Shelter seeking benefit dinner hosts

Volunteers will hold fundraising dinners in their homes next year.Friendship Shelter is looking for volunteers to host dinners that will raise funds to help homeless adults rebuild their lives. The 14th annual Dinners Across Laguna and Beyond fundraising event will take place early next year.

“The event, which used to be called Dinners Across Laguna, has been renamed Dinners Across Laguna and Beyond to reflect that the shelter actually serves all Orange County communities, not just Laguna Beach,” said co-chair Diane Demcy, who is organizing the event with Barbara McMurray.

The format is flexible: dinners can take place on any of three Saturdays: Jan. 28, Feb. 4 or Feb. 11.

“Hosts don’t need to hold to any particular format or have a large house. We’re looking for dinner hosts to accommodate any number of guests -- from six to 60 -- whose guests would be willing to donate $125 per person to Friendship Shelter.

Friendship Shelter provides the invitations for hosts to mail out, and hosts supply the meal.

Some hosts go in together with friends or neighbors and make it a progressive dinner -- appetizers at one home and dinner at another. We encourage people to get creative with it.”

In early 2005, 15 dinners hosted by shelter supporters generated a much-needed $35,000 to support the ongoing self-sufficiency program of Friendship Shelter, which serves approximately 300 homeless adults annually.

Since its inception, Dinners Across Laguna has raised approximately $435,000.

Approximately 50% of the revenues needed to run Friendship Shelter come from individual donations and fundraising events. For more information about Dinners Across Laguna and Beyond, please contact Jennifer Miller, director of development, at (949) 494-6928.

Founded in 1988, Friendship Shelter provides housing, a variety of support services, and a comprehensive rehabilitation program to homeless adults.