Philanthropy took a bow on the Eighth Annual Ladies of Substance Luncheon, the place Houston’s most dynamic do-gooders gathered on the Publish Oak Resort on November 6 to toast to the facility of giving. The occasion highlighted Houston reVision’s transformative work with at-risk youth.
Paul-David Van Atta, the mastermind behind the occasion, welcomed the well-heeled crowd earlier than Rev. Trent Pettit delivered the invocation. Luncheon co-chairs April McGee and Paula Sutton, each 2023 honorees, shared phrases of gratitude and rallied assist for reVision’s packages.
KHOU’s Deborah Duncan and tech guru Michael Garfield as emcees spotlighted honorees equivalent to Jacqueline W. Bostic, this yr’s Spirit of Substance recipient. She was introduced with an angel glass sculpture by Invoice Meek, whereas Trini Mendenhall-Royalty acquired the Lifetime of Substance honor for her years of philanthropic management. Prime donors included 2023 luncheon co-chairs and former Ladies of Substance Dr. Sippi Khurana and Amy Pierce, April and Wells McGee,and 2024 honoree Edna Meyer-Nelson.
Houston reVision CEO Charles Rotramel shared tales of the nonprofit’s impression, from offering emergency housing for 48 youth to serving 7,300 meals and even launching a ladies’ soccer staff. Youth honoree Bella Chramosta impressed along with her work to direct funds to reVision via the Larger Houston Group Basis’s Giving Circle.
Applause went to Laura Ward and Houston Kids’s Charity for outfitting residences with important furnishings for the Homeless Youth Program, and to Theatre Underneath The Stars, led by Hillary Hart, for providing reVision youth complimentary entry to productions and performing workshops. A shoutout was earned by Kendall Pierce, daughter of Amy Pierce, who coordinated Christmas presents and backpacks for reVision youth with assist from her employer, BEAR.
The viewers was moved by tenor Kenneth Gayle’s efficiency of “Grateful.” Jeffrey “Bboyjeffro” Louis, a 2024 Olympian, credited reVision with serving to him keep away from gang life and discover success as an expert dancer and College of Houston graduate.
Due to the assist of Sippi and Ajay Khurana, Jordan Seff, and Melissa Juneau, reVision Home was launched, offering emergency and everlasting housing, household reconnections, and hundreds of meals and haircuts. Further backing from Susan Boggio, Andrea Bryant, and Bobbi Nau funded reVision’s first ladies’ soccer staff, with Boggio donating $10,000 to maintain this system into 2024.
Because the occasion drew to an in depth, the 2024 Ladies of Substance—Lara Bell, Chree Boydstun, The Honorable Theresa Chang, Tena Faust, Melanie Lawson, Tama Lundquist, Marian McClendon, Sneha Service provider, Edna Meyer-Nelson, Leila Perrin, Heidi Rockecharlie, and Jerre Williams—had been introduced towards a backdrop of Warhol-inspired portraits. The hanging photos, photographed by Gittings beneath the management of Andrew Cordes, had been unveiled at a particular occasion hosted by Heidi Turney, basic supervisor of Saks Fifth Avenue.
In whole, the luncheon raised greater than $300,000 and drew a crowd of greater than 350 company, together with Leela Krishnamurthy, Debbie Festari, Kristina Somerville, Jordan Seff, Brigitte Kalai, Sherry Zucker, Donae Chramosta, Laura Davenport, Sidney Faust, Betty Tutor, Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman, Beth Wolff, Rini Ziegler, Phyllis Williams, Dr. Peter Chang, Anne Neeson, Flo McGee, Judy Nichols, Cindy Burns, Bruce Padilla, Aimee Snoots, Sandra Cooper, Alex Blair, Niki Lassiter, Roslyn Bazelle, Philamena Baird, Angela Bryant, Mandy Kao, Marge Lundquist, Roseann Rogers, Ellie Francisco, Franelle Rogers, Zane Carruth, Chris Kase, Renee Logans, Duke Ensell, Suzanne Ebrahimi, Astrid Van Dyke, Kathi Rovere, Marian Harper, Dejon Hawthorne, John Guess, Cheryl Lawson, and Dr. Monica Williams.
