3. Hope Builders Breakfast

Alive in Hope Foundation

About Us | Endowment Funds | Ways to Give | Donate In this Issue (Spring 2009, No. 2)

Inaugural Hope Builders Breakfast Held at the Prestigious Grand Hyatt

(L to R: Reverend John Amann, pastor of Holy Family Parish, Brooklyn and guests)

Hope Builders bring friends, colleagues to breakfast to learn about the Alive in Hope Foundation, support Catholic Education

New York, NY (March 12, 2009) – Ten generous supporters of the Alive in Hope Foundation joined in sponsoring our Inaugural Hope Builders Breakfast at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan, on the morning of March 12.

Each “Hope Builder” brought friends and colleagues to the breakfast, where they learned about the work of the Foundation, watched the Foundation’s video, and heard stirring testimonials from Kiana, a student at St. Clare’s School who receives a scholarship through an endowment fund in the Alive in Hope Foundation, and her mother. Both spoke of the meaning of Kiana’s Catholic education to them and their family; the education they value so deeply, they reflected, would not have been possible without the Foundation’s support.

Monsignor Bracken surprised Kiana and her mother by announcing her Catholic Education would continue at St. Francis Preparatory High School, thanks to a $10,000 scholarship from an anonymous donor! The significance of the scholarship to Kiana and her mother was immediately evident to all.

Mr. Roger Aguinaldo, one of the Hope Builders, said of the event “[it was] a truly wonderful experience and one I’m proud to be a part of… [the testimonials from Kiana and her mother] were heart-tugging and real…it was a beautiful reminder of how lucky we are and that the ability to give is the ultimate gift”.

The Alive in Hope Foundation sincerely thanks its Hope Builders: Mr. Roger Aguinaldo, Mr. Walter Campbell, Mr. John Cosgrove, Mrs. Mary Macchiarola, Kathleen McCormack, Mr. Michael V. Oneal, Mr. Rocco Papandrea, Mrs. Danielle Papandrea, Mr. Gerard Trapp, and Ms. Stephanie Whittier, for their tremendous advocacy of the Foundation. And a special thanks to our new Hope Builders who joined us on March 12 – you helped make the event a true success!