H.E.A.R.T.'s 5th Annual Brunch

It was a beautiful and sunny morning in Los Angeles; the sky was blue and the sun smiled from above.  The calendar read Tuesday, May 8, 2007 and at 10 a.m. a crowd of dedicated, female philanthropists came together at The Regency Club in Westwood to celebrate VIP’s 5th annual brunch for H.E.A.R.T.

High above the city in The Regency Club’s beautiful penthouse, the table decorations, which consisted of stuffed animals and children’s books, returned the focus to the protagonists of the annual H.E.A.R.T brunch: children.

More than one hundred guests gathered for a light brunch within a relaxed forum in which to dialogue, exchange ideas, network, and ponder the special presentation from VIP Executive Director Dr. Astrid Heppenstall Heger and guest speaker Meg Tilly, who read from her novel Gemma.

Alison Petrocelli introduces Dr. Heger at the brunch	Shiva Rose, Eve Somer Gerber, Romi Lassally and Dr. Heger
Stephanie Liner and Thea Adelson at The Regency Club	Dr. Heger speaks with author Meg Tilly and Judge Ken Freeman after the brunch

Tilly captivated the entire room with her impersonation of the two characters in her book.  It was amazing to watch her transform from Hazen, Gemma’s kidnapper and abuser, to Gemma, the 12-year-old victim, who survives the torments of her abuser by teaching herself to “Gemma travel,” a form of meditation that allows her to separate mind from body.  The fate of little Gemma and Tilly’s captivating performance moved guests to shock and even to tears.

Listening to Tilly speak at the brunch it became clear that the “little” things made the difference in her personal survival as well as Gemma’s survival.  Something as simple as a piece of red plastic, which Tilly imagined to be a red ruby or a little pet turtle named Boxcar Julie, which became Gemma’s best friend, held out hope for both of them in time of need.  It was also the sense of not being alone in the darkness of her abuse that kept Tilly and Gemma fighting to survive. 

While for some the presentations made by Dr. Heger and Meg Tilly opened the gates into the dark alleys of abuse, neglect, and sheer violence, for others these descriptions simply reinforced their reasons for committing to H.E.A.R.T.  Together with the VIP, H.E.A.R.T. provides those little and bigger-little things to children and families in need. 

Without the efforts and generosity of H.E.A.R.T. co-founders, the brunch would not have been possible.  The VIP would like to thank Thea Adelson, Eve Somer Gerber, Molly Isaksen, Romi Lassally, Stephanie Liner, Alison Petrocelli and Shiva Rose for their contributions.      

If you would like more information on H.E.A.R.T., or would like to join the support group, please email the VIP development department at contact@vip-cmhc.org, or call (323)226-2097.

H.E.A.R.T.'s 4th Annual Brunch

On a typically beautiful Southern California morning, a crowd of dedicated, female philanthropists converged on the west side for an exceptional event.  VIP’s fourth annual brunch for H.E.A.R.T., held on May 24, 2006, can boast the largest turnout to date, having drawn more than 70 dedicated female philanthropists.

Dr. Heger, Rosanna Arquette and Jenna King

Jamie Lynton, Romi Lassally and Katie McGrath attend the HEART brunch.

The light brunch provided guests with a relaxed forum in which to dialogue, network and contemplate a special presentation from VIP Executive Director Dr. Heger.  Describing what a typical day at work is like, Dr. Heger guided attendees through a maze of emergency calls in the middle of the night; into the individual experiences of young children abused or left for dead; and back to the daily realities of the agency, where children and families learn to carry on despite the crimes that were committed against them.      

If you would like more information on H.E.A.R.T., or would like to join the support group, please email the VIP development department at contact@vip-cmhc.org, or call (323)226-2097.

H.E.A.R.T. Partners with MaxMara and Town & Country

On October 18, 2005 MaxMara in Beverly Hills hosted a shopping event to benefit H.E.A.R.T. Co-hosting the event were the Editor-in-Chief of Town & Country magazine Pamela Fiori, actress Rosanna Arquette, model Kirsty Hume and actress Sarah Wynter. Guests attended an afternoon of hors d’oeuvres and shopping, and MaxMara generously donated 20% of sales to H.E.A.R.T.

Pamela Fiori addressed the power of individual philanthropy to creative a positive impact in the lives of others. She gave context to the spirit of charitable giving and the longstanding tradition of philanthropy in the U.S., reminding guests that gifts from individual donors, in fact, have tremendous impacts. Ms. Fiori’s recognition of the capacity of the individual to affect social change was an acknowledgement of the spirit and mission of H.E.A.R.T. and what she termed, “the power of one."

Rosanna Arquette and H.E.A.R.T. co-founder Eve Somer Gerber (left to right)

Wendy Goldberg, Pamela Fiori, Editor-in-Chief for Town & Country, Helen Kinnear, Shannon Rotenberg and Jenny Belushi (left to right)

While Ms. Fiori spoke of the power of philanthropy, Dr. Astrid H. Heger, Executive Director of the Violence Intervention Program, gave a face to the families who benefit from H.E.A.R.T. members’ contributions. She told the story of an 8-year-old girl whose stepfather was abusing the entire family. Social services are not available to help people move, pay rent or buy household goods. In this case emails to the H.E.A.R.T. members resulted in beds, a couch, chairs, tables, linens and pots and pans enough to furnish the apartment for the three children and their mother. H.E.A.R.T. donations paid her moving costs, first and last month’s rent, and gave her the chance to keep her children instead of losing them to protective custody. It is indeed the kindness of these “strangers” that changed the course of one family’s life. H.E.A.R.T. provides the giving that makes the darkness of abuse and violence more tolerable. The mission of H.E.A.R.T. is to make a dramatic and thoughtful impact on the lives of abused children and the moms who strive to keep their children safe.

