On the eve of cupid’s favorite holiday, guests enjoyed another fabulously glamorous Valentine Ball at the Oak Harbor Clubhouse. The annual event was a benefit for United Against Poverty, the new moniker announced earlier this year of the former Harvest Food and Outreach Center, whose Vero Beach campus will now be known as UP Indian River County.
Attendees, dazzling in their elegant formalwear, were greeted at the entryway by Gala Chair Pam Harmon, UPIRC Board Chair Barbara Lowry, and UPIRC Founder/CEO Austin Hunt, before entering the beautifully transformed dining room. Fé Domenech of the Event Firm International had contributed to the romantic setting featuring lush florals atop maroon silk and velvet linens, and Pangea, a hot Miami band, kept the mood sizzling all night long.
Trude See and her décor committee spectacularly enticed bidders with more than 185 silent auction items for guests to peruse, and later Wesley Davis presided over an exciting live auction which alone brought in another $25,000.
Between courses, Hunt gave a special thank-you to Don Drinkard, former board chairman and honorary event chairman, who received a standing ovation for his eight years of dedicated service.
“I can only say that this organization would not be here if it were not for Don,” said Hunt.
Drinkard modestly credited generous donors for enabling the organization to inspire and empower families to lift themselves out of poverty and into self-sufficiency.
“That’s Harvest’s mission. That is what we do,” said Drinkard. “I have never seen Harvest as effective in transforming lives as it is doing in this moment.”
Admitting he was going to have a hard time not using the name Harvest anymore, he and executive director Annabel Robertson unveiled a banner with the new name and logo.
“We are thinking about getting a jar in the office and every time someone uses the old name they will have to drop in a coin,” said Jamie Jackson, UPIRC director of institutional advancement.
The name change better reflects their mission of not just providing affordable groceries to the working poor but also empowering them through education, counseling and job training.
“We also kept getting confused with the Food Bank and although food is a huge part of lifting people out of poverty, we are more than just a food center now,” said Hunt.
“It has been really exciting around here since Austin was on Fox and Friends. The amount of calls coming in locally and also nationally has been pretty exciting with people wanting to come see our place as a model for their organizations,” said wife Ginny Hunt.
The most poignant part of the evening was a short testimonial by one of their clients, who said, “My story is like so many people. I did not go to high school and by 16 I was married and divorced at 21 with three children.”
After struggling with drugs, illness and homelessness, she said the best thing to happen to her was being introduced to UPIRC, where job training provided the tools for her to become a youth care worker for Children’s Home Society.
“I want to thank you all for showing me that the ladder does not have to end at the clouds; it can go as high as you can climb. I also want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a living example to others who come after me who just want a chance,” she added to thunderous applause.
