Directors Letter.........................2
Event News................................3-5
Program News.......................... 6-7
COA/Baby Change.....................8
Kids Page......................................9
Around The House....................10
Staff News....................................11
Wish List.......................................12
Haven Angels..............................13
In The Spotlight.........................14
Events Schedule.........................15
Fall 2007
Childhood should be a haven
where young ones are safe and
secure---sometimes its not quite
so simple, and thats where Our
Little Haven can help.
Early intervention just makes
sense. If you love children
as we do and believe in their
futures, please join us as we
build a community where all
children are cherished.
Our Little Haven is an indepen-
dent non-profit agency providing
care for children since 1993.
Kids Helping Kids
story page 9
As we look to
celebrating our
15th birthday on
March 3, 2008, its
crystal clear that the
St. Louis community
cares---as we do-
-- about making
childhood a haven.
Childhood is a haven
for all kids. When
kids help kids, Its a
heart-warming win/
win scenario.
news
celebrating 15 years
Directors Letter
A letter from Scott Hummel - reflections as we enter our 15th year
Best,
Environmental Operations Lends Special Leadership
We want to introduce
you... to some special
people who have
helped
guide and direct
OLH over the years...
Scott Hummel
MSW, LCSW
Executive Director, Dear Friends, One of our favorite quotes here at OLH was provided by a tragic character in A Streetcar Named Desire when Blanche DuBois noted, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. We appreciate that sentiment as the children and families we serve are most often dependent on the kindness of strangers and further, Our Little Haven herself is dependent on the generosity of our supporters as we invite the community to share their time, talent and treasure with these special kids.
Taking care of these kids is an investment in the future and it takes a pretty special person and organization to recognize the value of our early intervention model. Our Little Haven has been blessed with support and consideration from many individuals and organizations for many years and as we prepare to celebrate 15 years of service, we often count those blessings. Among these are our talented, generous and active leaders our Boards of Directors and Regents.
We want, over the next several issues of our newsletter, to introduce you to some special people who have helped guide and direct OLH over the years through their volunteer roles as members of the governing body of Our Little Haven.
When we talk about counting our blessings, we count on a person who understands the needs of the kids, understands the needs of the community, understands the value of Our Little Haven, understands our model of healing broken hearts and has decided to lend us his special talents. This man, Stacy Hastie, is a family man, a businessman and a caring-man and is the Chairman and C.E.O. of Environmental Operations, Inc. Stacy has 18 years experience in the environmental industry. Mr. Hastie joined EOI in 1992 as the in-house industrial hygiene and safety manager. Six years later he was part of an investor group that purchased a majority interest in the company from its founder and, in 2002, Stacy bought out the other members of the group and assumed control of EOI.
Under his leadership as Chairman and CEO, EOI has experienced significant growth. Since 2002, staff count has more than doubled from 60 in 2002 to more than 140 full-time employees today. Revenues have soared to more than $30 million in sales in 2005. The company recently relocated to its new, state-of-the-art headquarters in downtown St. Louis.
Stacy noted, At EOI, we know the importance of eliminating and limiting environmental risk. Were here to help you minimize risks, meet timelines and, most importantly, maximize the return on your property investment or project.
Born and raised in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, Mr. Hastie attended college at Murray State University, receiving his Bachelors degree in Accounting in 1990 and his Masters degree in occupational safety and health, with an emphasis in industrial hygiene and environmental studies, in 1992.
Stacy and his wife, Carol, are also busy raising their three kids from their home in Wildwood. Watching his children grow and learn, Stacy and Carol both knew how fortunate they were and decided to focus some energy on helping some folks that couldnt help themselves. Through some friends, the Hastie family was directed to OLH and has since helped guide the organization for many years.
Asked how he got involved with Our Little Haven, Stacy said, When I looked into OLH, I saw a well run organization which appealed to the business side of my head. When I saw and experienced the care and nurturance provided, I couldnt help but want to find out how I could get involved with such a tremendous organization.
And, involved he has been. The work environment at EOI includes giving back to the community and Stacy has cultured a sense of generosity in the office. While generous through financial gifts, EOI has been generous in many other ways encouraging his staff to work together for others by hosting Holiday parties and volunteering their time at special events.
Depending on the generosity of others can be trying at times, but then every once in a while you get the chance to meet some Event News Derby Nights Annual Dinner Auction This years annual Dinner Auction, Derby Nights, was another huge success enjoyed by more than 350 honored guests at Americas Cen- ter Ballroom on May 5 th . The evening began with delicious hors doeuvres and cocktails, in- cluding mint ju- leps, followed by a formal dinner, auctions and ca- sino gaming. The evenings music was provided by Silk Pajamas who entertained throughout the evening. Over $95,000 was raised to benefit Our Little Haven. L. to rt: OLH Executive Director Scott Hummel, Martin Kilcoyne and Kim Butler Below, Environmental Operations table, Stacy & Carol Hastie, hosts,(Left seated) & guests. Special thanks to the evenings sponsors, including An- heuser-Busch, Inc., Emerson Tool Co., Environmental Operations, Inc., Packaging Concepts, Inc., PARIC Cor- poration, Barons Express, The Boeing Company, Janus Institutional Asset Management, Levy Restaurants, Bill & Chris Newbold, ARCO Construction, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, and Thermadyne Industries. Also a special thanks to Southwest Airlines, Jim & Anne Kelleher and GDay Imports, John & Anne Seiler and Mr. & Mrs.V.J. Muehlenkamp for their generous support. The Dinner Auction is made possible through the hard work and dedication of the Auction Committee and Chairwomen Chris Newbold and Robin Wohlrab, as well as the Patron Committee, chaired by Carol Crouppen. A big thanks to Martin Kilcoyne, Sports Director for KTVI-FOX 2, for serving as Auctioneer he did a fabulous job! Many thanks to Mary Allison of Parties & Props, Silk Pajamas, Dave Gillette and Image Technologies, Michael McDevviitt and Nancy Tinker of Americas Center Ca- tering. A big thanks to Paul Boston of Boston-Creative for designing the invitation and donating the printing, and to Kohler Printing. A special thanks to Wendy Hartleib and Paula Anderson for producing the program. In addition, we would like to thank Incarnate Word Girl Scout Troops #4372 & 936 and Our Lady of Providence Girl Scout Troop #2258 and 6 th graders for stuffing the invitations! Below, Packaging Concepts table, John and Sandy Irace (cntr, standing) hosts, and guests. Any corporation, shareholder/partner in an S Corp, limited liability company or partnership, or a self-employed individual may be eligible for a 55% MO State Tax Credit for any contribution greater than $2,000. Credits are available on a first-come first-serve basis until our allotment is distributed. For more info, please call Mike Bahlinger at (314) 533-2229 x225. MO State Tax Credits Once again, ESCO Technologies has provided a major gift to the Residential Program of Our Little Haven. For several years now, the ESCO folks have been willing to offer their support to help create a community that cherishes children. Their most recent gift will be put to good use and help make a safe and warm place for these very special children. Over the years, ESCO Technologies has been there for the kids; their generosity has helped OLH evolve and grow. Growth of the services OLH provides is exciting and community partners like ESCO Technolo- gies help build foundations of love upon which these children can base their future decisions. Pat Moore of ESCO Technologies noted, While we are in the early stages as a public charity, the ESCO Technologies Foundation is eager to assist in meeting the needs of organizations such as Our Little Haven, who are dedicated to improving the lives of children. Recognizing early intervention as a good investment in the future, ESCO Technologies has certainly pro- vided support needed to improve the lives of the kids and families we thank them for that chance to make a difference. Event News 14th Annual Card Party The 14 th Annual Card Party to benefit Our Little Haven was held on Wed. June 6 th at Chaminade College Preparatory School. Over 250 guests enjoyed a day of cards, lunch, raffles and more! Many thanks to the Card Party Committee, including Dixie Hummel, Carol Layton, Pat Kloster, Grace Moran, Jeanne Redington, Gerry Steinhart, Lee Stuby and Mary Kay Tonsi and to the Ladies in Red Committee who helped serve lunch and sell tickets to the quilt raffle, and to Jan Ammerman and Bob Stout who provided musical entertainment. (Left: Card Party Angels & Ladies In Red) Wine Extravaganza at Harrys Raises Funds for Haven On Monday, June 11 th Harrys Restaurant and Bar on Market Street held a Wine Extravaganza benefit for the Haven. Many thanks to Tony and John Irace of Packaging Concepts, Inc. for organizing this terrific event. Over 200 guests enjoyed wine tastings and cocktails plus a fabulous buffet dinner while listening to live music on the beautiful outdoor patio. Silent and live auctions helped raised over $16,000 for the evening. Also, a special thanks to Robin Baima of Pulaski Bank for her help with this event and to the staff at Harrys Restaurant and Bar for their support. Battle of the Bands for OLH On Friday, June 22 nd the Schlafly Tap Room played host to the annual Battle of the Bands pit- ting musical talents of the E-Rockers (featuring staff from Enterprise Rent-A-Car) and Pro Bono & Non-Billables (from Fleischman-Hillard). While the band members are all friends, there was a note of competition which was used to benefit the kids at OLH. Each band played a couple sets and encouraged the crowd to participate by using money to vote for their favorite band. While there were no official winners or losers, the real winner was Our Little Haven as the vote money was donated to help support the services offered by OLH. Pro Bono & Non-Billables made a grand entrance onto the stage riding Harley Davidson motorcycles dressed in Elvis costumes it was quite a sight! Not to be outdone, the E-Rockers responded with covers of old favorites and the joint was hopping! By the end of the night, the crowd raised over $2,000 for the Haven. Thanks to all of the band members and others who helped with this event! Left to right: Tom Brown, Denise Turner, Bob Baker, Marty Richter and Vijay Rao News ESCO Technologies Gift To The Community Through a generous grant, Express Scripts has made their mark on the kids and families of Our Little Haven. The $20,000 gift will be used in Our Little Academy, Our Little Havens Therapeutic Preschool. Another interesting note is that one of the Haven Club members, Megan Brady, is one of those talented Express Scripts employees. Megan is the Chairperson of the Haven Club Trivia Night (See Upcoming Events schedule) and shares her time and tal- ent with us. Thanks to all of the dedicated and generous employees of Express Scripts and to Sue Schlichter for their consideration. Express Scripts Helps Event News Haven Club News Haven Club Keg Roll In what is becoming a wonderful tradition, the Haven Club really did Roll out the Barrel during the 2 nd annual Haven Club Keg Roll through Clayton. This unique fundraiser invites the Haven Clubbers to roll an Anheuser-Busch keg to draw attention to the cause while walking the streets of Clayton, collecting contributions from passersby between pub stops. Headed up by Patrick Feagan and Ted Toczylowski, with support from BARce- lona, Barristers, Kilkennys Pub, J. Bucks and Ciceros and supported by several dozen Haven Club folks, the Keg Roll was able to contribute a sizable gift to help the kids and families of OLH. Thanks Clubbers and keep them kegs rolling! Coming up on the Haven Club calendar is the 5K Rumble Run For The Kids at Chester- field Commons on Saturday, September 29th (see page 15 for registration form and info), followed by the annual Haven Club Trivia Night, Saturday, February 16, 2008. For more information on the Haven Club and its ac- tivities, please contact Angie Geis at anggeis@ yahoo.com . The St. Louis Association of Health Underwriters (SLAHU) have once again demonstrated their belief in the OLH system and have provided another generous gift through their annual golf tournament. SLAHU, lead by Pat Gibbons of the Charles Crane Agency, has been providing for OLH for over 10 years now. The Board of Directors of SLAHU include Deborah Ostermeyer of Anthem BlueCross & BlueShield, Nick Espiritu of The Powers Group, Susan Sander of Fringe Benefit Specialist, Inc., Paul Lancia of Atena, Denny Dennis of Denny & Associates and John Steinway of United Health Care. The Golf Committee, Nick Espiritu, George Durko, Dennis Denny and Tim Ward, focused their attention on the tournament, which was in presented mid-May at the Norman K. Probstein Golf Center in Forest Park. The Directors along with Joan Hecker, SLAHU Executive Director, and Shari Roth of Aetna, recently visited Our Little Haven to present their gift of $10,500 from the proceeds of the golf tournament. As has become a wonderful tradition, several of the Our Little Haven Board members and friends got together to host The Annual NBS Golf Tournament. This year, the tourney was held