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 that 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.