JF&CS to honor Schnucks and Albert at upcoming gala

Jewish Family & Children’s Service will honor Schnucks CEO Todd Schnuck and his wife, Julie, during an April 30 gala. The event will also honor JF&CS Executive Director Louis Albert. Pictured above are (from left) Todd Schnuck, JF&CS Past President Jan Abrams,  Louis Albert, Schnucks head of communications Lori Willis,  and JF&CS President Frederic Steinbach. Abrams and Steinbach are chairing the gala. 

Jewish Family & Children’s Service will honor Todd and Julie Schnuck and Schnucks Markets, as well as Louis Albert, the organization’s executive director for the past 25 years, during a gala event Thursday, April 30 at Westwood Country Club.

The event, titled “Joining Friends and Celebrating Success” (reflecting the initials JF&CS), will honor Schnucks CEO Todd Schnuck and his wife, Julie, with the agency’s Community Service Award for the company’s significant donations to the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry and their support of food pantries across the St. Louis area. 

JF&CS will also honor Executive Director Lou Albert, on his 25th year leading the agency. JF&CS, under the leadership of Albert, has grown the food pantry from serving 2,500 people per month to feeding currently more than 8,000 people per month.

Four donors have signed on as leading supporters of the event: Sidney Guller, Lee Bohm, the Harvey Kornblum Foundation and Michael and Carol Staenberg.  Guller is a long-time supporter of JF&CS. Bohm is a Past-President of JF&CS. Carol Staenberg is a current board member and co-chair of the Food Pantry Advisory Committee. She and her husband are well-known local philanthropists. The Kornblum family gave more than $1 million to name the food pantry and the current head of the Foundation, Michael Silver, is Treasurer of the JF&CS board. 

The April 30 event willbegin with a wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres reception at 6:30 p.m. Don Marsh, 2015 Media Host of the Year and popular host of St. Louis Public Radio’s “St. Louis on the Air,” will serve as emcee for a Tuscan themed dinner, with music provided by Rhythm of the Night. 

The event is nearly sold out. Individual tickets are $125 per person. For more information on tickets or sponsorship opportunities, call Barbara Barnholtz or Kelly Mueller at 314-993-1000.  

Frederic Steinbach, JF&CS Board President and Past President Jan Abrams are co-chairs of the event. Dinner chairs are Rena Abrams, Deby Halpern and Peggy Musen. Sponsor chairs are Erin and Steve Schuver and program chair is Judi Scissors.