on May 7 th at Meadowbrook Country Club in Chesterfield. A day of golf, fun and comraderie while helping the children and families of OLH was the hope and was tremendously successful. This tournament raised $20,000 to benefit the Haven. Thanks to Bob Meyer of The Meyer Group, Steve Heck of Meritain Health, Norm Meyer of MFG, Dave Ott, John Seiler of Seiler Plastics, John Irace of Packaging Concepts and Jim Souers of Marcone. NBS Directors Play-A-Round for OLH Please join us as we thank our very special friends at BOMA St. Louis. BOMA is the Building Owners and Managers Association of St. Louis and is made up of commercial real estate owners, executives, managers and operating personnel. For 75 years, BOMA has been there to represent and promote the interests of the commercial real estate industry through effective leadership, advocacy, exchange of information, and professional development. Not only have the members been busy working with each other, they have also recently been kept busy helping Our Little Haven. Most recently OLH was invited to attend the annual BOMA golf outing to introduce the Our Little Haven programs to the guests and the day culminated in a sizeable financial gift. BOMA also launched their Winter Clothing Drive for OLH inviting the community of members to help through a collection through a number of locations. Just another example of how BOMA St. Louis is helping to create a community that cherishes children! Alphonse Lordo Memorial Golf Classic Helps Left to right: (Standing) George Stark, Norm and Kay Marzorati, Tony Lucido, Vince Monteleone, Paul Urzi, Gabe Lancia, and (seated) Linda Stark, Janet Walz, Kaye Quentin. On June 11 th the annual Alphonse Lordo Golf Classic was held at Para- dise Valley Golf Club. Over 100 guests played at this event that raised significant funds to benefit the Ha- ven. Thanks to An- heuser-Busch, Inc., Rosciglione Bakery and Lordo Broth- ers and many others for making this such a great success! SLAHU Provides Generous Support BOMA Provides Support L. to rt: Andy Schuette, Gary Schuette, Brian Wright and Dustin Witham all with Midwest Elevator. Midwest Elevator was the Corporate Sponsor of this years tournament. ME has been the corporate sponsor since 2003. Program News Upcoming Foster Parent Classes (STARS Training): Our Little Havens St. Louis Part- ners are seeking foster famliies who will accept older children, sibling groups and special needs children. An introductory class will take place at One Heart Ministries beginning 9/25/07. Bringing Families Togetherwill be hosting a Spaulding (adoption) training October 6th & 16th. To learn more about being a Foster Parent, please contact Karen Womack at the OLH Taylor Fam- ily Care Center, kwomack@ ourlittlehaven.org. Update On The Parent-Child Program e-Scrip Cards: An Easy Way to Help the Haven! An E-Scrip card, available at your Schnucks customer service counter, is an easy way to support OLH! Use the card each time you shop at Schnucks, and OLH receives a monthly donation equal to a percentage of your purchase. Just ask the cashier to swipe your card at the check-out. There is no charge for the card and Schnucks provides the donation directly to the Haven. Our Little Havens group number is 500005571. Our Little Havens CFC # is #54223. Thank you to all the federal employees who pledged to OLH through their CFC campaign. The Our Little Haven Parent-Child Program had a very exciting year. This program, which served 100 participants this year, is designed to serve homeless expectant mothers, as well as court-ordered parents whose children are currently in the foster care system due to abuse or neglect issues. The Program goes well beyond the traditional parenting classes by addressing the root causes of abuse, and by the inclusion of relatives, affiliates and siblings. The objectives of the program are increased family health, decreased family conflict and addressing issues of child safety, health and nurturance. Two of the great strengths of the program are that it is facilitated by mental health professionals and that it contains a parent/child interaction component. This portion of the program allows for observation and direct intervention whereby facilitators encourage the immediate use of nurturing techniques between parent and child. The program runs for 12 weeks, with families gathering for sessions once a week in the evening. Group time includes a delicious meal pre- pared by Judy Combs. We have been particularly pleased with the number of participants who have sought continuing therapy services after the program ended. 60% of parents in the most recent class sought indi- vidual therapy with the OLHs Keystone Mental Health Program, and 40% of participants sought out family therapy with our program. We feel this is a strong indication of the success of the program in helping participants acknowledge and address the root issues of abuse. Upon completion of the program each participant is asked whether they have benefited from the program. Each participant agreed that they had benefited from the program and felt that the program changed how they interacted with their children. One of their comments was. Im trying to get better at communicating in a more positive way. I feel that Im becoming closer with my daughter now. I am having more fun with my family and dont feel as stressed out all the time. Another comment was Im playing more with my child at the group sessions and at home now. I get to actually see more of my kids than before. I feel like I have some support now. Over the years this program has been funded by the State of MO Childrens Trust Fund, the Daughters of Charity, the St. Louis Mental Health Board- Childrens Services Fund and from revenues from Our Little Havens Chic Boutiques Fashion Show presented by The Wil- liam S. Kallaos Family Foundation. Through our collaborating partners that include Our Ladys Inn, Sabbath Manor, Family Resource Center, Bringing Families Together, the Taylor Family Care Center at OLH, the City of St. Louis DFS, City Family Court, Lutheran Family Services and Catholic Charities, we continue to make every effort to provide these services to individuals who have been underserved. To learn more about his program, please contact Charlene Warner at cwarner@ourlittlehaven.org or by calling (314) 533-2229 x223. I feel that Im becoming closer with my daughter now. To make a donation online at any time, night or day, please go to Our Little Havens website ourlittlehaven. org, and click on the Make A Donation button. Your donation is secure, and your info is protected! Also, If youd like to receive period Postcards From the Haven, letting you know about news flashes and upcoming events opportunities, please email scotthummel@ourlittlehaven. org. Announcing Holiday Adopt-A-Family The Our Little Haven Taylor Family Care Center announces the launch of what we hope will be an annual program allowing individuals, companies and families to adopt an Our Little Haven Family Care Center family for the the holidays. Our families in need would greatly appreciate the help during this time of the year. Your donated gifts for our families will be distributed to your adopted family by our caseworkers. If you are interested in adopting one of our families, please call Sr. Rosemary DeDentro at Our Little Haven at (314) 533-2229, x228 or rdedentro@ourlittlehaven.org and she will be happy to match your group with a family for our Adopt-A-Family Program this holiday season. Thank Program News Expert Care Available to the Community Psychological and
Counseling Services 2. The Preschool is looking for volunteers to help with the children in the preschool on a regular basis. The Preschool is open M-F year round from 8:00 am 6:00 pm and would ap- preciate volunteer help throughout the day, but most particu- larly from 8:00 am 12:30 pm (Mon-Fri) and in after-care from 3:30 6:00 pm (Mon-Fri) Volunteers are needed Mon-Fri to help with direct childcare (playing with the children, supervising on the playground etc.) helping with preschool activities such as art projects, music and learning activities, and helping to serve and clean-up after lunch. Anyone interested in volunteering with the Preschool please contact Susan Villasana, Preschool Director, at svillasana@ ourlittlehaven.org or (314) 533-2229 x222 1. Our Little Academy
Therapeutic Preschool O ur L ittLe A cAdemy cAn heLp . Do you know a child ages 3-6 with hyperactivity-----poor peer interactions----oppositional behaviors- ----depression, anxiety---attachment disorder-----attention deficit disorder?
Our Little Academy Therapeutic Preschool has been open since No- vember 2005. We began with 2 children and have grown to our capacity enrollment of eight preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 6 years. As of August 2007, Our Little Academy has graduated 5 children who have gone on to Kindergarten programs in area public schools.
The therapeutic day treatment program combines traditional preschool activities with individual and group therapy for the children, and family therapy for the parents to help children regulate their emotions, increase their social and friendship skills, and learn problem solving strategies for times when the world seems too overwhelming. Most of the children have had disrup- tions in their early lives, and may have experienced abuse,neglect and/or home- l e s s n e s s . Many have a diagnosis of ADHD or op- positional defiant disorder. These are things that make their lives very difficult, and Our Little Academy is here to help. All of our children have challenges and most have been asked to leave a number of preschools prior to coming to our program.. We are committed to addressing their issues and helping them to be successful in school. One of our children said to me I was kicked out of my last preschoolAre you going to kick me out, too? The answer was NO!! We have worked with this child and her family, and now she is ready to successfully go to her next school. It is both exciting for us and sad, because we will miss herand all of our gradsso much. I have described one of our children this way, He was born on a stormy day. Prenatal drug exposure, disruptions in his home life, inadequate parenting skills and the humiliation of having been excluded from many preschools, had happened to him before he turned 5 years old. We welcomed him to Our Little Academy, worked hard with him and his family, and sent him off to Kindergarten with great hope for his future. He was born on a stormy day, for sure, but Our Little Academy helped bring his sunshine out. Our Little Academy is open year round and accepts children from the ages of 3-6 years who have emotional and/or behavioral challenges. To inquire, please contact Susan Villasana 314-533-2229 x222 or svil- lasana@ourlittlehaven.org. ...Our Little Academy helped bring his sunshine out. ---OLH Director Susan Villasana
Volunteers Needed for Our Little Academy Preschool Expert care for children and families is available to the general public at Our Little Haven. through our Keystone Psycho- logical and Counseling Services program. Keystone services include: Comprehensive psychological assessments (children & adults, all ages) Neurobehavioral assessments Developmental assessments (including cognitive, emotional, motor, language, adaptive skills and social development) Individual play therapy Developmental therapy Behavioral management strategies Caregiver consultation & education Group psychotherapy Parent/Child Interaction Therapy In-Home Therapy Group Therapy/Parenting Program Our presenters would be happy to make a presentation to your group. Presentation topics include: Mommy, Theres a Monster Under My Bed!; Negotiating the Special Education Maze; The Power of Praise and Chill Out! Anger Management for Kids. To schedule a presentation about our program at your workplace or community group--- or to schedule an initial appointment with one of Our Little Havens psychologists or psychological counselors, please contact Jodi Kotraba at (314) 533-2229, x275 or jkotraba@ourlittlehaven. Further reading? visit www.ourlittlehaven.org. Baby Change! Baby Change Makes A Difference Every Month! Your pennies and dimes add up to support our children; this spring and summer the Baby Change Project raised much needed funds to help us care for our children. We provide the bottles and posters to help promote the project AND - we pick up and deliver! Join in---its fun and easy, and you help our kids. Please phone Judy at (314) 533-2229 x285 to find out how your organization can participate in this fun program! Barbara Stevens and Betty Sibbing continue to do their ongoing Baby Change Bottles. Mrs. Stevens says she likes giving to a local charity so that she can see where her donation goes. We thank Barbara and Betty for their on-going generosity and for spreading the word about the Baby Change Program! Many thanks to the following people and groups who participated in the Baby Change program this spring and summer: Alice Post Barbara Stevens Betty Sibbing Lauries Shoes Anyone interested in requesting a baby bottle from the Haven to participate in this program, please contact Judy at (314) 533-2229 x285. Call Judy to sign up for Baby Change! x 285 New Initiatives COA - The Council on Accreditation is an international, independent, not-for-profit, child- and family- service and behavioral healthcare accrediting organization. It was founded in 1977 by the Child Welfare League of America and Family Service America (now The Alliance for Children and Families). Originally known as an accrediting body for family and childrens agencies, COA currently accredits 38 different service areas and over 60 types of programs. Among the service areas are substance abuse treatment, adult day care, services for the homeless, foster care, and intercountry adoption. As part of the growth and evolution of Our Little Haven, the leadership decided to attempt to attain accredited status through COA. After about a year of preparation, the application was submitted, evaluated and returned to the OLH staff. Preparations were then made for the Peer Review Teams visit which was held this past summer. While we await the final decision, the hope is to be accredited as we start the new year in 2008. Our Little Haven agrees with COA as they view accreditation as a catalyst for change that builds on an organizations strengths and helps it achieve better results in all areas. With accreditation, OLH will have been evaluated against best-practice standards, which are developed using a consensus model with input from a wide range of service providers, funders, experts, policymakers and consumers. Accreditation is a
