29Mar

The Conrad Prebys Foundation Awards $25,000 to St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center

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For Immediate Release

March 24, 2021

The Conrad Prebys Foundation Awards $25,000 to St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center

Contact: Sarah Vargas, Beck Ellman Heald, sarah@behmedia.com, 951-591-9727
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San Diego, CA – St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center (SMSC), a nonprofit organization that serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has been awarded a grant from The Conrad Prebys Foundation for $25,000. The grant is designated towards Sophie’s Gallery Virtual Art Program. SMSC was among 121 local arts, education, health, and science projects to receive a combined $78 million in grant funding from The Conrad Prebys Foundation’s inaugural grant cycle.

In the 1970s, SMSC expanded its curriculum to offer its first art classes. With these first classes, an untapped wealth of talent was revealed. Many students who had not been able to express themselves through traditional means were sharing their once hidden feelings through vibrant, original works of art on canvas, wood, glass, and other media.

Now, every week, SMSC students are taught a variety of media, such as print-making, jewelry-making, painting, charcoal, pastels, fabric arts, and more. All classes at Sophie’s Gallery are taught by professional artists – its art program was the first in the region to offer this enhanced benefit.

“Our staff and board are honored to serve as stewards for The Conrad Prebys Foundation, and with our role comes the responsibility to empower the nonprofits creating meaningful change across San Diego,” said Erin Decker, director of grantmaking.

St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center is a nonprofit organization that serves more than 400 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through nationally recognized, innovative programs. Its mission is to educate and empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to realize their full potential. Intellectual and developmental disabilities include autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other cognitive disorders for which there are no cures.

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About St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center
St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center (SMSC), a nonprofit organization in El Cajon, CA, educates and empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to realize their full potential. Founded in 1966 by the Society of the Sacred Heart, the Center first focused on pre-school children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When public schools began to assume that role in the early 1970s, SMSC shifted its focus to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Today, SMSC provides work training and social experiences that encourage students to become well-rounded, contributing members of the greater community. The Center also strives to educate the community about the realities of intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy. It employs over 120 staff members and is served by more than 150 dedicated volunteers. A fleet of some 45 paratransit vans and buses transports students between home, campus, and work sites, five days a week. For more information, visit www.stmsc.org.

About The Conrad Prebys Foundation
The Conrad Prebys Foundation was established by real estate entrepreneur Conrad Prebys to perpetuate his commitment to philanthropic endeavors. The Conrad Prebys Foundation inspires transformational change by funding projects in alignment with Conrad Prebys’ legacy interests and continuing his efforts that spark meaningful advancement in our communities. For more information, visit www.ConradPrebysFoundation.org.

10Sep

Thank you for Making the Virtual Haute with Heart a Success

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We want to thank you for supporting our first ever Virtual Haute with Fashion Show and the 400 students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who attend St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center.

In this challenging year, we continued to capture the ‘heart’ of ‘Haute with Heart’, as we transitioned SMSC’s major annual fundraiser from ‘on the runway’ to ‘online’ for 2020.

Thanks to our wonderful models and the amazing support we received from the community, our Virtual Fashion Show was a great success!  We were able to reach our goal of $100,000, which will help to further build and enrich the programs and community of St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center. We are so appreciative of your support- we couldn’t have done it without you!

If you would still like to make a donation to our Virtual Fashion Show, it’s not too late! You can make a donation HERE and don’t forget to check out our Facebook page to celebrate all of our amazing students.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the staff, and most importantly, the students of St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center (SMSC), thank you for your continued support and for being ‘part of the heart’ that drives the success of our fundraising efforts. Now, here is a clip of our students enjoying a virtual celebration thanks to each of our donors!

07Sep

20 Days of Fashion and Fun – That’s a Wrap

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Thank you so much for supporting our first ever Virtual Fashion Show- 20 Days of Fashion and Fun! Your generous donations have helped John and the 400 additional students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who attend St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center. Our fashion show may have looked a little different this year, but because of your support it was a great success! In the words of student model John Agostini, That’s a Wrap!