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Coffee shop makes donation to Safe Haven |
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Monday, 31 December 2007 |
 Joyce Porter with Saline County Safe Haven women’s shelter, second from left, accepts a check from Kristen Vanlandingham, a barista (coffee preparation specialist) at Woodside Coffee in Bryant. At the ends are owners of the coffee shop Cheryl and Bruce Bowie. The business sold paper ornaments, shown on the tree, with all proceeds going toward Safe Haven’s renovation project. (Courier photo by Jillian Duke)
Woodside Coffee in Bryant presented the donation to the shelter for victims of domestic abuse. Joyce Porter, treasurer of Safe Haven’s board of directors, accepted the donation on the shelter’s behalf.
The contribution of more than $200 will go toward the shelter’s project in renovating an office into a playroom for children.
Woodside Coffee enlisted youth of First United Methodist Church in Bryant to make paper Christmas tree ornaments. The coffee shop then accepted donations for the ornaments. Contributors were given the option of taking the ornament home or placing it on the tree in the shop.
Porter said the playroom project should be completed within the next couple of months. A place for the children to play was needed badly, she said, noting play therapy can be the most effective form of therapy for children.
“We’re excited about the project,” Porter said.
Specifically, the proceeds will go toward toys and other play items. Love Ministries has donated an all-new table and chairs for the room, Cheryl Bowie, co-owner of Woodside, said.
Bowie said this year was the first for Woodside to do a wish tree. “Last year, we contributed to the back-pack program. We love the tree concept.”
Community support was a success, Bowie said. “Some donations came in 50 cents and quarters.”
Bowie said her business picked Safe Haven to help after asking local churches to recommend a local charity. “We like this charity because 100 percent of the proceeds goes to buying the equipment.
Woodside began collecting donations Dec. 8 through Christmas day, Bowie said. “We sold every ornament the First United Methodist youth made,” she said.
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