catalyst for change
that builds on an
organizations
strengths and helps
it achieve better
results in all areas. After the COA Peer Review Team visit, Scott Hummel sent a note to the staff congratulating all on a job well done. Here are a few of his comments. I wanted to touch base with all of you and congratula- tions to everyone for a wonderful COA review. The Review Team was very complimentary towards us! While we have some things to iron out, the bottom line is that this is another affirmation that our peers, colleagues and supporters see our mission, programs and roles as instrumental in helping to create a community where children are cherished. The COA process has encouraged us to understand that our roots are firmly planted in this community and that by holding tight to our belief in the early intervention process we are making a significant and positive impact on hundreds of children and families in need of special care. I visited with Review team members on several occasions for lengthy meetings. These get togethers were filled with positive comments and it was obvious that the Team saw who we really are and went away very impressed. One comment made by the Team was that you can really tell that the OLH staff really care about the kids. Well-done folks! You should be proud of the impact you made on the COA Review Team. COA - Council on Accreditation Review Visits Our Little Haven You can tell that
the OLH staff
really care about
the kids. ----a COA Peer Review Team member Kids Page Many thanks to the staff at Americas Center Catering for cooking for the children when we were between cooks, and for planning and hosting a very fun Easter Party (above). This is the wonderful group who has been coming each spring to prepare Our Little Havens gardens for the growing season. The service team came and spent the day cleaning flower beds, trimming and cleaning/organizing in the Kids Building. Thanks to Michael McDevviitt for organizing this project again (this was the 9 th year!) and to their staff for participating and making the Haven such a beautiful place for the kids. These good folks were also busy during the summer as the staff collected school supplies for the Haven kids. These supplies were used to get the Haven kids off to a good start in the schools and some of the gifts were put to use in Our Little Academy. When Kids Help Kids, its a win-win situation, and we are truly grateful for support which has been pouring in from St. Louis children! This past summer, a group of very special young people hosted a summer camp. Not really unusual for a group of friends to get together and provide some fun. But this group was a bit different in that they chose to donate 100% of their earnings to OLH and gifted us $105. These second graders (left), Olivia Syrup, Lauren Bohlmann, Alexandra Garavaglia, Caroline Kreh, Katy Spears and Anna Bohlmann, recently came to visit us and provide their gift. Anna Bohlmann noted that this special group of friends hopes to make a difference and help to purchase school shoes or clothes. Well Anna and Crew, you did just that thanks for the opportunity. And thank you to the carload of kids (above) who brought a huge donation, and also to the young man pictured above who collected wishlist items in lieu of birthday gifts. Kids Helping Kids Kids Enjoy Fiesta Day Our Little Haven staff including therapists, Nurse Pat and Jannie the Cook had fun together cooking up a very special Fiesta Day for the residential center children. They deco- rated the lunchroom and kids chose from a special Mexican lunch menu while the staff served as waiters, hostesses and line servers. Americas Center Staff Helps OLH Help Around The House Sr. Rosemary DeDentro undertook a total refreshing of the childrens bedrooms in the residential building this year, with support from a grant from The Daughters of Charity Founda- tion. Carl Baumer and his friends Hank Klaesner and Jim Hieger volunteered their time and talents to install custom wainscoting in all of the childrens bedrooms. They look great, and we thank you! Charlie Combs (right) for the many painting projects around the Haven, including applying polyurethane on the new wainscoting in the childrens bedrooms and hanging the new blinds. Bockerstette Pest Control for providing free pest control services for our facility. CB Richard Ellis Realtors for providing birthday cakes for all of the children in the residential program. Steven Veatch for donating 3 kiddie rides for the children, including a heliocopter, racing car and truck. (photo on right) Thanks to Americas Center Catering for delivering meals to the OLH children while we were in between cooks. The kids really loved the food! Thanks to Nancy Tinker and the whole staff at the Dome. Thanks to the S.M Wilson & Co. employees who spent a day at the Haven painting, power washing and landscaping. The Haven really great after your efforts! We are so grateful to the many volunteers who donate their time and talents to help keep the Haven in great shape! Thank you to the following: KPMG Interns Help Out At Our Little Haven Again We are so grateful to KPMG for sending their interns to the Haven each summer to help out with various projects. This year the interns came on July 5 & 6 th and helped paint, performed yard work and completed various projects. They also donated Build-A-Bears and brought lunch for the kids. Thanks to Kim Mueller and all of the young interns who worked hard during this Done in a Day project. We thank everyone at KPMG for their continued generous support. Thank you to Bob Spradling who takes care of Our Little Havens HVAC needs. He donates all of his time which with the 4 buildings is a Steubenville Youth Conference Collects for OLH Participants in the Steubenville Youth Con- ference 2007, which is held through the Of- fice of Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and organized by Catholic University, made a very generous donation to the Haven of food, clothing, lots of gift cards and cash. Many, many thanks! Heritage Society Legacy Fund L. to rt: Carl Baumer, Sr. Rosemary DeDentro and Jim Hieger EXTRA! Volunteers need- ed for Our Little Academy, our preschool (see box story on page 7). Create a lasting legacy by remembering the Haven in your estate planning, and support nurturing & healing for many generations of children. To find out more about how you can create a lasting legacy---while helping change childrens lives---please contact Mike Bahlinger, (314) 533-2229, x225, mikebahlinger@ ourlittlehaven.org. St. Louis University Alumni organized by Jenny Seitz who spent a day at the Taylor Family Care Center sprucing up the grounds A special thanks to Maximus Carroll and his parents Shelly & Mike Carroll for asking guests to his 1 st birthday party to donate items from the Havens wish list in lieu of gifts for Maximus! Staff News New Staff Staff Updates Volunteers Erin Keller A big welcome to Erin Keller, our new case manager at the Taylor Family Care Center. Erin received her B.A. in psychology from Rockhurst University in Kansas City. Prior to coming to the Haven, Erin worked as a case manager at the Family Resource Center. The most rewarding part of her job is working with the children who are in foster care. She enjoys spending time with them, building their trust and a good relationship. Erin is from St. Louis and she is currently living in Creve Coeur. Her hobbies are running and reading. She participated in her first marathon last year in Chicago and hopes to compete in one next year. Good luck to her! Rachael Prewett We are pleased to welcome our new community psychotherapist, Rachael Prewett. Rachael recently moved here from Rolla, Missouri to work at Our Little Haven. She has graduated from University of MO-Columbia and Webster University, and is now finishing up some classes at University of MO-Columbia for her MSW. Before coming to OLH, Rachael was employed as a therapist at Boys and Girls Town of Missouri for three years. She loves working with children and is very excited to be at Our Little Haven. Rachael enjoys outdoor activities, reading, cooking, and listening to music. Jannie Smith Everyone at Our Little Haven would like to formally welcome our new cook, Jannie Smith. Jannie grew up here in St. Louis and has family members living in Memphis, Chicago, New York as well as St. Louis. Jannie has a twin brother, but they are definitely not the only twins in the family. There are actually seven sets of twins on her fathers side, and four more sets on her mothers. Jannie agreed that the entire Twin Study could probably be conducted on her family alone. Jannie attended Forest Park Community College and Harris Stowe College. She came to OLH with six years of experience with St. Louis city and county special school district under her belt. She loves kids, particularly those with special needs and enjoys preparing nutritious and fun meals for them. She has enormous patience and always has a ready smile. Hobbies include bowling, dancing and listening to gospel and Jazz music. Jannie also has a passion for Mexican cuisine. She has a pet Rat Terrier named Rebel who likes to jump reallllly high! We are pleased to introduce Jed Duer who is one of our regular volunteers who helps care for the kids in the residential program. Jed is an attorney who graduated from Rockhurst University and St. Louis University Law School and is currently in private practice in St. Louis. Jed first heard about OLH from a friend at the St. Louis Basilica-Old Cathedral. At the time Jed was working as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Jefferson County where he founded the unit that prosecuted child abuse cases. This gave him first hand insight into working with children who had experi- enced abuse. The most amazing discovery I made was how truly resilient children were, provided they had the proper support and nurturing from the adults around them. Jed has been volunteering since 1999 and comes every Thursday to help care for the kids. He really enjoys helping the kids with their homework, playing with them outside, and being there if they just want to talk. I feel like I can continue makinga difference by working directly with our kids. And whatever I think I am bringing to them, they always seem to teach me more. Being at the Haven is the high point of the week for me. An extra bonus is the wonderful people I meet, volunteers and house parents, who I would never know otherwise. Thanks, Jed, for being such a committed volunteer and for being here for our kids - they look forward to your visit every week! Volunteer Updates Congratulations to OLH Volunteer Pat Britt (photo left), who came in first place in his age division in the 2007 St. Louis Marathon. As a state attorney, Jed founded a unit to prosecute child abuse cases in Jefferson County.
Hes been volunteering ever since. Volunteer Profile Congratulations to Kristin Cowart on the birth of her baby boy, Zachary. Congratulations to Miko Salmond who celebrated her 11 th anniversary with the Haven this past spring. Congratulations to Rod Williams who is celebrating his10 th anniversary with the Haven this fall. A special commendation to Nurse Pat who assisted with a medical emergency on a flight to NY to visit her daughter in college. Nurse Pat was integral in saving the life of a passenger by administering oxygen and the necessary medication to keep the patient stable until they landed. Thanks to Michelle Lowery and Jodi Kotraba for filling in for Judy Combs when she was on vacation, enabling meals for the Parent-Child Program. Congratulations to Courtney Cunninghams son; Ryan has been acting in the Black Repertorys touring production of Crossin Over. Wishlist Fun Items Childrens CDs/DVDs Birthday wrapping paper Game Boys Games for Game Cube/Game Boy Dress-up clothes Socks (shoe size 4T-3) Undershirts (Sizes 6-16) Underwear (Sizes 6-10) Hooded sweatshirts (Sizes 6-16) School uniforms - long/short sleeve white polos, khaki pants/bermudas, sizes 6-16 New Clothing is needed. If you can help, we need sizes 4-16. ** No baby oil, baby powder, baby shampoo or stuffed animals, please ** Every Day Items Baby wipes Diapers/pull-ups Baby lotion Vaseline Paper Towels, Toilet Paper Trash bags Dixie Cups (bathroom) Bathroom cleaners Laundry Detergent and Lysol Juice boxes Plastic barrettes/pony tail wraps Pink oil moisturizer Just For Me hair de-tangler & perms Hydrocortisone ointment 1% Batteries AAA, AA, D, C and 9V Digital thermometers Fruit rolls, fruit snacks, raisins Tempera paints, fat paint brushes Colored tissue paper Outdoor play items: wagons, basketballs, kickballs, new bike helmets, bats & balls. Field Trip Activities Gift Certificates to . . . Science Center Zoo Parking City Museum McDonalds/fast food (for special outings) Movie passes Tumble Drum/Monkey Joes Especially-needed right now: Childrens Motrin, Childrens Advil and Childrens Tylenol, triple antiobiotic ointment, liquid childrens Benedryl, Hydrocortisone 1% ointment. Thank you! If you would like to conduct a wishlist drive, please email Mary at mary@ourlittlehaven.org We need paper towels and toilet paper. Gift Certificates Schnucks, Dierbergs Shop NSave Sams/Walmart Toys R Us Target Payless Shoe Stores Blockbuster Michaels/HobbyLobby For Family Care Center (for youth in Independent Living, 18+) toiletries household items gift cards (grocery, gas, Target, Blockbuster, Walmart, Payless) (for girls/guys ages 13-17) girl items: lotions, pjs, hair accesso- ries & hair, beauty products guy items: sports team logo jerseys/ sweatshirts, size mens S-XL for both: gift cards (grocery, gas, Tar- get, Blockbuster, Walmart, Payless Shoes) AM/FM/CD Boombox/MP3 players Need Large baskets
