$70,000 Gift from Anheuser-Busch Benefits Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Company’s Foundation Continues 20-year Support of Organization

ST. LOUIS (June 24, 2009) – Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri (GSEM), the premier leadership development organization for girls, has received a $70,000 donation from the Anheuser-Busch Foundation, to benefit GSEM’s Urban Girl Scout program in 2009.

Urban Girl Scouts, a membership outreach program, provides girls who live in un-served and under-served areas of the council jurisdiction with an opportunity to participate in Girl Scouting. Urban Girl Scouts reaches 1-in-2 girls in the City of St. Louis.  Nearly 25,000 members participate in activities ranging from jump rope clinics that teach team-building skills to women’s history seminars and interactive summer camp Taste of World Friendship.  Through these programs, the girls learn valuable lessons on leadership, self-esteem and how to make an impact in their community. The program is critically needed. According to the Community Disadvantage Index, the City of St. Louis is more disadvantaged than 90 percent of other areas in the country.

Programs and activities are developed by the council and implemented by volunteers and GSEM staff, in collaboration with community leaders and school personnel from more than 100 community centers, schools, clubs, churches and agencies.  “Girls who have participated in the program have shown an increase in self-esteem and self-confidence, gaining new skills in such areas as conflict resolution and successful self-presentation,” according to Marcia Barber, GSEM, Chief Executive Officer. “They work as part of a team, collaborate to improve their community, learn to make good choices in their lives and to set goals.”

“The Girl Scouts have a long history of helping girls and young women develop leadership skills and self-esteem through volunteerism, educational projects and social activities,” said Laura Reeves, senior director, Foundation and Corporate Giving, at Anheuser-Busch  “It’s important that every girl – no matter her economic background – has the chance to participate in these initiatives and contribute to her community.  Anheuser-Busch is pleased to help fund these opportunities for the Girls Scouts of Eastern Missouri.”

About Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri
Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri serves more than 65,000 girls supported by almost 17,000 adult volunteers in 28 Missouri counties covering 15,700 square miles, including Adair, Audrain (Van-Far School District), Clark, Crawford, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Reynolds, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Sullivan, Warren and Washington.  For information on how to join, volunteer or donate to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, call1.800.727.GIRL (800.727.4475) or visit www.girlscoutsem.org.

About Anheuser-Busch

For more than 100 years, Anheuser Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, and the Anheuser Busch Foundation have reached out to groups in need, contributing to community organizations across the country and touching countless individual lives. During the past decade alone, the company and its foundation have donated more than $370 million to charitable organizations, including those that support education, economic development and environmental conservation. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.