Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many non-profit organizations have been presented with crucial challenges that have been difficult to overcome. Stewart’s Shops/Dake Family recognized these challenges and have made every effort to provide support through such a trying time. To date, we have allocated over $1 million in monetary and product relief to hundreds of impacted organizations. Recently one of these organizations, St. Catherine’s Center for Children, honored these efforts by naming us a COVID-19 Community Champion!
St. Catherine’s Center for Children is a human services organization that provides a range of programs tackling issues such as homelessness, child abuse and neglect, family instability, and special education. These programs offer hope, foster growth, and improve the lives of the children, families, and adults they serve. Like many organizations, St. Catherine’s had to adapt their programs as well as implement extensive health safeguards when COVID-19 hit. Nicholas Francella, the Annual Giving Offer at St. Catherine’s stated, “Honestly, it was a tough, and sometimes worrisome few months. But the onset of COVID-19 taught our organization many lessons. One being that we have the best community friends.”
In order to meet these evolving needs, St. Catherine’s set up a COVID-19 Impact Fund, which Stewart’s Shops/Dake Family donated $20,000 towards. St. Catherine’s kindly said, “We couldn’t accomplish our mission of bringing Hope for Tomorrow to those in need without you. Your compassion is truly inspiring, and we cannot thank you enough for your enduring support.”
Stewart’s gives $7.5 annually to over 6,000 non-profit organizations. $5 million of it comes from the Dake Family Foundations, so it does not impact our Partners ESOP/Profit sharing.