COMMUNITY & CLUBS:

As a prelude to Valentine’s Day, the Soroptimist Club of Newport Harbor held its annual Matters of the Heart Awards luncheon Feb. 6 at the Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa.

The event, chaired by Dawn Marie Lemonds, saw silent and voice auctions coordinated by Roslinda Lopez. Member Sue Haddock did her usual excellent job as Master of Ceremonies as she kept the program moving and introduced the honorees, Sandie Morgan of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force and the Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter.

Both recipients had moving stories to tell, Morgan about human trafficking around the world and even recently in Irvine. Laura Miller, the shelter’s executive director, talked about the increase number of homeless women and children in Orange County. Both recipients received a check and a beautiful crystal from Club President Wendy Kaiser.

Cathy Standiford, Soroptimist International president-elect, was one of the dignitaries on hand and provided a thoughtful invocation. The lunch was a skirt steak with mushroom chipotle salad and a three-tier dessert sampler of chocolates and pastries.

Thousand of dollars were raised by auctioneer Neil Hanley that will be invested in local community groups such as the Interfaith Shelter, the Interval House, Girls Inc. of Orange County, Girl Scouts, Lydia Today Foundation and STOP-GAP and international projects such as Project Sierra, helping deprived women and children in Sierra Leone.

Serving with Lemonds on the event committee were Mary Erchul, Denise Glass, Megan Hertzberg, Wendy Kaiser, Dalia Badajos Lugo and Laura Miller.

ASK THE CLERGY

Learn more about other faith traditions by attending Tuesday’s luncheon meeting of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council at St. Joachim’s Catholic Church. This month’s program is an “Ask the Clergy” session with the Rev. Karen Stoyanoff, Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church; the Rev. Deborah Barrett, Zen Center of Orange County; and Armand Mauss, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, according to Greg Kelly, council vice president. The council will also elect the 2009 officers and directors at their first meeting of the year, according to President-Elect the Rev. Julie Elkins, First United Methodist Church of Costa Mesa.

The luncheon begins with a reception at 11:45 a.m., noon luncheon and 12:30 p.m. program with each speaker presenting a brief history of their faith and then taking questions from the audience. Reservations must be made by Friday by calling (714) 921-8665 or by e-mailing nmiinterfaith@aol.com. Lunch is $10 with a reservation or $12 without reservations.

WORTH REPEATING

Thought for the day: “Love is the extra effort we make in our dealings with those whom we do not like and once you understand that, you understand all.”

— Quentin Crisp

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

How are you giving back to your community? Help your community and the world through a service club!

TODAY

7:30 a.m.: The 10-member Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at Denny’s Restaurant, 290 Bristol St., Costa Mesa.

6 p.m.: The 65-member Rotary Club of Newport Balboa meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a program by Newport-Mesa Unified School Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard, www.newportbalboa.org.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at Mimi’s Café.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club meets at the Holiday Inn, Costa Mesa. Visit www.CostaMesaKiwanis.org.

The 85-member Rotary Club of Newport Irvine meets at the University Club at UCI. Visit www.ni-rotary.org.

The 95-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a program by Phillip Humphrey on “Black Holes and X-rays.”

MONDAY

6:30 p.m.: The Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club meets at the Costa Mesa Mimi’s Restaurant.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 55-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets at Five Crowns for a program by John Grande as Col. Joshua Chamberlain, Battle of Gettysburg, www.newportbeachsunriserotary.org.

COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Wednesdays. Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655 or by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com.