PolITiGenomics

Below is a nice interview with DiAnne Mueller, CEO of the St. Louis Crisis Nursery, talking about what the Crisis Nursery does and how you can help.

The St. Louis Auto Dealers Association will be holding its annual charity gala, Cheers for Children!, benefiting several local children’s charities (including the St. Louis Crisis Nursery), at the America’s Center on January 30^th, 2010 from 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. Tickets are $50 and include valet parking, appetizers, open bar, silent auction, a private tour of the Auto Show floor, live music and admission to the after-party at Mosaic Lounge. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Katie Heineman at (314) 822-0333. Be sure to mention the St. Louis Crisis Nursery when purchasing your tickets.

The Young Professionals Board of the St. Louis Crisis Nursery is hosting it’s second annual Party with a Purpose on Thursday November 12, 2009. The event is once again at Bar Napoli. Tickets are still available (put “YPB Event” in the comment field) and include hors d’oeuvres and an open bar ($60) or two drinks ($40). I hope to see you there.

In a lead up to the St. Louis Crisis Nursery‘s Celebrity Waitress and Waiters Night, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a nice story about how the nursery helps those who, when things go bad, have no where else to turn. The nursery not only provides a safe place for children, it also helps connect the parents with people and agencies that can help them get back on their feet.

The United Way of Greater St. Louis is having an online auction to benefit many non-profits around St. Louis, including the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. A lot of the items have a local flavor, e.g., sports tickets and landmark tours, but some have a wider appeal like a guitar autographed by Carlos Santana. The auction closes on August 20, 2009, so get your bids in.

The St. Louis Crisis Nursery will be hosting their annual Celebrity Waitress and Waiters Night on August 20, 2009 at Canyon Café and Cardwell’s at the Plaza, both located in Plaza Frontenac. St. Louis celebrities and politicians will be waiting on tables and all tips received will be donated to the Crisis Nursery. This is a popular event, so be sure to make your reservations soon.

To begin to wash off all the evil that scientists do, why not do some good by helping a worthy charity like the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. The Crisis Nursery has several events coming up. There are wine tastings on June 18, 2009 in Chesterfield, MO (see details (pdf)) and on June 25, 2009 in St. Charles County. On August 20, 2009, the Nursery will host its annual Celebrity Waiters’ and Waitresses’ Night at Cardwell’s and Canyon Café in Plaza Frontenac. Or, you can just donate some of your ill-gotten gains.

Here is a nice piece about some furloughed auto workers in St. Louis giving back to the community by volunteering their time at local charities, including the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. Here’s hoping these folks are not among the 21,000 that will lose their jobs by next year.

This morning I got this message in an email from the Director of the St. Louis Crisis Nursery.

Dear Friends,

As the economy continues to spiral downward, families throughout our area are struggling every day to care for their little girls and boys. They must choose between buying food or paying rent. They must decide if they can afford diapers this week or if they will need the money to keep the lights on.

I’d like to share a quick story about little 6-year-old Isabel who came to a Crisis Nursery location last week.

A Nursery staff member spotted Isabel going through the garbage in the kitchen and asked what she was looking for. Isabel replied, “food.” Isabel said she and her mom do this everyday.

The staff member gave Isabel a big hug and told her there is more food at Crisis Nursery than she could ever imagine. When she is staying with us, she will never be hungry! The nursery staff made sure that Isabel and her mother had as much food as they could carry with them when they left.

We ask that you keep our families in your prayers. Check out all of the great fundraising events coming up, we’d love if you could join us!

Thank you so very much for your ongoing, generous support!

DiAnne Mueller
Executive Director
Saint Louis Crisis Nursery

You can donate to the Crisis Nursery online or attend an upcoming event.

Deb Peterson’s column today in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a blurb (scroll to the bottom) about Fran Pieper, a St. Louis Crisis Nursery volunteer. There are a few upcoming opportunities for people in the St. Louis area to help the Crisis Nursery out. On January 29th, KeyStone of St. Louis is hosting an event benefiting the Crisis Nursery at Felix’s in Dogtown. It’s only $20 for drinks and pizza!

A couple days later on January 31st, the St. Louis Auto Dealers Association is hosting a Cheers for Children Charity Gala as part of the St. Louis Auto Show. The St. Louis Crisis Nursery is one of the children’s charities that will benefit from the event. Event tickets are $75 (VIP for $100) and include valet parking, hors d’oeuvres, drinks, live music, and after hours access to the auto show. So have some fun and make a difference in the life of a child.