Heart to Heart, Project S.O.S. Announce Nonprofit Merger

Combined organization adds tools for disadvantaged kids to succeed in school

OLATHE, Kan./May15, 2006 — Heart to Heart International Inc., a leading global humanitarian organization, today announced the Project S.O.S., a Kansas City-based nonprofit, has agreed to merge with the organization and enhance Heart to Heart’s humanitarian outreach across the U.S. The merger was announced at the annual Ewing M. Kauffman Golf Classic, the largest fundraiser of the year for Project S.O.S.

“Project S.O.S. enhances our portfolio of community services by delivering a highly valuable product to children and youth in the metro area,” said Jon D. North, Heart to Heart’s CEO. “We have actually supported their efforts for several years and admired their work from afar. But it wasn’t until late last year that we realized how compatible we were and talks of a merger accelerated. We’re excited to bring Project S.O.S. into the Heart to Heart Alliance.”

Project S.O.S. currently works with local agencies to identify students in need of school supplies at the start of the school year. The 19-year-old organization regularly delivers more than 7,500 backpacks full of much-needed supplies each year. The Kauffman Classic is the annual kick-off event to recruit volunteers and sponsors.

“Merging with Heart to Heart will enable Project S.O.S. to achieve its vision of helping children in need in Kansas City and beyond,” said Bruce Ré, co-founder of Project S.O.S. “Heart to Heart offers us a national platform from which to expand—a platform that we may not have been able to achieve on our own. We’re excited about the prospect of helping more kids than ever before.”

Heart to Heart supports social-service agencies in communities across the U.S. with infusions of “people power” and essential products, enabling these agencies to focus their resources on the mission at hand—helping people in need in their community.


Heart to Heart International is a global humanitarian organization that is leading a volunteer revolution and creating a healthier world in the process. Since being founding in 1992, Heart to Heart has delivered nearly $500 million (U.S. wholesale) worth of humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries, including the United States. For more information on our programs and ways to get involved, visit www.hearttoheart.org.

Project S.O.S. is a Kansas City-based nonprofit that prepares and distributes more than 7,500 back-to-school kits each year for disadvantaged kids on both sides of the state line. In its 19-year history, Project S.O.S. has helped nearly 115,000 children—many in the foster-care system—by providing them with a backpack filled with supplies that provide much-needed support and encouragement as they start a new school year. For more information, visit www.kcprojectsos.org 


HURRICANE KATRINA'S CHILDREN COME TO KC!

Children and their families are seeking refuge in the Kansas City area from Hurrican Katrina.  In the past week Project SOS has been ask to provide a backpack and the school supplies they need as these children coming up from the Gulf area.  So far we have provided 170 children and are projecting that we will serve a total of 2,000 additional children from this disaster.

In 2005, Project SOS provided backpacks filled with grade specific school supplies to nearly 8,500 children and now needs your help to serve these children.  You can help by sending your donation to:

Project SOS

P.O. Box 1313

Blue Springs, MO  64013

or call:

816-220-1206   

Daddio's Take & Bake Teams up with Project SOS!            

Daddio’s Take-N-Bake, offering Italian and Mexican specialties, is opening its first Kansas location in the Overland Park Price Chopper at 75th and Metcalf. During its Grand Opening on Wednesday, April 6, 2005 – just in time for Major League Baseball’s Opening Week – Daddio’s will launch a charity partnership with Project S.O.S. and invite former Royals relief pitcher and Project SOS spokeperson Jeff Montgomery to don his chef’s hat and pitch into the oven Daddio’s inaugural pizza. 

“Daddio’s is proud to be a partner with Kansas City’s Project S.O.S. We share a mutual interest in wanting to nurture and support families and help prepare this community’s youth for a better future,” said Susan Boresow, chief marketing officer for Daddio’s USA, Inc. “As a very family-focused brand, when I heard S.O.S. helps more than 10,000 kids a year and 430 in Overland Park alone, we knew this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Daddio's will be contributing $.50 to Project SOS for every medium and large pizza they sell from the Overland Park location during the months of April and May.