for the Dinner Auction! For the Preschool Tempera paints (all colors) Construction paper (all colors) Model Magic modeling clay Play Doh sets Child scissors, paper punches Sand bottles & craft sand Felt squares Sequins, glitter Pipe cleaners Crayons, markers Colored pencils Watercolor sets Collage items (buttons/ribbon) Colored craft tissue paper Craft sticks Paper plates, cups Gift cards to: Borders, Target, Michaels or Hobby Lobby and McDonalds (for birthdays) If you can donate standing and/or tabletop display easels, please phone Maggie at x243. To adopt a Family Care Center family this holiday, please call Sr. Rosemary DeDentro at (314) 533- 2229, x228. See story page 6. Our Little Haven Wishlist Haven Angels and Heroes Thank you to all of the donors who help us make a special place for children at Our Little Haven. These are just some of the groups and individuals who have helped. Kevin Adkins & Maureen Redig Albright Family Martin Allgeier Alpha Chi Omega Americas Center Catering AT&T Employees Thelma Baer Justin Blunk Lizette Smith-Bonner Bnai Brith Brownie Troop 1693 Bob Bryan Marc Cacciarelli The Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis donated 75 cases of Girl Scout cookies. Mrs. Gerald Deppe CB Richard Ellis Theresa Remis-Gill and James Gill Girl Scout Troop #1149 Girl Scouts District 5 & 9 Green Hat Society Peggy Haleman Ellen Heaghney Henry Elementary School Hertel Christmas Open House John F. Kennedy & Cardinal Glennon Hibernians Brenda Jackson Nick & Mary Jacobs Jamestown Elementary School Chris Keefe Melissa Kohr Fanny Kunes Ladies of Little Flower Assumption Parish Joe & Theresa Leisure Lea Leisure Levy Restaurants Maryville University Student Occupational Therapy Assoc. Maureen Merkley Ruthie Milner Christie Morks New Horizons Presbyterian Church Andrew Oberman Tracey OBrien Brian ODekirk Coleen OHerron Parkway Early Childhood Pattonville School District Perico, Ltd. Ed Pennington Pat Pfile Project Hatty Quest Day Treatment Div of Youth Services Rosey Red Hatters St. Dominic Savio St. Louis Panhellenic Assoc. St. Louis Univ HS Alumni Assoc Shannon Shaw Rob Shreves Jerry Sommer Tina Swindle Ralph Van Doren Wal-Mart Town & Country Wellpoint employees Christopher Winds Subdivision Thank you for these generous grants: Express Scripts has provided a $20,000 grant to support Our Little Academy, the Our Little Haven Thera- peutic Preschool. ESCO Technologies Foundation ap- proved a $10,000 grant to support the Residential Program. The Jordan Foundation approved a $6,000 grant to support the Residential Program. The Saigh Foundation awarded a grant of $10,000 to support the Resi- dential Program. The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) selected Our Little Haven to be a recipient of funds for the 2008 cam- paign. Our CFC number for this year is 54223. Professional Women of ATT approved a grant of $1,000 for the Residential Program. The Pott Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to support the Residential Program. Boeing Employee Community Fund (ECF) has provided a grant of $8,000 to support the Milestones Residential Program. Old Newsboys Day provided a grant of $1,500 grant. Volunteers from the United Way/St. Louis Cares Program come on a regular basis to read to the children. Volunteers through the CHAMPS Program bring therapy dogs for the children to enjoy. Member of St. Paul AME Church and Lou- ise Welch for a onation of denim items. St. Louis Variety invited our children to at- tend two exciting events: an evening with the Marvel Superheroes at the St. Louis Science Center on July 25 th . The kids met the charac- ters including the Hulk, Spiderman and oth- ers, enjoyed snacks and had a great time; and a St. Louis Rams pre-season football game at the Dome on Sat. August 18 th . Thanks to St. Louis Variety, the St. Louis Science Center and the St. Louis Rams for includ- ing our kids in these fun events! T hank you for special gifTs : Over $1,000 has been raised since the last news- letter by fans of Hollywoods Scott Bakula, including Scottsgirls, The Bakpak, and the Scott Bakula Fan Forum (SBFF). Fundrais- ing projects include sales of a caricature of Scott by Maryse Worrallo, the Piggie Project which auctioned Scott Bakula autographed stuffed piggies, and memorial gifts just to name a few. Funds will go towards covering the costs of the Haven kids in the residential program special outings. Thanks to all of the Scottsgirls, Bakpak-ers and Scott Bakula Fan Forum members for their continuing support! We are so grateful for all the generous and creative ways Scott Bakulas fans have so loyally and generously continued to provide support. Moolah Shriners and Thomas Hunter for donating 25 tickets to the Shriners Circus for the Haven kids to attend. Don Willey and LIUNA Laborers Local 110 for 20 Moolah Shrine Circus Tickets. thank you to Virginia Duffy and friends! thank you to the Albright Family who donated pretty Easter gift baskets! Bakula Fans Raise Significant Funds Please join us for our 4 th annual Chic Boutiques Fashion Event to benefit OLH, presented by The William S. Kallaos Family Foundation on Saturday, October 13 th at the St. Louis Frontenac Hilton Hotel. Tickets are $60 each and include wine, a three-course luncheon, comp parking, silent auction, fashion show, vendor shopping and a goody bag. Doors open at 10:00 a.m.and the event concludes at 2:00 p.m. Boutiques in the fashion show include Blush, Femme, Laurie Solet, Susan Lynns, Jilly Bean & Strasburg Children. Get a jump on holiday shopping while supporting our kids with vendor shopping including: Arbonne, Angelina Accoutrements, B.B.s Belts & Buckles, Bali Girl Jewelry, Blings & Things, Cats Meow, Cool Beads, Codi Jewelry, Dazzle Boutique, Elises Pieces, Eye Candy, Gay Frederick Creations, Gina Graphics, LHM Creative Designs, Pulse, Silk & Stone, Southern Living at Home, Suzanne Marie Designs,Vellum and more! St. Louis artist John Pils will be there in person to autograph prints for purchase (including the tremendously popular Busch Stadium Signature Edition print with 50% of the purchase benefitting OLH.) For additional info or to reserve tickets, please call Mary Eisler at 314-533-2229, ext. 232 or email meisler@ourlittlehaven.org . Please note no tickets are mailed- --all reservations will be held for you at the door. __________________________________________ Name
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Exp. date _____ Sec Code _____Phone:______________ Chic Boutiques # tickets @ $60 each = ________ (Reservations held at door) Please seat me with: ______________________________ Fashion Show and Boutique Shopping Event - Saturday, Oct. 13th-Frontenac Hilton Lunch With Santa Saturday, December 15th John F. Kennedy Catholic High School 500 Woods Mills Road - Manchester, MO # tickets @ $10 each = ________ # children under 12: (for goody bag) ___________ _______________________________________________
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Account # _______________________________________ Our Little Haven- Attn: Mary Eisler P.O. Box 23010 St. Louis, MO 63156-3010 Our Little Haven- Attn: Judy Combs P.O. Box 23010 St. Louis, MO 63156-3010 mail to: Shop, Shop, Shop At Chic Boutiques Fashion Event Come join the fun in Chesterfield Valley on Saturday, September 29 th
which includes activities for the whole family, including - Rumble Run starting at 8:00 am, a 5k run and one mile walk/fun run through the Chesterfield Commons. - Rally in the Valley at 9:00 am, 9, 16 and 25-mile family bike rides through Chesterfield Valley. - Taste of The Valley 10:00 2:00 pm. Fifteen local restaurants music by Yessir and a kids play area. To join in the run, simply complete the form below and send it to us at the Haven, or you go online for the flyer/registration form and the link to online signup at Our Little Havens web site at www.ourlittlehaven. 5K RUMBLE RUN For Our Kids Lunch With Santa Lunch With Santa rides again, with a new venue: this years event takes place at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, 500 Woods Mill Road, Manchester, MO, 11:00 am in the cafeteria hall. Dillards Crestwoods Santa is riding on over to our event with Santas reindeer, elves, clowns and songs. Yummy lunch, fun goody bags---your kids, grandkids or your neighbors kids will love it! For those who have enjoyed the event year after year, please note the venue change! mail to: Holiday Cards Questions/imprint orders? phone Ann (314) 533-2229, x227. View online at www. ourlittlehaven.org $8 for 10 cards Full-color cards, size 4 1/2 x 6, w/envelopes. 100% goes to OLH! Please send us this form, or phone Judy at (314) 533-2229, x285 and she will gladly take your order info. Custom imprints available; imprint orders are due by November 28th. Please add postage/packing: $2.50 for 1 pkg, $3.50 for 2 pkgs, $5 for 3-9 pkgs, $10 for 10 pkgs. Name___________________________________________ __ Address _______________________________________ City/State/Zip ___________________________________ Phone _____________ email _______________________ # packages of cards _______ x $8 = $ ____________ Plus Shipping/postage (*see above) $__________ ___ Total $_____________ mail to: OLH, P.O. Box 23010, St. Louis, MO 63156-3010 Upcoming OLH Events Calendar Sex: M F Age on Race Day _____________ Race entered: 5K Run _________ 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk _______ Please charge to MasterCard/Visa (circle one)
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City State Zip In consideration of this entry, I assume all risk of injury to myself and damage or loss of property arising out of my participation and hereby release and forever discharge the sponsors and promoters of this event, including Our Little Haven, Eckelman and Sebben, Chesterfield and their respective subsidiaries, agents, subcontractors and volunteers from any claims or damages which may arise from my participation in the OLH Run for the Kids/RumbleRun. In consideration of my own free will, I for myself, my heirs, executors and administers indemnify and hold harmless all of the aforementioned sponsors and promoters from liability, claims, demands, actions, loss and/or damage arising out of my participation in the Event. I give my full permission to Our Little Haven, its affiliates and sponsors and promoters to use any photographs, videotapes, audio tapes or other recordings of me that are made during the event. Monday, Sept. 17, 2007 16 th Annual Our Little Haven Golf Tournament, presented by Michelob Ultra at Norwood Hills Country Club. Join us for a day of golf, lunch, cocktails, dinner, auctions and prizes. Call Scott to reserve your package or spot at (314) 533-2229 x224 or at scotthummel@ourlittle- haven.org . Saturday, September 29, 2007 5K Rumble Run For The Kids. 8:00 am in Chesterfield Valley. The Rumble Rallys 5K Run and One Mile Fun Run/Walk through Chesterfield Commons,. To register online, go to http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1480156. This is the active.com website, and the link goes directly to our page. To view and download a registration flyer to send to us by mail, please go to our website at www.ourlittlehaven.org/events , or fill out the form at the bottom of this page. Saturday, October 13, 2007 4 th Annual Chic Boutiques Fashion Show and Boutique Shopping event at the St. Louis Frontenac Hilton Hotel, 10 am 2 pm. Enjoy a day of boutique shopping and fashion show by local trendy boutiques. The boutique shopping includes more than 20 local vendors selling everything from gifts to jewelry to handbags and more! Tickets are $60 and include a 3-course luncheon, comp parking, goody bags, door prizes, shopping and more! For more information, to make a donation to the silent auction or to purchase tickets, contact Mary Eisler at (314) 533-2229 x232 or meisler@ourlittlehaven.org . Sat. December 15, 2007 -Lunch with Santa to Benefit the Haven at John F. Kennedy High School, 500 Woods Mill Road 11:00 am. Come have a holiday lunch and join in the festivities and music. Take your picture with Santa at your table and meet Santa and his elves and clowns. Goodie bags will be given to all children. The cost is $10 per person (children under 2 are free). Call Santa at (314) 533-2229 x285 or fill out the registration form on the page opposite. Mail to Santa, Our Little Haven, P.O. Box 23010, St. Louis, MO 63156. Saturday, February 16, 2008 - Haven Club Trivia Night at CBC High School. Tickets are $25 per person and include beer, wine, soda and set-ups. For tickets or information, contact Angie Geis at anggeis@yahoo.com . Sat. April 26, 2008 16 th Annual Dinner Auction Our Little Hoedown, 6:00 pm. Americas Center Ballroom. Any- one interested in serving on the Auction Committee, donating auction items, or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Maggie Beal at (314) 533-2229 x243 or mbeal@ourlittlehaven.org . News Our Little Haven NEWS is published twice a year for our friends and supporters. Executive Director: P. Scott Hummel, MSW , LCSW Therapeutic Director: Kathleen Hummel, MSW, LCSW Editor: Maggie Beal /// Photographer/designer: Ann Julien Board of Directors: W illiam Newbold, Chairman, Jerry Adams, Denise Bah - linger, Peter Barkofske, Pete Baxendale, Karen Beasley , Lisa Chandler, Dan Charles, Anne and Robert Golterman, Stacy Hastie, Steve Heck, John Irace, Anthony Jones, Darryl Jones, Anne and James Kelleher , Paul Klug, Mark Mager, Matt McGrath, Robert Meyer, David Nestor , Christine Newbold, Brian Paluch, John Seiler, Scott Thomlison, Gary Tompkins, Donald Vietor , Rev. Robert Weiss, S.J., Risa Zwerling Wrighton Newsletter printed by Midtown Printing. P.O. Box 23010, St. Louis, MO 63156-3010 Ph: 314/533-2229. P.O. Box 23010 St. Louis, Missouri 63156-3010 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID St. Louis, MO Permit No. 2111 Many thanks to Gary Clark who has dedicated his new childrens book to Our Little Haven. The first publication of his Purple Beetle Pub- lishing Co., Only One Wish is a heartwarming tale of a childs wish. Gary s dedication to OLH was inspired by his volunteer experience reading books to the children at Our Little Haven through the United W ay St. Louis Cares volunteers. The cost of the book is $20 with a portion of proceeds benefitting the Haven. To order a copy of Only One W ish for a childs holiday gift , to donate to your childs elementary school library , or to have for your childrens home library , please go to our website at www.ourlittlehaven.org , or phone Ann at (314) 533-2229, x227, and thank you! Book Dedicated To Our Little Haven Haven Holiday Cards Available Our Little Havens 2007 Holiday Cards feature an an- gel dressed in red and green with holiday gifts. $8 for 10 cards and enve- lopes. Please see page 14 to order.
