Begemann Calls Angel Award Recognition a 'Twofold Honor'
Eileen Elias Freeman, author of The Angels’ Little Instruction Book, said, “Angels are all around us, all the time, in the very air we breathe.”
This quote rang true for the Guardian Angel Settlement Association (GASA) dinner and auction held on Sat., April 25, 2009. One of those angels was Monsanto’s very own Brett Begemann, global commercial lead. Begemann, a long-time supporter of GASA, was on hand to receive an Angel Award on behalf of Monsanto.
"Each year, Guardian Angel Settlement recognizes an individual, couple or family--as well as a company or organization--for the Angel Award," Laura Drake, GASA event planner, said. "We choose someone who has made a difference in the life of Guardian Angel Settlement and those we serve.”
Making a difference in lives is what Guardian Angel Settlement is all about. This can be seen through their developmental child care programs, and youth programs. A social service program for families, seniors and individuals including a food pantry that provides emergency food assistance to those in need.
“Monsanto has been a wonderful supporter of the agency for many years through food drives and, most recently, through a generous gift pledged to the capital campaign for a new garden at the Child Development Center currently under construction,” Drake said. “This was a primary reason for recognizing Monsanto this year."
For Begemann, being recognized for the Angel Award is a twofold honor. “This recognition is an honor for me personally, and for Monsanto,” Begemann said. “I personally have been a long time supporter because they do such fabulous work for disadvantaged people in the city of St. Louis. It’s nice to be able to help people that need help in your local community. And they do such a great job in ensuring that what you do for them gets directed to those who need help. For Monsanto as a large corporation in the St. Louis area, this is fantastic for them to be seen as a corporate citizen turning back a bit of support to the community. Part of being a good corporate citizen is giving back to the community that hosts you in that community and it’s a big part of what we do.”
A big part of what GASA does is caring for the underprivileged, and most importantly, children. “The employees at GASA are very nurturing,” Lauretta Holloway, GASA auction chairwoman said. “I see the employees sitting on the floor with babies in their arms and talking with them. They are reading to them, asking them questions, pointing to things in the room and explaining what those things are. We have a center that is very stimulating for our students. But it’s going to get even better because we are building a new center.”
The building of the new center along with the 150-year anniversary of the Association defined the theme of this year’s dinner auction which was “Angels on the Move.” The dinner auction had record-breaking success as it raised more than $120,000, and hosted more than 350 attendees.
“I’ve been coming to this event for several years,” Begemann said. “It’s great to see t he people who actually do the work, and the photos and videos of the people that they are making a difference for. That is something that is very rewarding, and is the highlight of the event for me.”
Teresa R. Hernandez
Founder Hearts and Hands Elders
www.heartsandhandselders.com