Restore Humanity welcomed more than 350 backers to the annual Winetopia benefit Oct. 9 at Pratt Place Barn in Fayetteville. The annual food and wine tasting helped bring in some $63,000 for the charity.
Glazer's Distributing provided dozens of wines for the tasting that were complemented by food from local restaurants, among them Bordinos, Cafe Rue Orleans, Cardamom & Curry, The Farmer's Table Cafe, Mia Tarts and more, Native Nectar and Fayetteville Pastry Shop. Buzz Event Planning and Design provided the ambiance for the evening.
At a Glance
Winetopia
Who: Restore Humanity
What: The annual food and wine tasting helped bring in some $63,000 for the charity.
When: Oct. 9
Where: Pratt Place Barn in Fayetteville
Information: (479) 841-2841 or restorehumanity.org
Chill with the Hills
Who: Seven Hills Homeless Center
What: The nonprofit organization netted some $28,000 and lauded the Rev. Lowell Grisham and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville.
When: Oct. 10
Where: Fayetteville Town Center
Information: (479) 966-4378 or 7hillscenter.org
Proceeds from Winetopia go directly to support the Restore Humanity's James Christian Opot Children's Center in Western Kenya. The orphanage is the nonprofit organization's inaugural project, founded in August 2010, and is home to 17 children. Restore Humanity's reach extends to providing an outreach program to the local school and partnering with a local clinic to build a maternity ward that opened in March. In 2013, the group began its Restore Humanity Scholars Program and is helping two young men who grew up at the center go to college.
Among those tasting at Winetopia were Allyson and William Mertins, Molly and Ben Blakeman, Rebecca Lucke, Chris and Jeremy Beavers, Tim McFarland, Jean Ann and Joe Fennel, Tareneh and Lance Manning, Moses Agare, Brooke McDonald, Michelle Fyfe, Kimberly Clinehens, Crystal German and Sarah Fennel, founder, and Boo Buchanon.
Chill with the Hills netted some $28,000 for Seven Hills Homeless Center and gave the nonprofit organization the opportunity to laud the Rev. Lowell Grisham and St. Paul Episcopal Church for their part in helping start and subsequently support the center. The evening included casino games, entertainment from Ultra Suede and a Pig Drop for prizes.
Billy Rader, executive director, told the more than 300 guests at the fifth annual benefit that Grisham and the church were key factors in the establishment of Seven Hills in 2000.
He said the group's mission is to fight poverty and homelessness through education, community-based opportunity and hope.
The organization opened as a day center, but in the past 15 years has grown to include the Walker Family Residential Community to provide transitional and permanent housing and offerings, such as Supportive Services for Veteran Families, which helps increase participants' ability to sustain permanent housing. In 2014, Seven Hills served more than 1,800 homeless or near-homeless people, more than 100 of which were children, at the day center; nearly 100 veteran households through SSVF; and housed 77 people, including 24 children, at the Walker Community.
Those chilling with Seven Hills included Karen Gray, Darcy Woody, Lynn and Joel Carver, Carol and Loyd Swope, Nancy Allen, Emily Bost, Ann Harbison, Butch Ginther, Fred George-Hiat, Ryan Pfeiffer, Jan and Keith Vire, Caroline Crosswait, Jessice Dove, Mayci Smith, Dru Glaze and Josh Landsdale.
For more event photos -- nwadg.com/photos/society.
Columnist Carin Schoppmeyer can be reached by email at [email protected].
NAN Profiles on 10/18/2015