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Thursday, October 5 was a spectacular night at the Montclair Art Museum! We are so grateful for everyone who supported The Art of Giving event by attending, participating in our auctions, or making a donation to the auction or directly to the event.
It was a truly a memorable evening celebrating 35 years of Family Promise of Essex County. More than 150 of FPE's longtime and new supporters gathered together to take a look back on how many families we have helped through tough times...and a look forward at the strides we still need to make in solving the crisis of homelessness.
The evening began with cocktails and charcuterie upstairs in Lehman Court, where guests were serenaded by the acoustic guitar sounds of local singer/songwriter, Diane Polledri. While upstairs, attendees were able to stroll the lovely art galleries' to view current exhibitions.
From there, everyone proceeded downstairs, where the sounds of a quartet of talented, Jazz House Kids welcomed them into Leir Court. Guests dined on fun "food walls" of tapas, slider stations and scrumptious hors d'oeuvres by InThyme Catering. A carefully curated wine list and specialty "Art of Giving" cocktail provided by Grape Collective, and a variety of craft beer selections by NJ Beer Company rounded out the accompanying bar.
After a beautiful, congratulatory video welcome from First Lady of New Jersey, Tammy Murphy, the evening's honorees were introduced. Montclair Helps, a fairly new organization that came together during the early days of the pandemic, were the event Honorees. A group of eight Montclair residents/businessmen, they decided to form the organization as a way to give back to the community and make a significant impact by pooling their resources. Jeff Plaut accepted the award on behalf of Montclair Helps and shared his story and inspiration for the organization. Montclair Helps has been a valuable partner to Family Promise of Essex, especially in terms of helping clients, who may have a need that falls into a funding gap.
Then it was time for the evening's main program, emceed by seasoned director, producer and entertainer, Rasheed Daniel. Rasheed's high energy and self-proclaimed silly dad jokes kept the audience laughing and spirits high, as the topic turned to the crisis of homelessness and the ongoing struggles facing thousands of families throughout Essex County.
Board Member, Davianne Harris, moderated an informative discussion about our affiliate's past, present and future, between FPE Executive Director, Tia Aery and Director of Programs and Operations, Kelly Curry. That discussion then segued into a highlight of the evening....a short documentary film, which followed the paths of two different families served by FPE in the last year. As the moving video ended and the lights came up, one of those family members, "D", took the stage to tell more about her story to the audience, while her partner and precious young daughter watched from their table.
Once "D" took her seat and the rousing applause from the audience subsided, we were fortunate to have Congresswoman Mikie Sherril in the house. The Congresswoman approached the stage, stopping to share an impactful and awe-inspiring moment with "D" and her family. The highlight of the highlight!
And, of course, the night would not have been complete if we weren't able to raise significant funds to support all of the services that FPE offers. Thanks to an assortment of donations from local businesses, we had a silent auction of 21 items. And thanks to the generosity of the Placek and Terry families, we had four, fantastic live auction items for bid. In addition to over $10,000 raised from the auctions, we were able to raise nearly $80,000 in direct donations, thanks to our captivating auctioneer, Mike Cocco. Mike even busted his best Adam Levine moves up on stage, as he kept the auction paddles raising.
All included, The Art of Giving raised over $155,000 for Family Promise of Essex County, which will directly support our Prevention, Shelter, Housing and Stabilization programs for families in crisis. It was a wonderful evening and the best part is that everyone who took part in it has made a difference in the lives of many Essex County families.
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