dance lessons, sports equipment, dental and other services which many families take for granted.

Angels’ Arms accounts for 13 homes spread through St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. The community is the true backbone for Angels’ Arms, which receives no state or federal funding.

Last year, a grant from Old Newsboys provided clothing for children.

One of the important ways to help Angels’ Arms is through Life Launch, a program where

volunteers provide a one-onone experience with a youth through mentoring and help the youth explore, prepare and transition from foster life to young adulthood.

Examples include incorporating life skills, visiting colleges, job shadowing, mentoring and exploring careers they might take on their lifelong journey.

Odom called the concept unique.

She said, “There aren’t any other organizations in the area that do what we do. We are not a group home. Each child lives with a single family in a home.

We receive no state or federal funding. We rely heavily on community donations.”

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OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE SCHOOL

Strong learning merges unique cultures SOPHIE CARITE Junior Francis Howell North High School

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cceptance and hope.

Those are two things that staff at Our Lady of Guadalupe School strive to instill into the culturally diverse mix of children and families who attend. With 194 students, where all but two families cannot afford to pay full tuition, finding hope for a bright future sometimes is hard. Despite this challenge, the school forms a close-knit community because everyone works together.

Within the dated brick walls of the Catholic school in Ferguson lies a community of immigrant and low-income families. Its demographic means it is unable to charge enough tuition to be selffunded. Grants and donations of $80,000 to $100,000 supplement funds to provide an enriched learning environment.

“Our school is limited in funds,” Sister Cathy Doherty said. “We rely on grants and foundations to help us buy the things we need for our children.”

Sister Cathy, pastoral associate and grant writer, seeks funds for the school to purchase items like construction paper, books to go along with textbooks and even pretend money for the kindergarten math classes – things that many students would call “necessities.” A recent grant from Old Newsboys was used for academic enrichment, including supplies for art, math and language for children to participate in hands-on learning.

Beyond classroom needs, she works to find funds that provide opportunities that underprivileged students otherwise could not access. They help pay for its after-school program, Adventure Time, where students make slime, decorate cupcakes sharing a chef’s expertise and learn sign language.

Field trips to the Saint Louis Zoo and historical museums open their minds and hearts.

“Our families are unable to take the children places regular families can.

They don’t have the money,” Sister Cathy

said. “We try to give our kids many experiences that their families otherwise would not be able to provide.”

A large scope of grants ensures that students receive resources they need to be both academically and socially prepared to move into high school.

According to Peggy O’Brien, school principal, and Sister Cathy, students are grateful for the opportunities.

They delight in having fun with new experiences and day-to-day encounters.

“They love to talk,” O’Brien said.

“They really do they love to hang out with each other and to sing and dance.

They’re really something.”

Grant money also allows the school and its affiliated church to provide services to families in a time of need.

“We have clinics that we deal with, counselors that we deal with, immigration lawyers that we deal with,”

Sister Cathy said. “Our school is unique in that way that we have a lot of outside resources that help children and families.”

The school’s interaction with its students develops a strong sense of community among the diverse families.

Rather than cause division, contrasting qualities of origin, religion, ethnicity and first- spoken language bring the school community closer with opportunities to learn about cultures outside their own.

Students sample food from classmates’ home countries and research where every child connects with natural family. With the interaction, the staff has created a school where, according to Sister Cathy, the students “don’t see color.

We accept children of any culture, any religious background and ethnicity, and we give them hope for a better tomorrow.

To break out of the cycle of poverty and achieve and to live their dreams.”

Classrooms at Our Lady of Guadalupe School are places for serious stories, fun and exercise, and getting to know neighbors as unique, not different.

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[kuh-myoo-ni-tee] –noun n, plural 1. a unified body of individuals: • people with common interests living in a particular area • a body of persons having a common history or common social, economic and political interests 2. society at large

As the oldest news organization in the area, we take our responsibility seriously. We care about our community and are committed to making a difference through our stories, commentary, photos and video.

Each day, we strive towards the highest of standards – a tradition of excellence we have embodied for more than 137 years. We know our reputation is built on trust, engagement and public service. It’s about community, for all of us.

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SERVING OUR COMMUNITY KIDS

Warm SOCKs fit for everyone Kids gain self-esteem when they match their basic clothing HANNAH WILSON Senior Francis Howell North High School

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ocks and underwear.

These things, so common and small, may seem trivial to some, but they mean the world to others.

For Jerry and Christine Doud, this reality is apparent. Founders of Serving Our Community Kids Corporation, the Douds supply local charities caring for at-risk children with socks and underwear. The idea started from Jerry’s time in the armed service.

“When I was overseas, children were treated less than what farm animals would be treated,” he said. “I saw quite a bit of that, so when I came back to the States, we had the opportunity through our church to help families in temporary housing. Our church started a housing project and from that, we could see that there were children in St. Louis that needed help.”

Those at-risk children came from a variety of situations.

They might have been abused, their mothers could not work or they didn’t have enough money for both clothes and food, forcing them to make decisions.

“Some of the children would go to school with no underwear.

Some of the girls would be wearing their older brother’s underwear,” Jerry said. “When some of the children in the classes found out about it, they made fun of those children with no underwear or wrong sex underwear and it caused a major problem with self-esteem and made things worse.”

At the time, he was a member

of a social ministry in his church in charge of outreach, so he secured long underwear for toddlers from the Fruit of the Loom representative in the Midwest.

