ZaZa Lunch Promises to 'Make a Difference' for Houston's East End

Daniel Ortiz
ZaZa Lunch Promises to 'Make a Difference' for Houston's East End

Barbara Van Postman, Phyllis Williams, Leisa Holland Nelson Bowman and Donna Chapman

THE HOTEL ZAZA ballroom hosted 250 generous supporters for the annual Making a Difference luncheon benefiting El Centro de Corazón.


Event chairs Kelli Cohen Fein and Barbara Van Postman, along with honorary chairs Leisa Holland Nelson Bowman and Leila Perrin, threw a great party for the nonprofit, which provides comprehensive healthcare services to low-income residents of Houston’s East End. El Centro sees more than 12,000 patients — most of whom live below the federal poverty level and are uninsured — each year.

Emcee Cyndy Garza Roberts kept the energy levels high as honorees Halliburton Charitable Foundation and the Honorable Ed Emmett and Gwen Emmett were announced. And El Centro CEO Marcie Mir gave remarks noting the recent passing of El Centro founder Mary Jo May, who was committed to providing accessible, affordable healthcare to those in need.

An interesting conversation between physicians Esmaeil Porsa and James McCarthy discussed how Covid changed healthcare, and the opportunities it created, too.

The event raised more than $161,000 for El Centro.

Anne Neeson and Hallie Vanderhider

Sippi Khurana and Rosemary Schatzman

Chelsea Collmer and Laurie Sanders

Lisa Gochman and Maggie Glaser

Rosemary Schatzman, Marilu Garza, Barbara Van Postman and Donna Chapman

Cyndy Garza Roberts and Gloria Zenteno

Cynthia Wolff and Beth Wolff

Diana Barrero-Burgos, Laura Jaramillo

Elizabeth Stein, Bill Baldwin and Denise Monteleone

Scott and Jennifer Allison

Parties
Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less

What is your mission? Launched in 2006, Kids’ Meals’ mission is to end childhood hunger in Houston by delivering free, healthy meals year-round to the doorsteps of Houston’s hungriest preschool-aged children and through collaboration, provide their families with resources to end the cycle of poverty.

Keep Reading Show less

What year was your organization launched? 1986 by a small group of committee community members that believed special needs children were not receiving basic life services.

Keep Reading Show less