Executive Director, Dear Friends, One of our favorite quotes here at OLH was provided by a tragic character in A Streetcar Named Desire when Blanche DuBois noted, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. We appreciate that sentiment as the children and families we serve are most often dependent on the kindness of strangers and further, Our Little Haven herself is dependent on the generosity of our supporters as we invite the community to share their time, talent and treasure with these special kids.
Taking care of these kids is an investment in the future and it takes a pretty special person and organization to recognize the value of our early intervention model. Our Little Haven has been blessed with support and consideration from many individuals and organizations for many years and as we prepare to celebrate 15 years of service, we often count those blessings. Among these are our talented, generous and active leaders our Boards of Directors and Regents.
We want, over the next several issues of our newsletter, to introduce you to some special people who have helped guide and direct OLH over the years through their volunteer roles as members of the governing body of Our Little Haven.
When we talk about counting our blessings, we count on a person who understands the needs of the kids, understands the needs of the community, understands the value of Our Little Haven, understands our model of healing broken hearts and has decided to lend us his special talents. This man, Stacy Hastie, is a family man, a businessman and a caring-man and is the Chairman and C.E.O. of Environmental Operations, Inc. Stacy has 18 years experience in the environmental industry. Mr. Hastie joined EOI in 1992 as the in-house industrial hygiene and safety manager. Six years later he was part of an investor group that purchased a majority interest in the company from its founder and, in 2002, Stacy bought out the other members of the group and assumed control of EOI.
Under his leadership as Chairman and CEO, EOI has experienced significant growth. Since 2002, staff count has more than doubled from 60 in 2002 to more than 140 full-time employees today. Revenues have soared to more than $30 million in sales in 2005. The company recently relocated to its new, state-of-the-art headquarters in downtown St. Louis.
Stacy noted, At EOI, we know the importance of eliminating and limiting environmental risk. Were here to help you minimize risks, meet timelines and, most importantly, maximize the return on your property investment or project.
Born and raised in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, Mr. Hastie attended college at Murray State University, receiving his Bachelors degree in Accounting in 1990 and his Masters degree in occupational safety and health, with an emphasis in industrial hygiene and environmental studies, in 1992.
Stacy and his wife, Carol, are also busy raising their three kids from their home in Wildwood. Watching his children grow and learn, Stacy and Carol both knew how fortunate they were and decided to focus some energy on helping some folks that couldnt help themselves. Through some friends, the Hastie family was directed to OLH and has since helped guide the organization for many years.
Asked how he got involved with Our Little Haven, Stacy said, When I looked into OLH, I saw a well run organization which appealed to the business side of my head. When I saw and experienced the care and nurturance provided, I couldnt help but want to find out how I could get involved with such a tremendous organization.
And, involved he has been. The work environment at EOI includes giving back to the community and Stacy has cultured a sense of generosity in the office. While generous through financial gifts, EOI has been generous in many other ways encouraging his staff to work together for others by hosting Holiday parties and volunteering their time at special events.
Depending on the generosity of others can be trying at times, but then every once in a while you get the chance to meet some Event News Derby Nights Annual Dinner Auction This years annual Dinner Auction, Derby Nights, was another huge success enjoyed by more than 350 honored guests at Americas Cen- ter Ballroom on May 5 th . The evening began with delicious hors doeuvres and cocktails, in- cluding mint ju- leps, followed by a formal dinner, auctions and ca- sino gaming. The evenings music was provided by Silk Pajamas who entertained throughout the evening. Over $95,000 was raised to benefit Our Little Haven. L. to rt: OLH Executive Director Scott Hummel, Martin Kilcoyne and Kim Butler Below, Environmental Operations table, Stacy & Carol Hastie, hosts,(Left seated) & guests. Special thanks to the evenings sponsors, including An- heuser-Busch, Inc., Emerson Tool Co., Environmental Operations, Inc., Packaging Concepts, Inc., PARIC Cor- poration, Barons Express, The Boeing Company, Janus Institutional Asset Management, Levy Restaurants, Bill & Chris Newbold, ARCO Construction, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, and Thermadyne Industries. Also a special thanks to Southwest Airlines, Jim & Anne Kelleher and GDay Imports, John & Anne Seiler and Mr. & Mrs.V.J. Muehlenkamp for their generous support. The Dinner Auction is made possible through the hard work and dedication of the Auction Committee and Chairwomen Chris Newbold and Robin Wohlrab, as well as the Patron Committee, chaired by Carol Crouppen. A big thanks to Martin Kilcoyne, Sports Director for KTVI-FOX 2, for serving as Auctioneer he did a fabulous job! Many thanks to Mary Allison of Parties & Props, Silk Pajamas, Dave Gillette and Image Technologies, Michael McDevviitt and Nancy Tinker of Americas Center Ca- tering. A big thanks to Paul Boston of Boston-Creative for designing the invitation and donating the printing, and to Kohler Printing. A special thanks to Wendy Hartleib and Paula Anderson for producing the program. In addition, we would like to thank Incarnate Word Girl Scout Troops #4372 & 936 and Our Lady of Providence Girl Scout Troop #2258 and 6 th graders for stuffing the invitations! Below, Packaging Concepts table, John and Sandy Irace (cntr, standing) hosts, and guests. Any corporation, shareholder/partner in an S Corp, limited liability company or partnership, or a self-employed individual may be eligible for a 55% MO State Tax Credit for any contribution greater than $2,000. Credits are available on a first-come first-serve basis until our allotment is distributed. For more info, please call Mike Bahlinger at (314) 533-2229 x225. MO State Tax Credits Once again, ESCO Technologies has provided a major gift to the Residential Program of Our Little Haven. For several years now, the ESCO folks have been willing to offer their support to help create a community that cherishes children. Their most recent gift will be put to good use and help make a safe and warm place for these very special children. Over the years, ESCO Technologies has been there for the kids; their generosity has helped OLH evolve and grow. Growth of the services OLH provides is exciting and community partners like ESCO Technolo- gies help build foundations of love upon which these children can base their future decisions. Pat Moore of ESCO Technologies noted, While we are in the early stages as a public charity, the ESCO Technologies Foundation is eager to assist in meeting the needs of organizations such as Our Little Haven, who are dedicated to improving the lives of children. Recognizing early intervention as a good investment in the future, ESCO Technologies has certainly pro- vided support needed to improve the lives of the kids and families we thank them for that chance to make a difference. Event News 14th Annual Card Party The 14 th Annual Card Party to benefit Our Little Haven was held on Wed. June 6 th at Chaminade College Preparatory School. Over 250 guests enjoyed a day of cards, lunch, raffles and more! Many thanks to the Card Party Committee, including Dixie Hummel, Carol Layton, Pat Kloster, Grace Moran, Jeanne Redington, Gerry Steinhart, Lee Stuby and Mary Kay Tonsi and to the Ladies in Red Committee who helped serve lunch and sell tickets to the quilt raffle, and to Jan Ammerman and Bob Stout who provided musical entertainment. (Left: Card Party Angels & Ladies In Red) Wine Extravaganza at Harrys Raises Funds for Haven On Monday, June 11 th Harrys Restaurant and Bar on Market Street held a Wine Extravaganza benefit for the Haven. Many thanks to Tony and John Irace of Packaging Concepts, Inc. for organizing this terrific event. Over 200 guests enjoyed wine tastings and cocktails plus a fabulous buffet dinner while listening to live music on the beautiful outdoor patio. Silent and live auctions helped raised over $16,000 for the evening. Also, a special thanks to Robin Baima of Pulaski Bank for her help with this event and to the staff at Harrys Restaurant and Bar for their support. Battle of the Bands for OLH On Friday, June 22 nd the Schlafly Tap Room played host to the annual Battle of the Bands pit- ting musical talents of the E-Rockers (featuring staff from Enterprise Rent-A-Car) and Pro Bono & Non-Billables (from Fleischman-Hillard). While the band members are all friends, there was a note of competition which was used to benefit the kids at OLH. Each band played a couple sets and encouraged the crowd to participate by using money to vote for their favorite band. While there were no official winners or losers, the real winner was Our Little Haven as the vote money was donated to help support the services offered by OLH. Pro Bono & Non-Billables made a grand entrance onto the stage riding Harley Davidson motorcycles dressed in Elvis costumes it was quite a sight! Not to be outdone, the E-Rockers responded with covers of old favorites and the joint was hopping! By the end of the night, the crowd raised over $2,000 for the Haven. Thanks to all of the band members and others who helped with this event! Left to right: Tom Brown, Denise Turner, Bob Baker, Marty Richter and Vijay Rao News ESCO Technologies Gift To The Community Through a generous grant, Express Scripts has made their mark on the kids and families of Our Little Haven. The $20,000 gift will be used in Our Little Academy, Our Little Havens Therapeutic Preschool. Another interesting note is that one of the Haven Club members, Megan Brady, is one of those talented Express Scripts employees. Megan is the Chairperson of the Haven Club Trivia Night (See Upcoming Events schedule) and shares her time and tal- ent with us. Thanks to all of the dedicated and generous employees of Express Scripts and to Sue Schlichter for their consideration. Express Scripts Helps Event News Haven Club News Haven Club Keg Roll In what is becoming a wonderful tradition, the Haven Club really did Roll out the Barrel during the 2 nd annual Haven Club Keg Roll through Clayton. This unique fundraiser invites the Haven Clubbers to roll an Anheuser-Busch keg to draw attention to the cause while walking the streets of Clayton, collecting contributions from passersby between pub stops. Headed up by Patrick Feagan and Ted Toczylowski, with support from BARce- lona, Barristers, Kilkennys Pub, J. Bucks and Ciceros and supported by several dozen Haven Club folks, the Keg Roll was able to contribute a sizable gift to help the kids and families of OLH. Thanks Clubbers and keep them kegs rolling! Coming up on the Haven Club calendar is the 5K Rumble Run For The Kids at Chester- field Commons on Saturday, September 29th (see page 15 for registration form and info), followed by the annual Haven Club Trivia Night, Saturday, February 16, 2008. For more information on the Haven Club and its ac- tivities, please contact Angie Geis at anggeis@ yahoo.com . The St. Louis Association of Health Underwriters (SLAHU) have once again demonstrated their belief in the OLH system and have provided another generous gift through their annual golf tournament. SLAHU, lead by Pat Gibbons of the Charles Crane Agency, has been providing for OLH for over 10 years now. The Board of Directors of SLAHU include Deborah Ostermeyer of Anthem BlueCross & BlueShield, Nick Espiritu of The Powers Group, Susan Sander of Fringe Benefit Specialist, Inc., Paul Lancia of Atena, Denny Dennis of Denny & Associates and John Steinway of United Health Care. The Golf Committee, Nick Espiritu, George Durko, Dennis Denny and Tim Ward, focused their attention on the tournament, which was in presented mid-May at the Norman K. Probstein Golf Center in Forest Park. The Directors along with Joan Hecker, SLAHU Executive Director, and Shari Roth of Aetna, recently visited Our Little Haven to present their gift of $10,500 from the proceeds of the golf tournament. As has become a wonderful tradition, several of the Our Little Haven Board members and friends got together to host The Annual NBS Golf Tournament. This year, the tourney was held on May 7 th at Meadowbrook Country Club in Chesterfield. A day of golf, fun and comraderie while helping the children and families of OLH was the hope and was tremendously successful. This tournament raised $20,000 to benefit the Haven. Thanks to Bob Meyer of The Meyer Group, Steve Heck of Meritain Health, Norm Meyer of MFG, Dave Ott, John Seiler of Seiler Plastics, John Irace of Packaging Concepts and Jim Souers of Marcone. NBS Directors Play-A-Round for OLH Please join us as we thank our very special friends at BOMA St. Louis. BOMA is the Building Owners and Managers Association of St. Louis and is made up of commercial real estate owners, executives, managers and operating personnel. For 75 years, BOMA has been there to represent and promote the interests of the commercial real estate industry through effective leadership, advocacy, exchange of information, and professional development. Not only have the members been busy working with each other, they have also recently been kept busy helping Our Little Haven. Most recently OLH was invited to attend the annual BOMA golf outing to introduce the Our