Erik Heger and H.E.A.R.T. member Mimi Polk Gitlin were among the more than fifty guests in attendance.

Arianna Huffington and Linda Thompson at MaxMara on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. (left to right)

Special thanks to MaxMara creator of fine Italian women’s ready-to-wear clothing, Town & Country, as well as H.E.A.R.T. co-founders Thea Adelson, Eve Somer Gerber, Molly Isaksen, Romi Lassally, Alison Petrocelli and Shiva Rose McDermott for their tireless efforts in organizing such a successful event. Also, thanks to all H.E.A.R.T. members who contribute to improve the lives of women and children.

On March 3, 2005, “Helping Ease Abuse-Related Trauma” or H.E.A.R.T., hosted its second salon session at the home of H.E.A.R.T. co-founder Alison Petrocelli at 7:00 p.m. Like the first salon session, a group of H.E.A.R.T. women came together to hear an expert speak on parenting skills and issues impacting today’s children.

This session’s speaker, Richard G. MacKenzie MD, CM, FAAP, an internist by training, is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and Director of the Adolescent Medicine Program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the McGill University School of Medicine in Montreal, Canada. Dr. MacKenzie is recognized as an international leader in the field of medical illness in adolescents and has a holistic approach to its understanding and management. In addition, over the past 3 decades, he has been a pioneer in the development of clinical and research approaches to contemporary issues that impact the lives of today's youth, specifically, eating disorders.

At the event, Dr. MacKenzie spent time discussing ways to keep children healthy and with a healthy body image. He also discussed the signs of anorexia, certain behaviors that could lead to a problem and when to act on them. H.E.A.R.T. member, Helen Thomas says of the event, "My husband and I found the last HEART lecture on anorexia extremely informative and interesting - especially since we have two daughters. We are looking forward to future sessions with this great group of parents."

H.E.A.R.T. founders are very excited to continue with the popular salon sessions and expand the group’s membership. Each salon session topic is chosen based on feedback from H.E.A.R.T. members.

Salon Session with Dr. Drew Pinsky

On October 28th, H.E.A.R.T. members gathered at the home of Eve Somer Gerber to hear Dr. Drew Pinsky speak on the difficulties of raising children in today's world. This event marks the first of many salon sessions that the H.E.A.R.T. group will host. Dr. Drew Pinsky is a respected medical doctor, board-certified addictionologist and relationship expert. He co-hosts the syndicated radio show, Loveline on KROQ. On the show, Dr. Drew works with Adam Corolla to answer listeners' questions and give advice to those in need. He has appeared on TV shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Conan O'Brien and The Osbourne's. He is also a regular contributor to ABC's "Good Morning America" and a columnist for USA Today Weekend.

The new H.E.A.R.T. salon sessions are an intimate gathering of H.E.A.R.T. members with different speakers that provide expertise on the issues of raising children. At the event, Dr. Drew focused on how trauma translates to children and how certain behaviors can show that a child has been traumatized.

"I have known about Drew for many years. My kids grew up listening to his radio show. Drew is so knowledgeable-I could listen to him for hours. I think all parents should have the chance to hear him speak," said a H.E.A.R.T. member in attendance.

"I took so much out of the evening. Among other things, he provided excellent tools for protecting your children without losing their trust. For example, you can monitor their computers, cars and various activities as long as you don't lie to them about doing it. I am also enjoying his book," commented Alison Petrocelli, a H.E.A.R.T. founder.

Each member also received a copy of Dr. Drew Pinsky's book he co-authored with Todd Gold, Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again.

2004 Annual Brunch

H.E.A.R.T. had its second annual brunch on May 13, 2004 at the home of Eve Somer Gerber, one of H.E.A.R.T.'s founders. PacifiCare generously underwrote the cost of the event. Over sixty women attended the brunch to hear VIP's founder, Dr. Astrid Heppenstall Heger speak about violence in the media and its impact on children. Each year, the complimentary brunch offers mothers in L.A. a chance to talk with an expert on a topic close to their heart. With the recent uproar of public violence in the media, it was an appropriate time for the women to sit down and discuss the effects that violence in the media has on children.

Those in attendance received a gift bag complete with H.E.A.R.T. chocolates and H.E.A.R.T. member information. VIP thanks Embrey Papers for donating the brunch invitations and gift bags.

The founders of H.E.A.R.T. host a brunch each year to celebrate the health and safety of children. Members of H.E.A.R.T. make a minimum annual donation of $1,000 to the Violence Intervention Program, which is tax-deductible and helps support client needs not traditionally funded by other sources. These needs may include housing, transportation, food and clothing. In addition, this year H.E.A.R.T. will sponsor optional Salon Sessions for members. These sessions will be an opportunity for mothers to discuss relevant topics about parenting and hear from different experts on child well-being.