Two hundred guests gathered on Thursday, January 17th to attend Woods’ annual Fete & Fundraiser — raising more than $170,000 for Woods Services.
Guests were treated to an extraordinary array of food and drink from 12 of the area’s finest restaurants including Bella Tori at the Mansion (former home of Mollie Woods!), Chickie & Pete’s, Harvest Seasonal Grill, Just Food Catering, Liberty Bell Gastro Pub and Oliveto from Parx Casino, Lochel’s Bakery, McCaffrey’s Food Market, Nothing Bundt Cakes, O’Neills Catering, Rocco’s at the Brick, and Steam Pub. All of the restaurants donated a dish to guests greatly reducing expenses for the event. Wine was poured by Rose Bank Winery.
The event celebrated our four social enterprises — small businesses with a social mission — that provide training and job opportunities for people with disabilities. Any profits generated directly support the business and fund programs for the people we serve. Woods’ four social enterprises include Yellow Daffodil, a full service flower and gift shop; Common Grounds Café, which sells specialty coffee drinks, sandwiches, salads and convenience foods; BeechTree Enterprises, which makes bath and body products from organic ingredients and Woods Wear, a brand new apparel print shop that can accommodate large orders for special events or a single shirt with a personalized design. If you were unable attend the event, we encourage you to take a few minutes to watch a new video featuring these four success stories: http://bit.ly/fetevideo. Bev Fleming, owner of Rose Bank Winery, confirmed that the winery’s gift shop will soon be featuring a new line of jewelry from Yellow Daffodil!
Avi Saltzman, a Woods resident who works in Yellow Daffodil, stated with pride “[My work] helps me with my aggression and anger problems and with my disability. It has helped me become a better person.” Patrick Allely, an employee in our print shop, shared that working in a social enterprise “teaches me how to be consistent, and consistent is the best thing I can be. That’s how people believe in you, and you believe in yourself.”
