When Women’s Lunch Place holds its 12th annual ‘eat LUNCH give’ fundraiser and networking luncheon at the Park Plaza Hotel on Friday, May 12, the event will be a celebration of the tireless work for the city’s homeless women that the Back Bay women’s shelter has performed in the four decades since its inception in November of 1982.
“This year, we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary, and the focus is on the impact that people have made over the past 40 years to get us to where we are today,” said Paula White, Chief Development Officer for WLP.
This year’s event will also serve as a networking event in response to the many companies and organization that have expressed interest in getting involved in WLP over the past few months or so.
As the pandemic has waned, local companies and organizations have come to WLP “looking for ways to build their corporate culture by working towards common goals and spending time with like-minded people,” said White.
“A lot of people are coming to us looking for opportunities to make a difference and engage in our work,” she added. “They’re missing the camaraderie they used to have in the office. We’ve invited groups and individuals who would like to make an impact and engage in our work.”
As White points out, the event’s tagline is ‘Ending homelessness is everybody’s business.’
The event, said White, will include “fun activities, networking, opportunities to hear stories from the field, and really outline ways organizations, businesses, and community leaders can contribute and make an impact on ending homelessness.”
This year’s event, which includes lunch for guests, as well as a raffle, will also honor the inaugural members of the Presidents’ Council, which recognizes the contributions of past WLP leaders and celebrates the dedication of those who have enriched and improved the quality of life of the city’s most vulnerable women. The members of the President’s Council have embraced WLP’s mission and supported the advancement of women through their leadership and philanthropy.
Notable attendees of the event will include Karen Spilka, president of the Massachusetts Senate, and Alexandra Valdez, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement. President’s Council members include business, philanthropic, and nonprofit leaders from across Greater Boston. Among them are Marty Walz, Ande Zellman, Hannah Grove, J.W. Carney Jr., and Eileen C. Reilly, co-founder of WLP.
“We’ll be highlighting the contributions of the people, all former board members, who have been building the foundation for how the next 40 years are going to move forward,” said White.
Women’s Lunch Place will celebrate our 12th annual eat LUNCH give fundraiser at the Grand Ballroom, Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza, on Friday, May 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Join the event by purchasing tickets or a sponsorship at: https://womenslunchplace.org/eat-lunch-give.