There's no real off-season in Deidre Pujols' life.
As a charitable foundation president, speaker, mother of three and the spouse of one of Major League Baseball's most noted players, she doesn't have much free time. But with the help of her strong Christian faith and the staff at the Pujols Family Foundation, she manages to cover all the bases.
Pujols likes to keep her family time private, but relishes speaking to women and young people about issues close to her heart. She heads the foundation by day and enjoys making family dinners at night. Deidre's and Albert's family consists of Isabella, who is nine and nicknamed Bella; A.J, age six; and Sophia, 17 months. Bella has Down Syndrome, and was an inspiration for starting the foundation, which contributes to causes for families affected by the genetic condition. It also supports charitable efforts such as children's dental clinics in the Dominican Republic, Albert's native country.
The foundation is funded by the public fund raisers Pujols and her staff hold. Todd Perry is its executive director, and as a longtime friend and fellow church member of her family's, he was key in encouraging her to start the organization, Pujols said. Last year, it spent nearly $400,000 on its programs. Its current assets are about $650,000.
By chance -- but very appropriately -- the Pujols Family Foundation launched in St. Louis on May 5, 2005 (5/5/05).
Talk about the foundation and how you started it.
After a couple years in the big leagues with Albert, I became excited about sharing our faith and being out in the community. I had been praying about it. Albert's not a big talker, and in his time outside the ballpark, he likes to relax, so I didn't want anything that would be overly committing for him. Todd (Perry) kept calling me to start a foundation; after about the 50th time, I said, "Alright, I'll come up to your office." He showed me a proposal he had put together about the Pujols Family Foundation. Albert and I were going through kind of a rough time in our marriage -- nothing all that threatening, just normal stuff -- so the timing was weird. But once I thought about what Todd said, I felt this could be what I was praying for, so I thought I'd better check it out more.
How long did it take to get off the ground?
It took Albert, Todd, our agent and me a good year to talk about it and see how it would work out. Then it just happened. We started it on 5/5/05, which was kind of an accident.
How do you decide what charities to work with?
My problem is, I'm always saying, "Give to them, and them, and them," but when you get into a publicly funded foundation, you really have to be careful; there's a lot of red tape. If it were just me, I'd be writing checks on a daily basis. But the charities we support have to fit into our mission -- Down Syndrome and helping communities in the Dominican Republic.
How many organizations do you support?
It has to be families that are affected by Down Syndrome, or children of the Dominican Republic. We've helped the Down Syndrome Association, an orphanage in the Dominican, and a dental program (for needy children there). We get thousands of e-mails and letters to give money, but we can't just do that. It's not in our bylaws.
What kinds of things do you sponsor locally for Down Syndrome families?
We have a mother-daughter tea, father and son bowling, we auction items, and we're going to have a prom this year. Sometimes we ask for an offering at the events, and people give whatever they want.
Do you lead the foundation as a volunteer, or do you take a salary?
We pay our staff, but I don't draw a salary. I'm just excited that I have an office to go to every day. I have fun. We have a city full of people who are volunteers. They come out and go crazy whenever we have an event.
Is the baseball connection usually a positive thing for the foundation, or does it sometimes obscure your mission?
It has a positive effect. It's Albert's foundation, but without baseball, Albert wouldn't be out there. In that sense, baseball is everything. The people have appreciation not just for the players' talents, but for all the little stuff that's behind the plate. Baseball has everything to do with the foundation; it's how we reach people. They might know what a great player Albert is, but until they search a little deeper, they might not know what a great human being he is.
Do you ever find that people want to focus too much on the baseball angle and not enough on the foundation?
No. You'll find people who are too focused on Albert himself; but who wouldn't want to volunteer and have a chance of meeting him? If Albert's the draw, that's fine, we'll teach them about who we are once we get to know them.
Where are you from originally?
I was born and grew up in Kansas City. I moved to Boston after a year at Kansas State. I got pregnant with Bella, and then I moved home. We have a house there (in Kansas City) and I was just there for Easter.