Little Haven programs to the guests and the day culminated in a sizeable financial gift. BOMA also launched their Winter Clothing Drive for OLH inviting the community of members to help through a collection through a number of locations. Just another example of how BOMA St. Louis is helping to create a community that cherishes children! Alphonse Lordo Memorial Golf Classic Helps Left to right: (Standing) George Stark, Norm and Kay Marzorati, Tony Lucido, Vince Monteleone, Paul Urzi, Gabe Lancia, and (seated) Linda Stark, Janet Walz, Kaye Quentin. On June 11 th the annual Alphonse Lordo Golf Classic was held at Para- dise Valley Golf Club. Over 100 guests played at this event that raised significant funds to benefit the Ha- ven. Thanks to An- heuser-Busch, Inc., Rosciglione Bakery and Lordo Broth- ers and many others for making this such a great success! SLAHU Provides Generous Support BOMA Provides Support L. to rt: Andy Schuette, Gary Schuette, Brian Wright and Dustin Witham all with Midwest Elevator. Midwest Elevator was the Corporate Sponsor of this years tournament. ME has been the corporate sponsor since 2003. Program News Upcoming Foster Parent Classes (STARS Training): Our Little Havens St. Louis Part- ners are seeking foster famliies who will accept older children, sibling groups and special needs children. An introductory class will take place at One Heart Ministries beginning 9/25/07. Bringing Families Togetherwill be hosting a Spaulding (adoption) training October 6th & 16th. To learn more about being a Foster Parent, please contact Karen Womack at the OLH Taylor Fam- ily Care Center, kwomack@ ourlittlehaven.org. Update On The Parent-Child Program e-Scrip Cards: An Easy Way to Help the Haven! An E-Scrip card, available at your Schnucks customer service counter, is an easy way to support OLH! Use the card each time you shop at Schnucks, and OLH receives a monthly donation equal to a percentage of your purchase. Just ask the cashier to swipe your card at the check-out. There is no charge for the card and Schnucks provides the donation directly to the Haven. Our Little Havens group number is 500005571. Our Little Havens CFC # is #54223. Thank you to all the federal employees who pledged to OLH through their CFC campaign. The Our Little Haven Parent-Child Program had a very exciting year. This program, which served 100 participants this year, is designed to serve homeless expectant mothers, as well as court-ordered parents whose children are currently in the foster care system due to abuse or neglect issues. The Program goes well beyond the traditional parenting classes by addressing the root causes of abuse, and by the inclusion of relatives, affiliates and siblings. The objectives of the program are increased family health, decreased family conflict and addressing issues of child safety, health and nurturance. Two of the great strengths of the program are that it is facilitated by mental health professionals and that it contains a parent/child interaction component. This portion of the program allows for observation and direct intervention whereby facilitators encourage the immediate use of nurturing techniques between parent and child. The program runs for 12 weeks, with families gathering for sessions once a week in the evening. Group time includes a delicious meal pre- pared by Judy Combs. We have been particularly pleased with the number of participants who have sought continuing therapy services after the program ended. 60% of parents in the most recent class sought indi- vidual therapy with the OLHs Keystone Mental Health Program, and 40% of participants sought out family therapy with our program. We feel this is a strong indication of the success of the program in helping participants acknowledge and address the root issues of abuse. Upon completion of the program each participant is asked whether they have benefited from the program. Each participant agreed that they had benefited from the program and felt that the program changed how they interacted with their children. One of their comments was. Im trying to get better at communicating in a more positive way. I feel that Im becoming closer with my daughter now. I am having more fun with my family and dont feel as stressed out all the time. Another comment was Im playing more with my child at the group sessions and at home now. I get to actually see more of my kids than before. I feel like I have some support now. Over the years this program has been funded by the State of MO Childrens Trust Fund, the Daughters of Charity, the St. Louis Mental Health Board- Childrens Services Fund and from revenues from Our Little Havens Chic Boutiques Fashion Show presented by The Wil- liam S. Kallaos Family Foundation. Through our collaborating partners that include Our Ladys Inn, Sabbath Manor, Family Resource Center, Bringing Families Together, the Taylor Family Care Center at OLH, the City of St. Louis DFS, City Family Court, Lutheran Family Services and Catholic Charities, we continue to make every effort to provide these services to individuals who have been underserved. To learn more about his program, please contact Charlene Warner at cwarner@ourlittlehaven.org or by calling (314) 533-2229 x223. I feel that Im becoming closer with my daughter now. To make a donation online at any time, night or day, please go to Our Little Havens website ourlittlehaven. org, and click on the Make A Donation button. Your donation is secure, and your info is protected! Also, If youd like to receive period Postcards From the Haven, letting you know about news flashes and upcoming events opportunities, please email scotthummel@ourlittlehaven. org. Announcing Holiday Adopt-A-Family The Our Little Haven Taylor Family Care Center announces the launch of what we hope will be an annual program allowing individuals, companies and families to adopt an Our Little Haven Family Care Center family for the the holidays. Our families in need would greatly appreciate the help during this time of the year. Your donated gifts for our families will be distributed to your adopted family by our caseworkers. If you are interested in adopting one of our families, please call Sr. Rosemary DeDentro at Our Little Haven at (314) 533-2229, x228 or rdedentro@ourlittlehaven.org and she will be happy to match your group with a family for our Adopt-A-Family Program this holiday season. Thank Program News Expert Care Available to the Community Psychological and
Counseling Services 2. The Preschool is looking for volunteers to help with the children in the preschool on a regular basis. The Preschool is open M-F year round from 8:00 am 6:00 pm and would ap- preciate volunteer help throughout the day, but most particu- larly from 8:00 am 12:30 pm (Mon-Fri) and in after-care from 3:30 6:00 pm (Mon-Fri) Volunteers are needed Mon-Fri to help with direct childcare (playing with the children, supervising on the playground etc.) helping with preschool activities such as art projects, music and learning activities, and helping to serve and clean-up after lunch. Anyone interested in volunteering with the Preschool please contact Susan Villasana, Preschool Director, at svillasana@ ourlittlehaven.org or (314) 533-2229 x222 1. Our Little Academy
Therapeutic Preschool O ur L ittLe A cAdemy cAn heLp . Do you know a child ages 3-6 with hyperactivity-----poor peer interactions----oppositional behaviors- ----depression, anxiety---attachment disorder-----attention deficit disorder?
Our Little Academy Therapeutic Preschool has been open since No- vember 2005. We began with 2 children and have grown to our capacity enrollment of eight preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 6 years. As of August 2007, Our Little Academy has graduated 5 children who have gone on to Kindergarten programs in area public schools.
The therapeutic day treatment program combines traditional preschool activities with individual and group therapy for the children, and family therapy for the parents to help children regulate their emotions, increase their social and friendship skills, and learn problem solving strategies for times when the world seems too overwhelming. Most of the children have had disrup- tions in their early lives, and may have experienced abuse,neglect and/or home- l e s s n e s s . Many have a diagnosis of ADHD or op- positional defiant disorder. These are things that make their lives very difficult, and Our Little Academy is here to help. All of our children have challenges and most have been asked to leave a number of preschools prior to coming to our program.. We are committed to addressing their issues and helping them to be successful in school. One of our children said to me I was kicked out of my last preschoolAre you going to kick me out, too? The answer was NO!! We have worked with this child and her family, and now she is ready to successfully go to her next school. It is both exciting for us and sad, because we will miss herand all of our gradsso much. I have described one of our children this way, He was born on a stormy day. Prenatal drug exposure, disruptions in his home life, inadequate parenting skills and the humiliation of having been excluded from many preschools, had happened to him before he turned 5 years old. We welcomed him to Our Little Academy, worked hard with him and his family, and sent him off to Kindergarten with great hope for his future. He was born on a stormy day, for sure, but Our Little Academy helped bring his sunshine out. Our Little Academy is open year round and accepts children from the ages of 3-6 years who have emotional and/or behavioral challenges. To inquire, please contact Susan Villasana 314-533-2229 x222 or svil- lasana@ourlittlehaven.org. ...Our Little Academy helped bring his sunshine out. ---OLH Director Susan Villasana
Volunteers Needed for Our Little Academy Preschool Expert care for children and families is available to the general public at Our Little Haven. through our Keystone Psycho- logical and Counseling Services program. Keystone services include: Comprehensive psychological assessments (children & adults, all ages) Neurobehavioral assessments Developmental assessments (including cognitive, emotional, motor, language, adaptive skills and social development) Individual play therapy Developmental therapy Behavioral management strategies Caregiver consultation & education Group psychotherapy Parent/Child Interaction Therapy In-Home Therapy Group Therapy/Parenting Program Our presenters would be happy to make a presentation to your group. Presentation topics include: Mommy, Theres a Monster Under My Bed!; Negotiating the Special Education Maze; The Power of Praise and Chill Out! Anger Management for Kids. To schedule a presentation about our program at your workplace or community group--- or to schedule an initial appointment with one of Our Little Havens psychologists or psychological counselors, please contact Jodi Kotraba at (314) 533-2229, x275 or jkotraba@ourlittlehaven. Further reading? visit www.ourlittlehaven.org. Baby Change! Baby Change Makes A Difference Every Month! Your pennies and dimes add up to support our children; this spring and summer the Baby Change Project raised much needed funds to help us care for our children. We provide the bottles and posters to help promote the project AND - we pick up and deliver! Join in---its fun and easy, and you help our kids. Please phone Judy at (314) 533-2229 x285 to find out how your organization can participate in this fun program! Barbara Stevens and Betty Sibbing continue to do their ongoing Baby Change Bottles. Mrs. Stevens says she likes giving to a local charity so that she can see where her donation goes. We thank Barbara and Betty for their on-going generosity and for spreading the word about the Baby Change Program! Many thanks to the following people and groups who participated in the Baby Change program this spring and summer: Alice Post Barbara Stevens Betty Sibbing Lauries Shoes Anyone interested in requesting a baby bottle from the Haven to participate in this program, please contact Judy at (314) 533-2229 x285. Call Judy to sign up for Baby Change! x 285 New Initiatives COA - The Council on Accreditation is an international, independent, not-for-profit, child- and family- service and behavioral healthcare accrediting organization. It was founded in 1977 by the Child Welfare League of America and Family Service America (now The Alliance for Children and Families). Originally known as an accrediting body for family and childrens agencies, COA currently accredits 38 different service areas and over 60 types of programs. Among the service areas are substance abuse treatment, adult day care, services for the homeless, foster care, and intercountry adoption. As part of the growth and evolution of Our Little Haven, the leadership decided to attempt to attain accredited status through COA. After about a year of preparation, the application was submitted, evaluated and returned to the OLH staff. Preparations were then made for the Peer Review Teams visit which was held this past summer. While we await the final decision, the hope is to be accredited as we start the new year in 2008. Our Little Haven agrees with COA as they view accreditation as a catalyst for change that builds on an organizations strengths and helps it achieve better results in all areas. With accreditation, OLH will have been evaluated against best-practice standards, which are developed using a consensus model with input from a wide range of service providers, funders, experts, policymakers and consumers. Accreditation is a
catalyst for change
that builds on an
organizations
strengths and helps
it achieve better
