Press
Chamber Mixer sponsored by BPDT, hosted by GCH
Chamber Mixer sponsored by BPDT, hosted by GCH
By Loreen Berlin
The Buena Park Independent
The July monthly mixer of the Buena Park Area Chamber of Commerce was sponsored by Buena Park Downtown and hosted by Giving Children Hope, 8332, Commonwealth, Thursday, July 15.
It was just last year when BPDT Marketing Director Patricia Neill found out about GCH and their backpack program for elementary school children who have been identified as homeless. That’s when she opened her heart to help the organization.
This year, she sponsored the Chamber mixer at the GCH facility to raise community awareness, with city officials and Chamber members attending
“Patricia is truly an amazing woman with so much on her plate, but she still finds time and energy to help the community,” GCH Director of Community Programs Elizabeth Saldaña said. “It has truly been a blessing knowing her this past year.”
Bella Dia Salon and Day Spa Co-owner and GCH Board of Directors member Virginia Vaughn and husband Kenny Vaughn also attended the mixer and were praised by Saldaña for their efforts and prize donations for the mixer, along with Board of Directors member and owner of Ovene Winery Jeff White for donating wine for the mixer.
Saldaña said that the Giving Children Hope’s local program, “We’ve Got Your Back” is partnering with four other non-profits this summer which includes the Boys and Girls Club of Buena Park, Fit 4 R Kids, Lot 318, Baden Powell Elementary School in Anaheim and Ocean View Elementary in Huntington Beach, in continuing to make food available for all children enrolled in the We’ve Got Your Back program during the summer months when the school cafeterias are closed.
“Giving Children Hope is enrolling 200 more children throughout the summer months and will end the 2009-2010 school year with 1,000 children enrolled in our program,” Saldaña said. “We still have some availability in our program so if anyone has a child in elementary school that would benefit from a nutritious backpack full of food please have them visit one of our distribution sites and we will access if the family is eligible for the program.”
GCH will also be adding an additional 2000 children to the program in the 2010-2011 school year.
“If you know of any schools interested in enrolling their school in our We’ve Got Your Back program please have them contact me,” Saldaña said. “Our mission is to reach suffering children all over the world but with the help of everyone we can reach kids who are in our own backyard; please urge people, businesses, churches and service clubs to get involved. We can all do something to help such as having food drives, fundraisers, volunteering etc. if you would like to read more about our local program please go to www.wgyb.org – we would love to enroll more children in need.”
To date Giving Children Hope has distributed over $7 million worth of life-saving medicines, medical supplies and other relief items to Haiti since the 7.0 earthquake that hit the country in January 2010.
For information on how to help support the organization’s plans to transition from relief to long-term development in the county, please visit www.aidtohaiti.org.
Sunday, October 3, at 4 p.m. at Los Coyotes Country Club, 8888 Los Coyotes Drive in Buena Park, 90621, Giving Children Hope will be hosting its annual gala, “Voyage of Hope,” where guests may learn about Giving Children Hope’s programs that focus on alleviating poverty locally, nationally and abroad. There will be fine dining, entertainment, and a silent auction. For more information and to purchase tickets or becoming a sponsor, visit www.2010voyageofhope.org.
For Chamber information, call 714-521-0261 or visit www.buenaparkchamber.org.
For Buena Park Downtown information, call 714-503-5000 or visit www.buenaparkdowntown.com.
For Giving Children Hope, call 714-523-4454 or e-mail Saldaña at esaldana@godaid.org or visit www.gchope.org
Loreen Berlin can be reached at loreenberlin@verizon.net
