In 2006, Baudville got employees more involved at a personal level with company charitable giving. Baudville gave employees an opportunity to give a gift beyond their means to a favorite charity. Employees submitted multiple heartfelt essays in hopes of advancing the mission of an organization they believed in strongly. Two winning essays nominating Gilda’s Club and the Humane Society of Kent County were the selected winners.  The winning essays were sent with a $1,250 donation to the individual’s charity of choice. The sincere and moving essays describe two employee’s personal connection with valued charitable organizations.

Nominated Organization:  Gilda’s Club
Written by: 9-year Baudville employee, Accounting department

I have a request-Gilda's Club. My brother was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer about five months ago, and he was given a 50-50 chance of survival. It was a big blow for us. He is only 47 and the only one of us siblings who had any children. In fact, his first grandchild was born only one month before he was diagnosed. Both he & his wife have found comfort & support at Gilda's Club, and it would be great to give something back to them. He's been doing great and may be able to stop his chemo this month, so we are praying that the worst of it may be behind him soon.

Nominated Organization:  The Humane Society of Kent County (HSKC)
Written by: 9-year Baudville employee. New Product department

I first met Lizzy, a rescued pet from the post-Katrina flood lands, at her foster home where she lived temporarily for eight weeks after her quarantine period at the shelter was complete.   As Lizzy acclimated to her changing surroundings, she became more comfortable but also more aggressive at unpredictable times. Having heard about her angry outbursts and tendency to suddenly become aggressive and bite, Lizzy’s foster mom and I couldn’t believe it. She had never displayed aggression in the home.   Unfortunately, this story ends sadly. Lizzy was given several chances to begin again with new families, but she was neither a happy, nor healthy dog. Even professional behaviorists could not make any progress, so the decision had been made and we were notified of her euthanizing date.

Lizzy’s story is only one in the thousands of animal lives the  HSKC touches every single year.  The love, care and commitment from volunteers and staff of HSKC gave Lizzy the best shot she could have at a new life. Witnessing the hands-on, hard work it takes to help hurting and homeless animals is the only endorsement needed to convince me that this organization is deserving of a generous donation. I give regularly and would like to extend the gift beyond my small means to have a greater reach for all of the needy animals cared for there… and Baudville can help me do that.  Lizzy taught me that anger fills a hole in the heart where love longs to live.