Catholic Charities St. Cloud Honors Mark Thelen, AWG With Good Samaritan Awards

(KNSI) – Two longtime friends of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud are being celebrated for stopping to help a neighbor in need without expecting anything in return.

Catholic Charities presented its annual Good Samaritan Awards to St. Cloud advertising founder Mark Thelen and Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) on Tuesday during a dinner and reception at Harvester Square.

The awards go each year to people and organizations who give their time, talent and money to help Central Minnesotans going through hard times.

Thelen founded Thelen Advertising and spent his career building relationships across the region. Catholic Charities says that work gave him a close look at the struggles local families face, and it inspired him to create a lasting fund through the Central Minnesota Community Foundation that helps people cover basic needs and build better futures. He has also backed Catholic Charities programs for many years, driven by his belief that helping someone at the right moment makes for stronger citizens and stronger communities.

AWG was honored for keeping good food out of the trash and putting it on family tables instead. The company’s steady donations, including large contributions from its Food Show, have expanded access to healthy food across Central Minnesota while cutting down on waste. AWG also supports Catholic Charities through its AWG Cares Foundation, employee volunteers and sponsorships of key programs.

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