Matchmaker/Philanthropist Presents Extraordinary Valentine to Betrayed Charity

Matchmaker/Philanthropist Presents Extraordinary Valentine to Betrayed Charity


Irene Valenti of Valenti International presents Valentine to Suzanne Wells of Empty Cradle charity

Rancho Santa Fe, CA, February 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — In an unprecedented gesture of love and kindness coinciding with Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2012, the relationship matching services company, Valenti International, announced a pledge today by its Founder, Irene Valenti, to personally donate $5000 along with a commitment to raise an additional $25,000-$30,000 to recoup the losses suffered by the non-profit organization Empty Cradle, which recently fell victim to embezzlement. The fundraising campaign was launched by Valenti International which will collect and administer donations from private individuals, corporations and foundations, plus fund the remainder of the balance until the financial goal is reached.

29-year-old Elizabeth Lower, former volunteer of Empty Cradle (a non-profit organization that helps parents cope with the loss of an infant before, during or after birth) was arrested in late January on suspicion that she embezzled between $25,000-$30,000 from the Empty Cradle bank accounts. Lower initially approached the group and asked for assistance in overcoming the loss of her 6-month-old daughter Madeline to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). She subsequently offered to serve as volunteer Treasurer for the organization which gave her access to bank accounts.

Founder and President of Valenti International, Irene Valenti, who is also an active community philanthropist and Rancho Santa Fe Rotary member/Paul Harris Fellow remarked, “When I first learned of the incident from an Empty Cradle donor days before the news broke in the media this January, I realized something must be done. Empty Cradle is an all-volunteer-run organization and this offense wiped out almost all of their capital that’s used to support bereaved families. I made the decision to deliver a special Valentine to rescue this organization so they could provide uninterrupted service.”

Empty Cradle is a nonprofit peer support group for San Diego and Riverside County area parents who have experienced the loss of an infant through miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. They offer grieving families opportunities for group and individual support, as well as a lending library, community education and individual telephone counseling. www.emptycradle.org.

Recognized worldwide as the leader in traditional matchmaking, Valenti International is an organization that has been making a deep and profound impact on the lives of many individuals throughout he world for over twenty years. Irene Valenti has a passion for philanthropy and in 2005 established The Valenti Foundation, a 501 ©(3) non-profit organization. Those interested in donating to the Empty Cradle fundraising campaign may call (+01) 858-759-9239 or visit www.valentiinternational.com.

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Media Contact:
Eva M. Stimson
EMS MC, Inc.
858/864-8536

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