Vital East End Organization Gets a Boost From a Making a Difference Afternoon — Health Care For All

What: El Centro de Corazón “Making a Difference” luncheon

Where: Hotel ZaZa Museum District

PC Moment: The $140,000 raised will aid in the nonprofit’s efforts at providing health services for low-income, medically underserved children, adults and families living in Houston’s East End community. More than 50 percent of El Centro patients live at or below  of the federal poverty level which is about $26,000 annually for a family of four. Sixty percent of those have no insurance.  The nonprofit has been serving East End residents for 27 years and provides care for 13,000 patients each year.

Attended by 180 supporters, the annual luncheon was chaired by Heidi Rockecharlie and Barbara Van Postman and honorary chairs Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman and Leila Perrin. 

Frances Castañeda Dyess, president of the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce, was recognized as 2021 Community Leader Honoree while Gulf Coast Distillers was recipient of the the Corporate Leader Honoree award, accepted by marketing manager Caroline Wright.

The program featured an interview with Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO of Harris Health System and Dr. Roberta Schwartz, executive vice president, chief innovation officer of Houston Methodist. Cyndy Garza Roberts, reprising her role as emcee, led the Q&A that focused on the pandemic, lessons learned, disparity in health care and what the future looks like in terms of collaboration between organizations.

PC Seen: El Centro de Corazón CEO Marcie Mir, Beth Wolff, Emily Mir, George W. Connelly, Marilu Garza, Beckie and Gasper Mir, Ramiro Fonseca, Linda Flores Olson, Vicki Luna, David Vasquez, Michele Leal Farah and Ryane Jackson.