Eagles provide support for HALO clients

Suzanne Wilson, of HALO, (left) accepts a Jefferson City Eagles Auxiliary check from Debbie Schaefer Wednesday evening. (Contributed photo)
Suzanne Wilson, of HALO, (left) accepts a Jefferson City Eagles Auxiliary check from Debbie Schaefer Wednesday evening. (Contributed photo)

The Jefferson City Eagles Auxiliary presented a check to HALO on Wednesday evening.

The check for $3,940 brought the total the organization raised for HALO (Helping Art Liberate Orphans) over the past year to more than $5,000.

Debbie Schaefer, last year's president of the auxiliary, said the president selects the charity it raises money for each year. Her choice was HALO.

When Schaefer's mother, Helen Pfenenger, a 40-year member of the auxiliary, died in October, the family asked that memorials go to HALO. That raised another $840 for the nonprofit.

And for her July 22 birthday, Schaefer held a Facebook fundraiser for the organization, raising another $250.

HALO provides a home in Jefferson City for pregnant, parenting and non-parenting girls ages 16-21, and their children, who are homeless or in high-risk situations, according to its website.

"Most of the money is to be used for their babies," Schaefer said. "They really needed baby monitors. They put the babies to bed at 8 (p.m.), and the girls can come upstairs and be with the other girls."

Before the auxiliary provided the donations, the home had only one or two monitors, she said.

HALO will also use the funds to buy cribs, bassinets and bed rails, she said.