results in all areas. After the COA Peer Review Team visit, Scott Hummel sent a note to the staff congratulating all on a job well done. Here are a few of his comments. I wanted to touch base with all of you and congratula- tions to everyone for a wonderful COA review. The Review Team was very complimentary towards us! While we have some things to iron out, the bottom line is that this is another affirmation that our peers, colleagues and supporters see our mission, programs and roles as instrumental in helping to create a community where children are cherished. The COA process has encouraged us to understand that our roots are firmly planted in this community and that by holding tight to our belief in the early intervention process we are making a significant and positive impact on hundreds of children and families in need of special care. I visited with Review team members on several occasions for lengthy meetings. These get togethers were filled with positive comments and it was obvious that the Team saw who we really are and went away very impressed. One comment made by the Team was that you can really tell that the OLH staff really care about the kids. Well-done folks! You should be proud of the impact you made on the COA Review Team. COA - Council on Accreditation Review Visits Our Little Haven You can tell that
the OLH staff
really care about
the kids. ----a COA Peer Review Team member Kids Page Many thanks to the staff at Americas Center Catering for cooking for the children when we were between cooks, and for planning and hosting a very fun Easter Party (above). This is the wonderful group who has been coming each spring to prepare Our Little Havens gardens for the growing season. The service team came and spent the day cleaning flower beds, trimming and cleaning/organizing in the Kids Building. Thanks to Michael McDevviitt for organizing this project again (this was the 9 th year!) and to their staff for participating and making the Haven such a beautiful place for the kids. These good folks were also busy during the summer as the staff collected school supplies for the Haven kids. These supplies were used to get the Haven kids off to a good start in the schools and some of the gifts were put to use in Our Little Academy. When Kids Help Kids, its a win-win situation, and we are truly grateful for support which has been pouring in from St. Louis children! This past summer, a group of very special young people hosted a summer camp. Not really unusual for a group of friends to get together and provide some fun. But this group was a bit different in that they chose to donate 100% of their earnings to OLH and gifted us $105. These second graders (left), Olivia Syrup, Lauren Bohlmann, Alexandra Garavaglia, Caroline Kreh, Katy Spears and Anna Bohlmann, recently came to visit us and provide their gift. Anna Bohlmann noted that this special group of friends hopes to make a difference and help to purchase school shoes or clothes. Well Anna and Crew, you did just that thanks for the opportunity. And thank you to the carload of kids (above) who brought a huge donation, and also to the young man pictured above who collected wishlist items in lieu of birthday gifts. Kids Helping Kids Kids Enjoy Fiesta Day Our Little Haven staff including therapists, Nurse Pat and Jannie the Cook had fun together cooking up a very special Fiesta Day for the residential center children. They deco- rated the lunchroom and kids chose from a special Mexican lunch menu while the staff served as waiters, hostesses and line servers. Americas Center Staff Helps OLH Help Around The House Sr. Rosemary DeDentro undertook a total refreshing of the childrens bedrooms in the residential building this year, with support from a grant from The Daughters of Charity Founda- tion. Carl Baumer and his friends Hank Klaesner and Jim Hieger volunteered their time and talents to install custom wainscoting in all of the childrens bedrooms. They look great, and we thank you! Charlie Combs (right) for the many painting projects around the Haven, including applying polyurethane on the new wainscoting in the childrens bedrooms and hanging the new blinds. Bockerstette Pest Control for providing free pest control services for our facility. CB Richard Ellis Realtors for providing birthday cakes for all of the children in the residential program. Steven Veatch for donating 3 kiddie rides for the children, including a heliocopter, racing car and truck. (photo on right) Thanks to Americas Center Catering for delivering meals to the OLH children while we were in between cooks. The kids really loved the food! Thanks to Nancy Tinker and the whole staff at the Dome. Thanks to the S.M Wilson & Co. employees who spent a day at the Haven painting, power washing and landscaping. The Haven really great after your efforts! We are so grateful to the many volunteers who donate their time and talents to help keep the Haven in great shape! Thank you to the following: KPMG Interns Help Out At Our Little Haven Again We are so grateful to KPMG for sending their interns to the Haven each summer to help out with various projects. This year the interns came on July 5 & 6 th and helped paint, performed yard work and completed various projects. They also donated Build-A-Bears and brought lunch for the kids. Thanks to Kim Mueller and all of the young interns who worked hard during this Done in a Day project. We thank everyone at KPMG for their continued generous support. Thank you to Bob Spradling who takes care of Our Little Havens HVAC needs. He donates all of his time which with the 4 buildings is a Steubenville Youth Conference Collects for OLH Participants in the Steubenville Youth Con- ference 2007, which is held through the Of- fice of Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and organized by Catholic University, made a very generous donation to the Haven of food, clothing, lots of gift cards and cash. Many, many thanks! Heritage Society Legacy Fund L. to rt: Carl Baumer, Sr. Rosemary DeDentro and Jim Hieger EXTRA! Volunteers need- ed for Our Little Academy, our preschool (see box story on page 7). Create a lasting legacy by remembering the Haven in your estate planning, and support nurturing & healing for many generations of children. To find out more about how you can create a lasting legacy---while helping change childrens lives---please contact Mike Bahlinger, (314) 533-2229, x225, mikebahlinger@ ourlittlehaven.org. St. Louis University Alumni organized by Jenny Seitz who spent a day at the Taylor Family Care Center sprucing up the grounds A special thanks to Maximus Carroll and his parents Shelly & Mike Carroll for asking guests to his 1 st birthday party to donate items from the Havens wish list in lieu of gifts for Maximus! Staff News New Staff Staff Updates Volunteers Erin Keller A big welcome to Erin Keller, our new case manager at the Taylor Family Care Center. Erin received her B.A. in psychology from Rockhurst University in Kansas City. Prior to coming to the Haven, Erin worked as a case manager at the Family Resource Center. The most rewarding part of her job is working with the children who are in foster care. She enjoys spending time with them, building their trust and a good relationship. Erin is from St. Louis and she is currently living in Creve Coeur. Her hobbies are running and reading. She participated in her first marathon last year in Chicago and hopes to compete in one next year. Good luck to her! Rachael Prewett We are pleased to welcome our new community psychotherapist, Rachael Prewett. Rachael recently moved here from Rolla, Missouri to work at Our Little Haven. She has graduated from University of MO-Columbia and Webster University, and is now finishing up some classes at University of MO-Columbia for her MSW. Before coming to OLH, Rachael was employed as a therapist at Boys and Girls Town of Missouri for three years. She loves working with children and is very excited to be at Our Little Haven. Rachael enjoys outdoor activities, reading, cooking, and listening to music. Jannie Smith Everyone at Our Little Haven would like to formally welcome our new cook, Jannie Smith. Jannie grew up here in St. Louis and has family members living in Memphis, Chicago, New York as well as St. Louis. Jannie has a twin brother, but they are definitely not the only twins in the family. There are actually seven sets of twins on her fathers side, and four more sets on her mothers. Jannie agreed that the entire Twin Study could probably be conducted on her family alone. Jannie attended Forest Park Community College and Harris Stowe College. She came to OLH with six years of experience with St. Louis city and county special school district under her belt. She loves kids, particularly those with special needs and enjoys preparing nutritious and fun meals for them. She has enormous patience and always has a ready smile. Hobbies include bowling, dancing and listening to gospel and Jazz music. Jannie also has a passion for Mexican cuisine. She has a pet Rat Terrier named Rebel who likes to jump reallllly high! We are pleased to introduce Jed Duer who is one of our regular volunteers who helps care for the kids in the residential program. Jed is an attorney who graduated from Rockhurst University and St. Louis University Law School and is currently in private practice in St. Louis. Jed first heard about OLH from a friend at the St. Louis Basilica-Old Cathedral. At the time Jed was working as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Jefferson County where he founded the unit that prosecuted child abuse cases. This gave him first hand insight into working with children who had experi- enced abuse. The most amazing discovery I made was how truly resilient children were, provided they had the proper support and nurturing from the adults around them. Jed has been volunteering since 1999 and comes every Thursday to help care for the kids. He really enjoys helping the kids with their homework, playing with them outside, and being there if they just want to talk. I feel like I can continue makinga difference by working directly with our kids. And whatever I think I am bringing to them, they always seem to teach me more. Being at the Haven is the high point of the week for me. An extra bonus is the wonderful people I meet, volunteers and house parents, who I would never know otherwise. Thanks, Jed, for being such a committed volunteer and for being here for our kids - they look forward to your visit every week! Volunteer Updates Congratulations to OLH Volunteer Pat Britt (photo left), who came in first place in his age division in the 2007 St. Louis Marathon. As a state attorney, Jed founded a unit to prosecute child abuse cases in Jefferson County.
Hes been volunteering ever since. Volunteer Profile Congratulations to Kristin Cowart on the birth of her baby boy, Zachary. Congratulations to Miko Salmond who celebrated her 11 th anniversary with the Haven this past spring. Congratulations to Rod Williams who is celebrating his10 th anniversary with the Haven this fall. A special commendation to Nurse Pat who assisted with a medical emergency on a flight to NY to visit her daughter in college. Nurse Pat was integral in saving the life of a passenger by administering oxygen and the necessary medication to keep the patient stable until they landed. Thanks to Michelle Lowery and Jodi Kotraba for filling in for Judy Combs when she was on vacation, enabling meals for the Parent-Child Program. Congratulations to Courtney Cunninghams son; Ryan has been acting in the Black Repertorys touring production of Crossin Over. Wishlist Fun Items Childrens CDs/DVDs Birthday wrapping paper Game Boys Games for Game Cube/Game Boy Dress-up clothes Socks (shoe size 4T-3) Undershirts (Sizes 6-16) Underwear (Sizes 6-10) Hooded sweatshirts (Sizes 6-16) School uniforms - long/short sleeve white polos, khaki pants/bermudas, sizes 6-16 New Clothing is needed. If you can help, we need sizes 4-16. ** No baby oil, baby powder, baby shampoo or stuffed animals, please ** Every Day Items Baby wipes Diapers/pull-ups Baby lotion Vaseline Paper Towels, Toilet Paper Trash bags Dixie Cups (bathroom) Bathroom cleaners Laundry Detergent and Lysol Juice boxes Plastic barrettes/pony tail wraps Pink oil moisturizer Just For Me hair de-tangler & perms Hydrocortisone ointment 1% Batteries AAA, AA, D, C and 9V Digital thermometers Fruit rolls, fruit snacks, raisins Tempera paints, fat paint brushes Colored tissue paper Outdoor play items: wagons, basketballs, kickballs, new bike helmets, bats & balls. Field Trip Activities Gift Certificates to . . . Science Center Zoo Parking City Museum McDonalds/fast food (for special outings) Movie passes Tumble Drum/Monkey Joes Especially-needed right now: Childrens Motrin, Childrens Advil and Childrens Tylenol, triple antiobiotic ointment, liquid childrens Benedryl, Hydrocortisone 1% ointment. Thank you! If you would like to conduct a wishlist drive, please email Mary at mary@ourlittlehaven.org We need paper towels and toilet paper. Gift Certificates Schnucks, Dierbergs Shop NSave Sams/Walmart Toys R Us Target Payless Shoe Stores Blockbuster Michaels/HobbyLobby For Family Care Center (for youth in Independent Living, 18+) toiletries household items gift cards (grocery, gas, Target, Blockbuster, Walmart, Payless) (for girls/guys ages 13-17) girl items: lotions, pjs, hair accesso- ries & hair, beauty products guy items: sports team logo jerseys/ sweatshirts, size mens S-XL for both: gift cards (grocery, gas, Tar- get, Blockbuster, Walmart, Payless Shoes) AM/FM/CD Boombox/MP3 players Need Large baskets
