After several years in other venues, on June 25 the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association Foundation's foster children's charity is returning to Southfield's Park West Gallery.
The event, In Seventh Heaven, will raise operating funds for the DMBA Foundation's foster children's charity, For The Seventh Generation (www.fortheseventhgeneration. org/inseventhheaven). The gala will include live entertainment; a strolling supper and open beer and wine bar; and a raffle and live and silent auctions with exclusive prizes. The event will take place from 7 11 pm.
Attendance costs $125 per person or $200 per couple and can be purchased on site by cash, check, MasterCard or Visa.
"We've had a lot of success in other venues, and we're particularly grateful to the individual who allowed us to hold In Seventh Heaven in her incredible Franklin Village home last year," said DMBA Foundation and For The Seventh Generation Executive Director Lorraine Weber.
"At the same time, though, the Park West Gallery and the Park West Gallery Foundation have been among our most generous supporters since we started For The Seventh Generation in 2005 and sometimes it's just nice to bring an event back to its roots."
Since 2014, For The Seventh Generation has served more than 1,000 foster children and families a year, matching them with donors of necessary goods and services the foster care system doesn't pay for. According to Weber, her organization's work frequently makes it possible for foster children to stay with a friend or family member instead of with strangers while in care.
"Many people don't know this, but the first thing social workers do when removing a child from his or her parents is to call relatives and friends of the family to see if they will foster that child," Weber explained. "This is the best thing for the child, but the result is a lot of immediate, unexpected expenses for the new foster parents."
"The new foster parents are required to purchase items like a beds, car seats, and cribs almost immediately not to mention dealing with the other physical needs of a child who might be moving into their home with nothing more than the clothing the child is wearing."
In addition to providing for these urgent, serious needs, For The Seventh Generation also distributes donations ranging from toys and Prom dresses to computers to allow foster children to do their homework.
"Michigan's foster care system provides most of the basics to insure children survive while in foster care," Weber said. "But any parent knows that children deserve more than just survival they deserve to thrive, and we're here to help them do just that."
While For The Seventh Generation operates very efficiently by using a website to match donors with foster children and families in need thus significantly reducing the need for staffing and expensive paperwork the organization's efforts still require funding.
The purpose of In Seventh Heaven is to raise those funds.
"This event raises the bulk of our operating expenses," Weber explained. "These are the dollars we use to do community outreach, and pay the people who staff our Help Closet and do the work involved in making sure that the donations we receive are delivered."
"We've vastly increased the number of children served, and done it on a budget that can only be described in terms of 'shoestrings.' This year, we're hoping to make those shoestrings a little bit longer."
This year's In Seventh Heaven sponsors include the Park West Gallery, the Seed Foundation, Garan Lucow Miller, GEM Asset Management, Butzel Long, and Meijer Store #54, along with several other members of the legal and business communities.
"Our sponsors make this event happen, they make our work possible, and we can't thank them enough," said Weber.
Published: Tue, Jun 21, 2016
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://www.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
