NYC January 8, 2007 --Mary Alice Hannan, OP (Hope), Executive Director of POTS, (Part of the Solution) was one of three organizations, each of which was presented this year's Heroes award of a grant of $50,000. Robin Hood, one of the city's leading poverty-fighting organizations, held the 17th annual Heroes Award Breakfast honoring four New Yorkers for their dedication and commitment to improving the community and transforming the lives of under-privileged New Yorkers. The event was held at the Mandarin Oriental New York, on December 12th.

Mary Alice believes that when it comes to feeding the hungry, it's not what you feed them but how you feed them that counts. Serving food alone is not enough; Sister Mary Alice's mission is to feed all the hungers of the homeless. By day she is the guiding force and backbone of POTS; by night she runs Desda's Grate, a shelter for poor women and children.

Mary Alice entered the Dominicans fresh out of high school and became a grammar school teacher. In 1985, she met a homeless woman, Desda, who changed her life and became her guide to understanding the issues and needs of the homeless. Sister Mary Alice became the director of various organizations serving the homeless and came to POTS in 1996. Under her leadership, POTS was transformed from a soup kitchen serving food directly from cans, to a community kitchen serving hot, freshly prepared meals and a place for clients to shower, get their hair cut, receive mail, and benefit from legal, medical and mental-health services.

Thanks to Mary Alice's vision, families now celebrate birthdays and special occasions at POTS. Her staff refers to her as an angel and a second mother, and credits her with balancing the organization. Clients talk about how her door is always open, and how her tough but unconditional love has helped lift them out of poverty.

Robin Hood fights poverty in New York City by finding, funding and partnering with over 200 of the most effective programs and schools in the city's poorest neighborhoods, and then providing management assistance and support services to make them even stronger. In 2006, Robin Hood invested more than $76 million in programs and schools and committed $66 million to capital projects to help poverty-stricken New Yorkers build better lives for themselves and their families. Because the Robin Hood board of directors pays for all administrative, evaluation and fundraising expenses, 100 percent of donations go directly to the city's best anti-poverty programs. www.robinhood.org