Portland, OR. Corks and Forks is a benefit wine tasting event designed for the urban foodie and wine lover. The benefit, at Castaway on June 9th, was hosted by Classic Wines and drew 467 supporters who showed up to nibble on bites from 16 of Portland’s hottest restaurants and sip new spring releases from 16 area wineries. The urban wine tasting raised $47,488 For Classic Wines, which is nearly twice the amount raised in 2015. It was all in support of the Classic Wines Auction’s six charity partners.
Here’s a look at the party.
Classic Wines Auction, Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to producing the Classic Wines Auction and related premier food and wine experiences to raise funds for local children and family charities. Since 1982, we’ve raised more than $39 million to benefit over 850,000 individuals supported by 11 different charity partners.
Portland, Ore. April 26th ,2013. The Classic Wines Auction, Inc. (CWA), presented by Kuni Automotive, delivered a check for $413,688 to New Avenues for Youth (New Avenues). The Classic Wines Auction presents New Avenues for Youth with $413,688, raised from its gala annual auction. Pictured left to right: Karen Hinsdale, Classic Wines Auction board member; Paul Vogel, Classic Wines Auction board member; Sean Suib, New Avenues for Youth Executive Director; Heather Martin, Classic Wines Auction Executive Director; Brian Rice, District President of KeyBank and New Avenues for Youth board chairman; Jessica Elkan, New Avenues for Youth Development Director. New Avenues is a Portland-based nonprofit that prevents and intervenes in youth homelessness by providing a path of hope and possibilities through: day services, case management, education, job training and housing.
The partnership between CWA and New Avenues helps bridge the gap of homelessness in the local community. For example, a young woman named Treasure turned to New Avenues when she found herself seventeen and homeless.
“They were there to help me get off the streets, and they saw potential in me. New Avenues helped me climb back up after hitting rock bottom. To be quite honest, I don’t think I would have made it this far without New Avenues,” Treasure has shared.
Treasure now spends her time volunteering at New Avenues to help as many people as she can. She also advocates awareness of the organization in her daily life.
How New Avenues for Youth Serves the Community:
New Avenues for Youth helps homeless youth overcome tragic childhoods, exit the streets and become productive members of our community. Its outcome-based programs go beyond meeting basic needs by providing counseling, education, transitional housing and job training designed to move youth off the streets and into healthy, independent lives.
Proceeds from the Classic Wines Auction Help:
·New Avenues serve more than 53,000 nutritious meals to homeless and at-risk youth
·95% of the youth who exit New Avenues’ transitional housing program move to safe, stable housing
·458 youth with job training and employment-seeking services
·New Avenues provide 124 job placements and 52 internships to homeless and at-risk youth
·561 youth receive tutoring and classroom support in New Avenues’ education program
·32 youth achieve their GED and 38 youth enroll in post-secondary education
“The youth that we work with have had a challenging background, yet a common characteristic they all share is resiliency,” said Brian Rice, Chairman of the Board. “If you give them a safe environment, help them get back their self-esteem and make those small investments in them it is amazing what they can achieve. 92% of the kids in transitional housing go on to stable housing environments.”
The majority of the funds were raised during the annual Classic Wines Auction fundraising gala this past March. As one of the largest fundraisers in Oregon, CWA is dedicated to producing premiere food and wine events to raise funds for local charities. CWA partners with organizations with the following characteristics: mission compatibility, effective organizational management, sound financial practices, board-led fundraising, sustainability and a solid volunteer network.
“It is because of organizations such as CWA that New Avenues can achieve our mission while meeting the ever growing needs of our community,” said Sean Suib, New Avenue’s Executive Director.
Information provided by Classic Wines
Consistently recognized as one of the top charity wine auctions in the country by Wine Spectator Magazine since 2001, the Classic Wines Auction has raised nearly $32 million for Portland-area charities since its inception in 1982. Based in Portland, Ore., Classic Wines Auction, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing the Classic Wines Auction and related food and wine events to raise funds for local charities benefiting children and families, including: Metropolitan Family Service, New Avenues for Youth, Friends of the Children-Portland, YWCA Clark County and Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.
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