Cute Crowd Hits Glam Gala at Country Club, Raises Funds to Serve Homemade Hope’s Kids

Daniel Ortiz
Cute Crowd Hits Glam Gala at Country Club, Raises Funds to Serve Homemade Hope’s Kids

Margot Delaronde Marcell, Heather Mountanin and Monica Patel

ONE OF THE city’s favorite charities — Homemade Hope, which helps underprivileged kids develop life skills through various educational programs including cooking classes — once again took of the ballroom of the River Oaks Country for a bright gala supported by a fun crowd of next-gen philanthropists and well-scrubbed swells.


It was dubbed the Home is Where the Heart Is Gala, and Margot Delaronde Marcell, Heather Mountain and Monica Patel served as chairs, with Scarlett and Scott Hankey as honorees. Per the custom, sisters and Homemade Hope Founder Blair Bentley and Board member Brooke Bentley Gunst led the evening’s program.

The event raised more than $300,000 to support programming and help provide after-school culinary classes, mentoring and field trips for children. One of the young people in the program provided the invocation to start the evening.

“An appeal and lively live auction was led by Johnny Holloway,” explained a rep for gala organizers. “Unique items included VIP tickets to any Dierks Bentley concert along with a meet and greet and a signed guitar. Hands were flying to bid up all the items.”

Brooke and Adam Beebe

Emily Tallman, Ashley Gilliam and Jordan Jackson

Elliot Scheirman and Liz Coleman

Camden Miller and Emily Grace Rogers

Jeff Gunst and Brooke Bentley Gunst

Robin and Tom Segesta

Jessica and Scott Clendenin

Carolyn and Jake Sabat

Donna and Norman Lewis

Masha and Mehran Massumi

Tony Dafft, Patti Pike and Donna and Paul Canales

Jenny Green, Courtney Cannatti and Jill Bollich

Parties
Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

Keep Reading Show less

The patio at Toca Madera (photo by Connie Anderson)

EXPERIENTIAL, OR “VIBE,” dining has been trending for a few years now in Houston, from restaurateurs who assume that diners want more than just a meal. Well, they all just got some stiff competition with the opening of Toca Madera in the Pavilion at The Allen.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

The pool at Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Woodlands

IS A HEALTHY, balanced real estate market finally here? Per HAR data, the answer is ... kind of? Inventory is at the highest level since 2011, prices are holding steady, and the city and metro area continue to grow in population. Having lost population after Harvey and Covid, the city welcomes significant yet sustainable growth — and a housing market that can handle it.

Keep Reading Show less
Home + Real Estate