Harborside Restaurant hosts luncheon guild

Forget about “ladies who lunch.”

The 40 women who make up “Chew for Charity,” a group that raises funds and awareness for nonprofit Wayfinders (formerly Community Service Programs), has been meeting monthly since 2007 and has raised more than $80,000 for Wayfinders, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people of all ages find their way past conflict and crisis to strength and stability. And every contribution collected, lunch organized, detail buttoned down is all volunteer-driven.

On Oct. 17, members gathered at Harborside Restaurant in Newport Beach for the latest Chew for Charity luncheon, where they raised $300 for Wayfinders. The luncheon guild members enjoy gourmet meals and mingling with their cohorts. For nearly a decade, the guild has met monthly and has been known to raise up to $12,000 to $15,000 a year for Wayfinders. In addition to regular lunches, guild members also help to sell tickets for Wayfinders fundraising events, and advocate on behalf of Wayfinders throughout the Orange County community.

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(L-R): “Chew for Charity” lunch guild members, Mary Sullivan and Julianne Smith

Funds benefit Wayfinders and each of its programs. Wayfinders exists to strengthen and support individuals, families and communities during times of crisis. Wayfinders offers the steadiest, surest, safest pathways to promising outcomes. To clients, Wayfinders is the stable home they never had. Their voice when they’re too fragile to speak. Their alternative to the juvenile justice system. Their path away from gang life, substance abuse and other destructive behavior. Their counseling support at a time of greatest need.

The people of Wayfinders are committed to supporting clients on their journeys and fostering lasting change and positive impact throughout Orange County.

For more information on Wayfinders, visit www.WeAreWayfinders.org.