Championing women

Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt champions 'circle of women' at powerful Dallas luncheon

Judge Clay Jenkins, Cathy Barker

Photo by Kim Leeson

What: 10th Anniversary Jewish Family Service Woman to Woman Luncheon

Where: Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel

The 411: More than 1,000 attendees came together on May 25 to celebrate the power, influence, and impact of women, and to help advance Jewish Family Service's mission to serve the Dallas community.

The beloved biennial event — this year celebrating its 10th anniversary — came together smoothly after some rough waters days before. First, featured speaker Kristen Chenoweth was forced to cancel due to illness; Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress Helen Hunt quickly stepped in to take her place. Then the scheduled moderator, WFAA's Cynthia Izaguirre, got called to report on the Uvalde shooting (which had taken place the day before); WFAA’s Sonia Azad graciously stepped in to substitute.

JFS board chair Julie Liberman welcomed the crowd, then Rabbi Shira Wallach of Congregation Shearith Israel led a powerful prayer for the victims and families in Uvalde.

Woman to Woman sustaining chair Linda Garner and founding chair Ethel Zale expressed their excitement at how much the event has grown since the first one in 2004 — an event which has raised more than $4.6 million, helping to triple the number of clients served. JFS CEO Cathy Barker and Carey Nottingham, director of client navigation, both underscored the organization's commitment to clients.

JFS services include career and financial services, food pantry and emergency assistance, older adult services, family violence services, and clinical services, as well as referrals for support. They've gone from serving 7,400 individuals in 2004 to more than 39,000 last year, the leaders said.

The highlight of the afternoon was a keynote address by Hunt, followed by an onstage discussion between Hunt and Azad. (In a lighthearted start, Hunt introduced herself as Chenoweth – then added that she was a little older, crankier, less musical, and taller.)

“When I heard it was the Woman to Woman Luncheon, with respect to all of the men in the room, I breathed a huge sigh of relief,” Hunt told the audience. “I am grateful for the men who are here and help facilitate this, but at the end of the day, for me, for my whole life, circling up with women is the most important thing I’ve done.

I’ve been doing it since my 20s, and I still do it every Thursday. I gather with a group of women, and we get very real right away. The women I know just get right to it, and I need that.”

“I used to do everything I could to walk around and say I’m fine, but I’m just not. I need circles of women, I need groups of people, and I think we need each other. The days of pretending we don’t went away with COVID-19.”

She ended with a quote from a JFS client. “My pantry is full, my mind relieved, and my heart has new faith in humankind," she said. "With gratitude and love, thank you for your selfless work. So thank you all for your selfless work and for having me here today.”

For more information about JFS and their work, visit Jfsdallas.org.

Who: Luncheon co-chairs included Rachel Biblo-Block, Beverly Goldman, Julie Gothard, Marcy Kahn, Staci Rubin, and Laura Weinstein. Attendees included Lisa Brodsky, Jill Cumnock, Trisha Cunningham, Ben Leal, Marissa Castro-McCoy, Ana-Maria Ramos, Judge Clay Jenkins, Mary Pat Higgins, Jaynie Schultz, Tammany Stern, and Gay Willis.

Helen Hunt on stage.

Photo by Randy Stewart

Helen Hunt on stage.

luncheons fundraisers

Coffee news

Starbucks partners bestow $53K in grants to favorite Dallas nonprofits

Courtesy

Chalkboard at Starbucks celebrates Resource Center.

In a one-of-a-kind charitable program, coffee giant Starbucks has bestowed more than two dozen grants to organizations across Dallas — organizations selected by Starbucks employees themselves.

Called The Starbucks Foundation’s Neighborhood Grants program, it's unique as a charitable effort thanks to its profound level of engagement, by allowing employees to nominate nonprofit recipients.

The Starbucks Foundation is the company's charitable arm which issues grants to nonprofits — from coffee and tea-growing communities around the world to neighborhood groups.

The Neighborhood Grants program gives their "partners" (what they call their employees) the opportunity to support the local organizations they care most about. This year, more than 3,200 grants are being awarded across the U.S. and Canada. Of that number, 27 organizations in Dallas received a Neighborhood Grant, totaling $53,000.

That included a $4,000 grant to Resource Center, a Dallas provider of LGBTQIA+ services and a big Starbucks staff favorite: It was nominated by an unprecedented 40 partners, and has previously earned seven grants totaling $20,000 from The Starbucks Foundation since 2019.

Resource Center's director of corporate engagement & events Bill Scott says that the grant is part of a larger meaningful partnership.

"In the current climate, we've seen many corporations turn away from our community, but Starbucks has remained steadfast," Scott says. "And we see it in ways that go beyond the grants, whether it's volunteering at our food bank or being ready for any fundraising event where they'll set up a coffee station to distribute to our guests."

Founded in 1983, Resource Center focuses on three pillars: positive social engagement in safe spaces, supportive services to promote wellness, and skill-building opportunities to promote growth.

Resource Center accepts grant from Starbucks Foundation, from left to right: Bill Scott (RC), Daniel Sanchez (RC), Tres Brown (RC), and Howard Jackson (SBUX).Jeffrey McWhorter

"The grant will help us continue to serve and uplift our community with more programming in areas like health and wellness," Scott says. "Last year, we opened our first low-income affordable housing complex for seniors, and before it even opened, it was sold out. We can see that the services we provide fill a real need."

It's a rare scenario in the corporate world, Scott says.

"There are not many companies I have dealt with like the Starbucks Foundation where they rely on their partners to make recommendations and listen to their partners," he says.

For Starbucks partners like Marsh King, an operations consultation manager who's been with the company for nearly 28 years, Starbucks' priority on being mission-driven has been a big incentive to stay with the company.

"When you see a grant that might give Resource Center the funds to do something like buy more refrigeration for the food pantry they just opened — it's gratifying to see that direct impact and know that you're a part of it," she says.

The level of engagement is very grass-roots, says senior partner employee relations associate Howard Jackson.

"We have customers who come in and say, 'I saw you at that event last weekend," he says. "We support the community, and they are our customers, as well. Through this work, we connect a lot of dots."

charity coffee

Championing women

Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt champions 'circle of women' at powerful Dallas luncheon

Helen Hunt on stage.

Official list of 4th of July events and fireworks around Dallas in 2025

Rockin' new lakeside restaurant debuts at Grand Prairie marina

This Dallas suburb had the highest apartment rent prices in DFW in June

Coffee news

Starbucks partners bestow $53K in grants to favorite Dallas nonprofits