Shelby's Social Diary

Better middle schools: Sold-out lunch raises $150,000 for longer school days,more improvements

Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson
Photo by Priscilla Dickson

Prospects for Houston area middle school children received a generous bump with the inaugural "Education Without Boundaries" luncheon that raised $150,000 for Citizen Schools Texas.

The national non-profit partners with middle schools to lengthen the school day and provide more relevant learning experiences to children in low-income communities. So high was the interest in the subject that the ballroom of the Junior League of Houston was sold out. Applause, applause for luncheon chair Nicole Perdue and Citizen Schools Texas executive director Todd Litton.

More than 270 guests listened with rapt attention as Citizen Schools co-founder and CEO Eric Schwarz spoke on the critical need for increased learning time in schools across the country. Houston Independent School District principal Diana De La Rosa gave a testimonial on the difference that Citizen Schools has made at her home base, Patrick Henry Middle School.

Supporters of better education included HISD trustees Anna Eastman and Harvin Moore, plus Jim Perdue Jr., Kelly Frels, Charlie Neuhaus, Danielle Magdol, Wendy Askew, Marita Fairbanks, Carrie Miller, Jamie Oliver, Estela Cockrell, Liz Stepanian, Ann and Johnny Johnson, Catherine Masterson and Gracia Wynne Duncan.

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raising glasses

Wine and dine raises spirits for Houston's Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities wine and dine fundraiser 2024

Photo by Johnny Than

Alicia Reggie Freysinger, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic Charities President Cynthia Nunes Colbert.

An evening of fine dining and philanthropy unfolded at The Revaire for the 2024 Wine and Dine Dinner, benefitting Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on November 16. With wine glasses in hand and wallets wide open, the stylish and pious savored a night dedicated to lifting up the most vulnerable in the community.

Co-chairs Mikki Hebl and David E. Harvey, Jr., alongside Kerri and Downey Bridgwater, welcomed the crowd, which included His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, who blessed the meal. The highlight? A four-course feast by master sommelier Brandon Kerne and chef Ryan Bouillet, paired with wines selected to enhance each bite.

An interactive twist with the secret sip challenge surely added a playful element. Attendees worked together to identify the mystery wine — a 2015 Merite Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia’s Wrattonbully region.

But the night wasn’t just about indulgence. The live auction, emceed by Johnny Bravo, and a moving “fund a need” segment inspired oenophiles to dig deep for Catholic Charities’ programs. Last year, the organization served people in need 358,000 times across Harris, Fort Bend, and Galveston counties, providing essentials like food, housing assistance, and legal aid for immigrants.

Generous support came from sponsors like the Hildebrand Foundation, Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, and Cuenod Families.

Wining and dining were Alicia Reggie Freysinger, Cynthia Nunes Colbert, Penny and Paul Layne, Monit Cheung and Patrick Leung, Ashley and Doug Plaeger, Sandi and Jim Lemming, Carol and Paul Beck, Louise and Bob Parsley, Avalyn Langemeier, Suzanne Werner, Amie Springmeyer, Lori Hessel, Ginger Niemann, Peggy Idstein, Karina and Mark Amelang,and Ellen and Jim Ginty.

Photo by Johnny Than

Alicia Reggie Freysinger, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic Charities President Cynthia Nunes Colbert.

catholic charities of the archdiocese of galveston-houston fundraisers