Houston’s Women of Success, Foodies and Jazz Make This Party a Rollicking Do-Good Time

What: Cuisine for a Cause

Where: Dress for Success Houston

PC Moment: More than 350 foodies enjoyed an evening of good cuisine and fun, in celebration of 18 years of service for women in the Houston community, and in honor of long-time DFS supporter Karen Lerner and the iconic catering company she co-founded, A Fare Extraordinaire. Emcee Mia Gradney highlighted client success stories, while a video tribute screened and its subjects, eight women of success, were brought forth on stage to great applause. Then guests made their way inside to an array of the buffet stations. Peli Peli, Le Colonial, Smith & Wollensky, Shade and SweetCup Gelato were among the culinary contributors as well as A Fare Extraordinaire, the night’s honoree.

Acclaimed jazz vocalist Kristine Mills contributed saucy tunes accompanied on the keys by pianist Jeff Franzel while DJ London kept the crowd rockin’ well into the night. With 54 percent of their clients landing jobs this year, DFS Houston is the nonprofit’s leading chapter in the world, providing the pathway to new professional jobs for low-income women in the workplace.

Who: Chairs Mary and Ben Patton and Rachael and Jason Volz (she, CEO/owner of A Fare Extraordinaire), co-founder Nancy Levicki, who serves as long-standing DFSH president and fellow co-founder Susie Cunningham, and supporters including board chair Niloufar Molavi and husband Amir, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Gary and Rebekah Reaves, Maria and Brian Lindenberg, Cinda and Armando Palacios, Trish and Rock Morille, Janis and Paul Jarosz, Kristi and Chick Chickering, Isabel and Danny David, auction co-chair Alissa Maples with husband Kevin, Melissa Sugulas, and Valerie Dieterich.