Home Safe Home – AVDA Celebrates 10th Anniversary

There are so many galas and events that serve worthy causes in Houston, but few are as special as the recent AVDA Home Safe Home event. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse) hosted Houston’s finest Chefs for a grand tasting of the Bayou City’s top restaurants at their 10th Anniversary Gala at The Astorian with more than 250 guests.

Among them were Chef Mark Cox (Mark’s Restaurant), Chef Kaz Edwards (Uchi), Chef Kiran Verma (Kiran’s), and Chef Elliot Kelly (RDG/Bar Annie). Our favorite had to be Chef Kelly’s Grilled Octopus with Buttermilk Lime Dressing and Charred Fig Salsa. Each dish was paired with a selection of international wines.

AVDA also honored members of the community for their outstanding contributions to stopping domestic violence. John Eddie Williams Jr. received the Joseph D. Jamail Award for Justice and Rhonda Gerson was given the DeeDee Ostfeld Heart of AVDA Award.

The evening including live music, silent auctions, and a video, all to highlight AVDA’s Legacy Advocacy Program which combat’s domestic violence through legal support. ADVA also conducts a Battering Intervention & Prevention Program, Counseling Services, and a Youth & Outreach Program. AVDA has served 80,000 victims in its 10 years of work.

The evening was a great celebration of scrumptious food, glamorous party goers, live music and a very important message for the community at large. Domestic violence is a very serious social issue and it happens in every culture and socio economic status. We have a responsibility to not look away but take action in our lives and others that need help.

For more information on AVDA please visit avda-tx.org.

Claire Cormier Thielke and Rick Thielke

Bonnie and Larry Likover

Arthur and Philamena Baird

David Denis and John Sheely

John Eddie Williams Jr. and Sheridan Williams