So you have family still there?
All of my family is there, and a few of Albert's family members are still there.
What do you and Albert do with your family when you have free time?
One of the few places we can go with all three of them is Chuck E. Cheese's right after school because nobody's there. We go to the restaurant (Pujols 5) a lot and hang out. My youngest is kind of hard to tote around, but before, we'd go to the show and do those kinds of things.
How do people react when they see your family around St. Louis?
They're pretty respectful of us when we're with all the family. It's gotten to be more and more (that people recognize Albert). But the first year, we'd be at the mall, and maybe one person would know him. Now, Albert gets so much notoriety when he's out, sometimes he's just more comfortable hanging out at the house.
What's your home life like?
Baseball season for me is normal. Life off-season is very abnormal, because we're together all the time. It's more routine for me during the season, taking the kids to school, picking them up. We have a housekeeper and babysitter who works for us. She's our utility player; she does everything. We're pretty normal.
What were your years in Kansas City like?
Tons of family around. I went to public school and then private high school. I became a born-again Christian at 16 but really didn't change my life a lot until I got pregnant and had Bella. I stopped thinking about myself, and changed for her sake. I met Albert several weeks after she was born. I was 21 and he was 18. We've been together ever since.
Talk about how you met.
We met at a salsa club. It wasn't like, "Let's go out," the very first time we met. We danced several weeks in a row, then he finally asked for my number. I fell in love with him after our first date. When he first got (to Kansas City), before he got to the big leagues, I was working at St. Luke's Hospital, and I paid the bills. I gave him money while he went to college.
What do you like to do for yourself?
Cooking. Experimenting in the kitchen, or baking. I like to reinvent Dominican food. Albert's family and his grandma have taught me a ton of cooking, all the dishes straight from the land. I kind of put a twist on things.
I recently was around a bunch of Food Network stars. They're my heroes. I met Alton Brown, Bobby Flay, Paula and Bobby Deen. I love to cook, and I'm working on a cookbook. The chef at our restaurant, Greg Maggi, is helping me put some recipes together. I like to eat out-- steakhouses, Chinese food.
What kinds of groups have you spoken to?
I have a heart for women and young girls. Something I think people are affected by, that I talk about, is women and modesty. I love teaching women and girls about self-respect, and honoring themselves in what they wear and how they present themselves. I think women don't give themselves enough credit. We have this natural insecurity. If I see a beautiful young girl who's got a drop-dead body but hardly any clothing on, I feel a kind of sorrow for her because I think, "You're already beautiful; why would you do that?" It takes you nowhere. I try to teach girls how beautiful you can be by layering (clothes).
What do you foresee for the foundation in the next five or 10 years?
I'm really excited about the missions in the Dominican and taking people there to help -- making those (trips) bigger, not necessarily more frequent, but better, taking it to the next level. Todd has talked about wanting a facility, a Pujols Center where families can come for Down Syndrome programs, like a rec center.
Would that be here in St. Louis?
I want to make it a long-term goal because I'd only like to commit to something like that when I know Albert won't go anywhere else. I would hope and think that we wouldn't go anywhere else ... You never know.
What they say...
"Every time Dee Dee wears her 'Wonder Woman' shirt to the office, I just smile to myself. Here is a lady who is the president of a foundation... mother of two pre-school children and a daughter with special needs... a chef writing her own cookbook... a public speaker and an advocate for young women. She manages all of this while coping with the demands of being the wife of a premier Major League Baseball player. 'Wonder Woman' -- I guess that defines it.""
Todd Perry, Executive director, Pujols Family Foundation
"She's so quick-witted. You can sit down with her for the first time, and in five minutes you're cracking up. She's not very big, but she's a mighty force. She always expresses how much she appreciates the blessings she has, and won't stop at anything to fulfill God's plan for her."
Marala Tamprateep, Owner of handbag company Teep Designs, and a Pujols family friend
jjohnson@bizjournals.com