for the Dinner Auction! For the Preschool Tempera paints (all colors) Construction paper (all colors) Model Magic modeling clay Play Doh sets Child scissors, paper punches Sand bottles & craft sand Felt squares Sequins, glitter Pipe cleaners Crayons, markers Colored pencils Watercolor sets Collage items (buttons/ribbon) Colored craft tissue paper Craft sticks Paper plates, cups Gift cards to: Borders, Target, Michaels or Hobby Lobby and McDonalds (for birthdays) If you can donate standing and/or tabletop display easels, please phone Maggie at x243. To adopt a Family Care Center family this holiday, please call Sr. Rosemary DeDentro at (314) 533- 2229, x228. See story page 6. Our Little Haven Wishlist Haven Angels and Heroes Thank you to all of the donors who help us make a special place for children at Our Little Haven. These are just some of the groups and individuals who have helped. Kevin Adkins & Maureen Redig Albright Family Martin Allgeier Alpha Chi Omega Americas Center Catering AT&T Employees Thelma Baer Justin Blunk Lizette Smith-Bonner Bnai Brith Brownie Troop 1693 Bob Bryan Marc Cacciarelli The Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis donated 75 cases of Girl Scout cookies. Mrs. Gerald Deppe CB Richard Ellis Theresa Remis-Gill and James Gill Girl Scout Troop #1149 Girl Scouts District 5 & 9 Green Hat Society Peggy Haleman Ellen Heaghney Henry Elementary School Hertel Christmas Open House John F. Kennedy & Cardinal Glennon Hibernians Brenda Jackson Nick & Mary Jacobs Jamestown Elementary School Chris Keefe Melissa Kohr Fanny Kunes Ladies of Little Flower Assumption Parish Joe & Theresa Leisure Lea Leisure Levy Restaurants Maryville University Student Occupational Therapy Assoc. Maureen Merkley Ruthie Milner Christie Morks New Horizons Presbyterian Church Andrew Oberman Tracey OBrien Brian ODekirk Coleen OHerron Parkway Early Childhood Pattonville School District Perico, Ltd. Ed Pennington Pat Pfile Project Hatty Quest Day Treatment Div of Youth Services Rosey Red Hatters St. Dominic Savio St. Louis Panhellenic Assoc. St. Louis Univ HS Alumni Assoc Shannon Shaw Rob Shreves Jerry Sommer Tina Swindle Ralph Van Doren Wal-Mart Town & Country Wellpoint employees Christopher Winds Subdivision Thank you for these generous grants: Express Scripts has provided a $20,000 grant to support Our Little Academy, the Our Little Haven Thera- peutic Preschool. ESCO Technologies Foundation ap- proved a $10,000 grant to support the Residential Program. The Jordan Foundation approved a $6,000 grant to support the Residential Program. The Saigh Foundation awarded a grant of $10,000 to support the Resi- dential Program. The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) selected Our Little Haven to be a recipient of funds for the 2008 cam- paign. Our CFC number for this year is 54223. Professional Women of ATT approved a grant of $1,000 for the Residential Program. The Pott Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to support the Residential Program. Boeing Employee Community Fund (ECF) has provided a grant of $8,000 to support the Milestones Residential Program. Old Newsboys Day provided a grant of $1,500 grant. Volunteers from the United Way/St. Louis Cares Program come on a regular basis to read to the children. Volunteers through the CHAMPS Program bring therapy dogs for the children to enjoy. Member of St. Paul AME Church and Lou- ise Welch for a onation of denim items. St. Louis Variety invited our children to at- tend two exciting events: an evening with the Marvel Superheroes at the St. Louis Science Center on July 25 th . The kids met the charac- ters including the Hulk, Spiderman and oth- ers, enjoyed snacks and had a great time; and a St. Louis Rams pre-season football game at the Dome on Sat. August 18 th . Thanks to St. Louis Variety, the St. Louis Science Center and the St. Louis Rams for includ- ing our kids in these fun events! T hank you for special gifTs : Over $1,000 has been raised since the last news- letter by fans of Hollywoods Scott Bakula, including Scottsgirls, The Bakpak, and the Scott Bakula Fan Forum (SBFF). Fundrais- ing projects include sales of a caricature of Scott by Maryse Worrallo, the Piggie Project which auctioned Scott Bakula autographed stuffed piggies, and memorial gifts just to name a few. Funds will go towards covering the costs of the Haven kids in the residential program special outings. Thanks to all of the Scottsgirls, Bakpak-ers and Scott Bakula Fan Forum members for their continuing support! We are so grateful for all the generous and creative ways Scott Bakulas fans have so loyally and generously continued to provide support. Moolah Shriners and Thomas Hunter for donating 25 tickets to the Shriners Circus for the Haven kids to attend. Don Willey and LIUNA Laborers Local 110 for 20 Moolah Shrine Circus Tickets. thank you to Virginia Duffy and friends! thank you to the Albright Family who donated pretty Easter gift baskets! Bakula Fans Raise Significant Funds Please join us for our 4 th annual Chic Boutiques Fashion Event to benefit OLH, presented by The William S. Kallaos Family Foundation on Saturday, October 13 th at the St. Louis Frontenac Hilton Hotel. Tickets are $60 each and include wine, a three-course luncheon, comp parking, silent auction, fashion show, vendor shopping and a goody bag. Doors open at 10:00 a.m.and the event concludes at 2:00 p.m. Boutiques in the fashion show include Blush, Femme, Laurie Solet, Susan Lynns, Jilly Bean & Strasburg Children. Get a jump on holiday shopping while supporting our kids with vendor shopping including: Arbonne, Angelina Accoutrements, B.B.s Belts & Buckles, Bali Girl Jewelry, Blings & Things, Cats Meow, Cool Beads, Codi Jewelry, Dazzle Boutique, Elises Pieces, Eye Candy, Gay Frederick Creations, Gina Graphics, LHM Creative Designs, Pulse, Silk & Stone, Southern Living at Home, Suzanne Marie Designs,Vellum and more! St. Louis artist John Pils will be there in person to autograph prints for purchase (including the tremendously popular Busch Stadium Signature Edition print with 50% of the purchase benefitting OLH.) For additional info or to reserve tickets, please call Mary Eisler at 314-533-2229, ext. 232 or email meisler@ourlittlehaven.org . Please note no tickets are mailed- --all reservations will be held for you at the door. __________________________________________ Name
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Exp. date _____ Sec Code _____Phone:______________ Chic Boutiques # tickets @ $60 each = ________ (Reservations held at door) Please seat me with: ______________________________ Fashion Show and Boutique Shopping Event - Saturday, Oct. 13th-Frontenac Hilton Lunch With Santa Saturday, December 15th John F. Kennedy Catholic High School 500 Woods Mills Road - Manchester, MO # tickets @ $10 each = ________ # children under 12: (for goody bag) ___________ _______________________________________________
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Account # _______________________________________ Our Little Haven- Attn: Mary Eisler P.O. Box 23010 St. Louis, MO 63156-3010 Our Little Haven- Attn: Judy Combs P.O. Box 23010 St. Louis, MO 63156-3010 mail to: Shop, Shop, Shop At Chic Boutiques Fashion Event Come join the fun in Chesterfield Valley on Saturday, September 29 th
which includes activities for the whole family, including - Rumble Run starting at 8:00 am, a 5k run and one mile walk/fun run through the Chesterfield Commons. - Rally in the Valley at 9:00 am, 9, 16 and 25-mile family bike rides through Chesterfield Valley. - Taste of The Valley 10:00 2:00 pm. Fifteen local restaurants music by Yessir and a kids play area. To join in the run, simply complete the form below and send it to us at the Haven, or you go online for the flyer/registration form and the link to online signup at Our Little Havens web site at www.ourlittlehaven. 5K RUMBLE RUN For Our Kids Lunch With Santa Lunch With Santa rides again, with a new venue: this years event takes place at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, 500 Woods Mill Road, Manchester, MO, 11:00 am in the cafeteria hall. Dillards Crestwoods Santa is riding on over to our event with Santas reindeer, elves, clowns and songs. Yummy lunch, fun goody bags---your kids, grandkids or your neighbors kids will love it! For those who have enjoyed the event year after year, please note the venue change! mail to: Holiday Cards Questions/imprint orders? phone Ann (314) 533-2229, x227. View online at www. ourlittlehaven.org $8 for 10 cards Full-color cards, size 4 1/2 x 6, w/envelopes. 100% goes to OLH! Please send us this form, or phone Judy at (314) 533-2229, x285 and she will gladly take your order info. Custom imprints available; imprint orders are due by November 28th. Please add postage/packing: $2.50 for 1 pkg, $3.50 for 2 pkgs, $5 for 3-9 pkgs, $10 for 10 pkgs. Name___________________________________________ __ Address _______________________________________ City/State/Zip ___________________________________ Phone _____________ email _______________________ # packages of cards _______ x $8 = $ ____________ Plus Shipping/postage (*see above) $__________ ___ Total $_____________ mail to: OLH, P.O. Box 23010, St. Louis, MO 63156-3010 Upcoming OLH Events Calendar Sex: M F Age on Race Day _____________ Race entered: 5K Run _________ 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk _______ Please charge to MasterCard/Visa (circle one)
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City State Zip In consideration of this entry, I assume all risk of injury to myself and damage or loss of property arising out of my participation and hereby release and forever discharge the sponsors and promoters of this event, including Our Little Haven, Eckelman and Sebben, Chesterfield and their respective subsidiaries, agents, subcontractors and volunteers from any claims or damages which may arise from my participation in the OLH Run for the Kids/RumbleRun. In consideration of my own free will, I for myself, my heirs, executors and administers indemnify and hold harmless all of the aforementioned sponsors and promoters from liability, claims, demands, actions, loss and/or damage arising out of my participation in the Event. I give my full permission to Our Little Haven, its affiliates and sponsors and promoters to use any photographs, videotapes, audio tapes or other recordings of me that are made during the event. Monday, Sept. 17, 2007 16 th Annual Our Little Haven Golf Tournament, presented by Michelob Ultra at Norwood Hills Country Club. Join us for a day of golf, lunch, cocktails, dinner, auctions and prizes. Call Scott to reserve your package or spot at (314) 533-2229 x224 or at scotthummel@ourlittle- haven.org . Saturday, September 29, 2007 5K Rumble Run For The Kids. 8:00 am in Chesterfield Valley. The Rumble Rallys 5K Run and One Mile Fun Run/Walk through Chesterfield Commons,. To register online, go to http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1480156. This is the active.com website, and the link goes directly to our page. To view and download a registration flyer to send to us by mail, please go to our website at www.ourlittlehaven.org/events , or fill out the form at the bottom of this page. Saturday, October 13, 2007 4 th Annual Chic Boutiques Fashion Show and Boutique Shopping event at the St. Louis Frontenac Hilton Hotel, 10 am 2 pm. Enjoy a day of boutique shopping and fashion show by local trendy boutiques. The boutique shopping includes more than 20 local vendors selling everything from gifts to jewelry to handbags and more! Tickets are $60 and include a 3-course luncheon, comp parking, goody bags, door prizes, shopping and more! For more information, to make a donation to the silent auction or to purchase tickets, contact Mary Eisler at (314) 533-2229 x232 or meisler@ourlittlehaven.org . Sat. December 15, 2007 -Lunch with Santa to Benefit the Haven at John F. Kennedy High School, 500 Woods Mill Road 11:00 am. Come have a holiday lunch and join in the festivities and music. Take your picture with Santa at your table and meet Santa and his elves and clowns. Goodie bags will be given to all children. The cost is $10 per person (children under 2 are free). Call Santa at (314) 533-2229 x285 or fill out the registration form on the page opposite. Mail to Santa, Our Little Haven, P.O. Box 23010, St. Louis, MO 63156. Saturday, February 16, 2008 - Haven Club Trivia Night at CBC High School. Tickets are $25 per person and include beer, wine, soda and set-ups. For tickets or information, contact Angie Geis at anggeis@yahoo.com . Sat. April 26, 2008 16 th Annual Dinner Auction Our Little Hoedown, 6:00 pm. Americas Center Ballroom. Any- one interested in serving on the Auction Committee, donating auction items, or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Maggie Beal at (314) 533-2229 x243 or mbeal@ourlittlehaven.org . News Our Little Haven NEWS is published twice a year for our friends and supporters. Executive Director: P. Scott Hummel, MSW , LCSW Therapeutic Director: Kathleen Hummel, MSW, LCSW Editor: Maggie Beal /// Photographer/designer: Ann Julien Board of Directors: W illiam Newbold, Chairman, Jerry Adams, Denise Bah - linger, Peter Barkofske, Pete Baxendale, Karen Beasley , Lisa Chandler, Dan Charles, Anne and Robert Golterman, Stacy Hastie, Steve Heck, John Irace, Anthony Jones, Darryl Jones, Anne and James Kelleher , Paul Klug, Mark Mager, Matt McGrath, Robert Meyer, David Nestor , Christine Newbold, Brian Paluch, John Seiler, Scott Thomlison, Gary Tompkins, Donald Vietor , Rev. Robert Weiss, S.J., Risa Zwerling Wrighton Newsletter printed by Midtown Printing. P.O. Box 23010, St. Louis, MO 63156-3010 Ph: 314/533-2229. P.O. Box 23010 St. Louis, Missouri 63156-3010 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID St. Louis, MO Permit No. 2111 Many thanks to Gary Clark who has dedicated his new childrens book to Our Little Haven. The first publication of his Purple Beetle Pub- lishing Co., Only One Wish is a heartwarming tale of a childs wish. Gary s dedication to OLH was inspired by his volunteer experience reading books to the children at Our Little Haven through the United W ay St. Louis Cares volunteers. The cost of the book is $20 with a portion of proceeds benefitting the Haven. To order a copy of Only One W ish for a childs holiday gift , to donate to your childs elementary school library , or to have for your childrens home library , please go to our website at www.ourlittlehaven.org , or phone Ann at (314) 533-2229, x227, and thank you! Book Dedicated To Our Little Haven Haven Holiday Cards Available Our Little Havens 2007 Holiday Cards feature an an- gel dressed in red and green with holiday gifts. $8 for 10 cards and enve- lopes. Please see page 14 to order.
