Midwest Groundcovers, Midwest Trading donate to charity

In December 2011, Midwest Groundcovers and Midwest Trading of St. Charles, Ill., donated more than $5,000, food and clothing to Hesed House and Hope Haven -- local missions that provide emergency shelter and transitional housing services. Midwest surpassed the previous year's fund raising efforts by nearly $2,000.

A portion of the funds raised in 2011 were allocated to Sustainable Sharing with Guatemala, an organization that donates stoves to families in Guatemala. Midwest funded the purchase of two much needed stoves for Guatemalan families.

According to Midwest Charity Committee member Mary Ellen Biell, a majority of the funds were raised during an employee raffle – an event that capped a year-long company-wide charitable initiative. Funds raised during the raffle and other events like plant and snack sales were then matched by Midwest companies as well as an independent
donor.

The Midwest employee raffle included items donated by the following local businesses: Colonial Café and Ice Cream in Elgin, Al's Cafe and Creamery in Elgin, Sorrento's in Maple Park, Townhouse Books and Café in St. Charles, Smitty's on the Corner in St. Charles, Taxco Restaurant in Sycamore and Delnor Community Health and Wellness Center in Geneva.

Hesed House of Aurora, Illinois is a center for ministries that provide services to the poor and homeless. For more information on this organization, please visit their website at www.hesedhouse.org.
Hope Haven  of Dekalb, Illinois offers emergency shelter and transitional housing services for homeless families. The transitional housing program helps families attain self-sufficiency through education and training and also provides mentors and tutors to children.