Ready to get out of the house, enjoy incredible, hand-made Italian food, and support a great cause at the same time? Mark your calendars for June 23 and come out for our upcoming Giveback Tuesday event at our Rock Hill location! This time, CHAMP Assistance Dogs will be benefiting.
Each month, we’re proud to feature a local nonprofit charity and donate 100% of the earned proceeds from the entire day to the organization. Lunch, dinner, drinks, and carryout are all included. So far, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria has donated $231,520 to nonprofit organizations here in St. Louis!
Funds raised from this Giveback Tuesday will be used to help with the expenses for the service dogs and facility dogs-in-training in CHAMP’s Assistance Dog Program, including dog food, training equipment, crates, toys, chews, veterinary expenses, and supplies needed for their programs. It costs CHAMP a minimum of $20,000 to train and place a service dog, but they are placed free of charge, thanks to caring organizations, corporations, businesses, and individuals. Currently, CHAMP has 18 dogs and puppies in the program.
Founded in 1998, CHAMP Assistance Dogs works to improve and enhance life skills and promote companionship through the placement of specially-selected service dogs with qualified individuals, celebrating the mystery and joy that is inherent in the human/canine bond. They provide several programs, including their Assistance Dog Program, Therapy Dog Program, and Prison and Education Program.
CHAMP Assistance Dogs trains and places assistance dogs with qualifying individuals, including children, adults, and veterans in need – free of charge. They have approximately 100 therapy dog teams that visit 30,000-40,000 children and adults each year in hospitals, nursing homes, homeless shelters, hospice centers, the USO, veterans hospitals, and many more for free. Their education program also touches the lives of 6,000-8,000 people on a yearly basis.
“We are a human-service, nonprofit organization that changes lives through the healing power of dogs,” said Pam Budke, CHAMP’s executive director. “A service dog can help their partners with disabilities become completely mobile inside their homes and in the community. This increases our clients’ independence and self-confidence, providing their family with greater peace of mind.”
These assistance dogs receive their formal training through a win-win partnership with a woman’s prison in Vandalia, Missouri. This program focuses on building these women’s confidence and problem-solving skills while providing training on teamwork, social skills, and open communication. The CHAMP Prison Program offers vocational training for the women trainers and prepares them for reintegration in the community upon release.
Be sure to mark your calendars for our Giveback Tuesday event at our Rock Hill location this month in support of CHAMP Assistance Dogs! Remember: 100% of the net profits from the entire day will be donated, so make a reservation to enjoy your food on the patio or take it to go!
Please call us at (314) 942-6555 with any questions you may have or visit us at www.katiespizzaandpasta.com. To learn even more about CHAMP Assistance Dogs, please visit their website at www.champdogs.org.
We hope to see you on June 23 at our Rock Hill location!
