Go behind the scenes of the December issue featuring the best holiday fashion, fun party looks and sexy resort pieces.
Fall Philanthropy Report: Easter Seals of Greater Houston ‘Impacts Where People Need Us the Most’
Oct. 8, 2024
What year was your organization launched? Founded in Houston in 1947, as the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center, the organization provided services to individuals with disabilities living in Houston and Harris County. In 1989, the organization changed its name and greatly expanded its services to meet the needs of its clientele. Today as Easter Seals Greater Houston, the organization provides multiple outstanding service programs to children, adults, veterans, and service members with all types of disabilities and their families in Harris and sixteen surrounding counties.
What is your mission? Easter Seals Greater Houston is the only organization in the greater Houston area providing comprehensive services to individuals with all types of disabilities, veterans and their families. We impact where people need us the most – school, work, home, and in the community. Enhancing education, advancing health, expanding employment, and elevating the community.
Why did you launch the organization? Easter Seals was originally launched as the school district location for children with disabilities before the ADA was passed in the 70’s. Once ADA legislation was passed, the agency evolved into life changing services and programs serving babies, children and adults with all types of disabilities and their families, regardless of their ability to pay.
What are you most proud of? Easter Seals’ services focus on improving the physical, educational, cognitive, mental and financial health of our clients so they can live as fully participating members of our community. Even though we are very efficient, with over $.91 of every dollar used for direct client assistance, we have still been able to consistently expand services to fill gaps in services for an underserved population.
How have you impacted the community? Each year, we serve close to 15,000 families in Harris and surrounding counties, most living below poverty simply due to medical bills and caregiving issues; our programs not only address our direct client’s need for therapy, school, camps and more; but those of the family through respite, financial education, mental health services and emergency assistance.
Tell us about your big event. Easter Seals is excited to announce our 14th annual “Walk With Me Houston” Family fun walk on April 12, 2025, at the Houston Zoo presented by Prosperity Bank and attended by over 4,000 donors, sponsors, volunteers and clients. Following the walk, is an after-party with children’s activities, music, food, drinks and more. WalkWithMeHouston.org
How many employees and volunteers work with your organization? 250 and more than 200.
How much have you raised since you launched? In the past 20 years, Easter Seals has grown an average of 7% a year-in spite of economic downturns, government funding cuts and the fact that less than 3% of all charitable giving goes to organizations serving people with disabilities. That growth came through a combination of community support-from government funding, the United Way, individual donors, foundations and corporations so that our babies, children and adults receive the services they desperately need without worrying about the cost or their lack of insurance.
What are your major challenges? In spite of medical advancements and the power of technology to improve the lives of veterans and people with disabilities, the need for our services continues to grow-and with that the challenge of raising the funds necessary to support those expanded services grows.
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Good Doctors: Female Physicians Trade Scrubs for Fab Fashion at ‘Women in Medicine’ Style Show
Apr. 11, 2025
Nadia Hafeez, Shireen Hadi, Sara Perry (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
A ROSTER OF women you might usually see in scrubs and white coats flipped the script and went high-fashion for the Arts of Healing Foundation’s fourth annual Fashion Show at the Post Oak Hotel, celebrating Houston’s Women in Medicine.
“Eighteen unstoppable women in various fields of medicine were selected as the honorees and showcased on a runway, which was referred to as the runway of role models,” said a rep for event organizers. “All major hospitals and many private practices throughout the Houston area were represented, and their specialties ranged from clinical practitioners, to surgeons to administrators.”
Fady Armanious of Tootsies helped dress the docs-turned-models. Johnny Bravo conducted the auction, and Lori Raijman co-founder and president of the organization, was also on hand. “As a result of their efforts, their layers of knowledge and their years of expertise, our community has benefited,” said Raijman of the healthcare professionals. “Their success and dedication affect each of us.”
Hitting the runway were mix of physicians and administrators including Connie Wang, Jayne Johnston, Susan Mathew, Alexandra Stevens, Magdalena Sanz Cortes, Katie Bolt, M. Monica Gramatges, Christina Paruthi, Shaden Khalaf, Tricia McGusty, Emily Jamea, Gwyn Richardson, Shirley Lima, Sonali Patel, Shanda Blackmon, Gina Blocker, Jessica Traver and Dalia Moghazy.
The foundation’s beneficiaries include The Elkins Pancreas Center at Baylor College of Medicine, The Lung Force and The Sunshine Kids Foundation.
Connie Wang (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Magdalena Sanz Cortes and Derek Kliethermes (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Katie Bolt (photo by Dave Rossman)
Josh Weisman, Jack Simes and Mark Bordman (photo by Dave Rossman)
Gina Blocker (photo by Dave Rossman)
Lucy Moore, Kristen Collins and Pam Connealy (photo by Dave Rossman)
Ashlee Rubbo and Taylor Hoffman (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Jessica Traver (photo by Dave Rossman)
Shetal Amin and Kishan Dwarakanath (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
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Amy Pierce, Sippi Khurana, Dr Namrata Sharma Goel and Ruchi Muchejee (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
A BIG CROWD turned up at the Post Oak Hotel for the Children at Risk gala, raising some $360,000 focused on “understanding and addressing the root causes of child poverty and inequality,” per its mission statement.
Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live and Portlandia fame was the headliner, entertaining the crowd of 430 with offbeat comedy and musical bits.
Suzan and Jeremy Samuels and Beth Wolff served as event chairs for the Stand Up for Children event. Other big shots were on hand, including emcee Khambrel Marshall and honoree Sippi Khurana. “Khurana gave impassioned remarks that included statistics for Texas showing the importance of Children at Risk’s research and advocacy, pinpointing the areas needed for change in health, education and welfare of children,” said a rep for the event organizers. “Her 3 d-grade daughter Seva gave a beautiful invocation to start the evening.”
VIP guests included and Ed Wolff, Cynthia Wolff, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Ann and Jonathan Ayre, Ajay Khurana, Kristen Cannon, Alice and Matthew Brams, Shaina Perry and Jeremy Ross, Shawn and Donald Bowers, Amy and Rob Pierce, George Connelly, Evelyn Leightman, Katie and Seth Tsuru, and David Charles.
Cynthia Wolff, Henry Florsheim and Beth Wolff (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Bob and Ellen Sanborn (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Chris Schreck and Megan Schreck (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Julie Dickinson and David Charles (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Jayne Johnston and Kristen Cannon (photo by Jacob Power)
Rainer Munzel, Ursula Munzel, Evelyn Leightman and George Connelly (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
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