The following year, he requested money from the committee, but it didn’t have the funds. So, he turned to his friends.

“To my surprise, we got about $500 or so,” Jerry said.

The idea caught on.

“The following year, my friends asked if we were going to do it again. I said ‘yes.’ And it grew. One year we got maybe $20,000 – but we never have enough funds. Typically, we raise $10,000 to $12,000. If we had enough funds, we would probably need twice that amount to answer the needs of just local charities.”

According to the Douds, they have helped around 50 different charities in 30 years. And they currently work with 22 charities within the St. Louis area, including Our Lady’s Inn, a shelter and support center for homeless pregnant women and their children.

Peggy Forrest, executive director and president of Our Lady’s Inn, said, “We sheltered and provided all kinds of material supports to 156 children just last year alone,” Peggy Forrest, executive director and president of Our Lady’s Inn, said. “So, one of the things that [the women] need [for their families] when they come in is clothing, everything from the basics of underwear and socks and shoes to jackets and coats and backpacks.

Having an organization that will help provide some of that is just a tremendous help for us.”

The Douds are selective about picking charities they support.

A charity seeking socks and

underwear must fill out a request form stating specific sizes and styles needed by the children and prove its responsibility.

Then, the Douds go into action. They arrive unannounced at the charity to see its operation. They look at the charity’s public record to see how they spend their money. If they feel it does not provide the service to children it intends, they refuse the request because there are others to help with their limited funds.

In 2017, they were able to help more than 1,300 children in local charities. “[My favorite part] is the children,” Jerry said. “They will run up and stand around me and giggle and laugh. They’ll want to tell me their story and show me their artwork. It’s just exciting.”

For years, they have received funds from Old Newsboys to buy some of the socks and underwear they distribute. Jerry has returned the favor by wallpapering his office with aprons he has worn while he annually sells Old Newsboys newspaper editions for donations over several decades on the Thursday before Thanksgiving.

The week beyond Old Newsboys Day is busy for the Douds.

Every year on the Saturday before the holiday, they and multiple volunteers gather from 9 a.m. to noon and help unpack and deliver underwear and socks to the charities.

According to Jerry, everyone is welcome to come help.

“We’re just very thankful that there is a community out there, both private and public organizations, that have provided funds,” he said. “It’s a challenge, but I like challenges. The kids – that’s awesome.”

Youths volunteer to unpack and sort underwear before distributing it to charities that care for at-risk children. Each year, SOCKS orders more than one ton of clothing basics for the Thanksgiving distribution.

Seeing happy children benefit is the reward.

C10 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

OLD NEWSBOYS

M 1 • Thursday • 11.15.2018

THANK YOU ST. LOUIS AND THE MANY VOLUNTEERS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR CHILDREN AT RISK IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA.

11.15.2018 • Thursday • M 1 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • C11 OLD NEWSBOYS

BURNS RECOVERED

Helping heal seen and hidden scars

T

he pain of burns parches the surface and punctures the wound below the injury both physically and emotionally. Burns Recovered was established in 1983 by a group of burn survivors with assistance from the burn care team at Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. They came together because of the compelling need to help burn survivors and their loved ones during and after hospitalization.

The nonprofit organization partners with survivors, families, health care professionals, burn centers, fire departments and other support resources to be an inspiring and liberating resource for burn survivors and their loved ones. Additionally, since 80 percent of burns are preventable, according to the American Burn Association, educational and outreach to the community hopefully will prevent further suffering, injury and death from burns.

Old Newsboys helped support its Midwest Child’s Burn Camp with transportation. Request was made for rental buses, vans, trucks and trailers.

Burns Recovered also helps burn victims and their families at holiday time and year-round aids survivors with pressure garments, medical devices and other assistance.

Fun at summer camp is a slam dunk for kids. Being with others suffering from similar wounds in an emotionally and physically safe environment encourages kids to conquer fears, form alliances and friendships and master the art of resilience at Midwest Children’s Burn Camp in Lake of the Ozarks.

st. louis’ best bridal

BRIDAL SHOW

Remembering a Great Old Newsboy Martin Duggan

Sunday, January 20 NOON - 3:30 P.M.

Saint Charles Convention Center

(1921-2015)

The first

100

brides to be will receive a

NINE NETWORK

FREE GIFT!

FUNJET VACATION for 2* ONE LUCKY COUPLE WILL WIN A

From a grateful son Joseph Duggan

Inquire about special packages and discounts from vendors.

Sample delicious hors d’oeuvres. Refreshments available.

Guidance and services by the area’s best wedding specialists.

STLBESTBRIDAL.COM

Current fashions. See the most elegant gowns.

Free! issue of our latest St. Louis’ Best Bridal Magazine & Planner.

Bride-to-be receives Free Entry for the wedding couple by preregistering online at

Joseph Duggan, CEO C-Suite Strategic Counsel Executive Communications Public Affairs Consulting duggan@c-suitestrategy.com www.c-suitestrategy.com

stlbestbridal.com/showoffer

Complimentary tickets are available at local Savvi Formalwear locations, while supplies last. Day-of-show fee for the public: $5 (cash only) at the door.

SHOW SPONSORS

C12 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

OLD NEWSBOYS

M 1 • Thursday • 11.15.2018

NEW

Mac & Cheese just got topped.

TM