Rendezvous: Vol 3: Issue 16, May 11, 2011

Rendezvous

Volume 3, Issue 16, May 11, 2011

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Total Health

Behind the Brand

Announcing Farm-to-Fork Loudoun!

F2F logo Some of you may have recently heard or read about a new project coming our way this July -- Farm-to-Fork Loudoun. Farm-to-Fork will feature fresh, local food and wine at many of our area restaurants. We're pleased to let you know about it because if you're like us, you won't want to miss eating out at one or more of the participating establishments during these 11 days.

We're especially proud of the project because its Founder is also our Founder. Miriam Nasuti has spent the past few years focusing on bringing fresh, new and exciting initiatives here to Loudoun County, such as Talk Loudoun and now Farm-to-Fork Loudoun. Nasuti has worked on Farm-to-Fork for nearly a year now, and she hopes to extend the project to other areas of Virginia and to her hometown of Philadelphia in the near future. She knows that it's more important than ever to know where your food comes from -- not only in your own homes, but in the places where you dine out.

If you like the idea of supporting our local restaurants, vineyards and farms, check out the newly launched website, www.FarmtoForkLoudoun.com and follow the event on Facebook and Twitter. Then call your favorite restaurant to find out about their Farm-to-Fork Loudoun menu during those 11 days, and make your reservations with friends, family and co-workers soon. Finally, watch for updates here weekly!

Betsy Allen, Editor

Women helping women

On what should have been a warm spring evening in late March, a group of like-minded women braved the unseasonably cold weather to join forces for a bit of giving back to the community. Susan Curtis, executive director of Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and the Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter (LAWS), was the featured speaker at the "Women Helping Women" event at the RE/MAX Premier center in Ashburn. Co-sponsors Valerie Kaiser of Kaiser Financial Solutions LLC and Sue Smith of RE/MAX Premier joined forces to bring together colleagues, associates and friends to create awareness of a topic that is often overlooked in our county: the welfare of battered and abused women and children. "We just feel that this is a subject dear to our hearts and want to make more women aware of the needs of our fellow women in our community," Kaiser said.

LAWS opened in March 1985 to provide temporary emergency shelter, food and emotional support to women and their children escaping domestic violence and abuse. Since that time, the needs of LAWS have grown along with the population of Loudoun County. Event sponsor Smith noted that "The work done by LAWS keeps the entire community healthier and stops the generational cycle of domestic violence." LAWS also furnishes counseling, legal services, youth and child advocacy, and more for individuals in need. More information and volunteer opportunities can be found at http://lcsj.org/.

Photos courtesy of Mario N. Brathwaite

women-helping-women-LAWS_01

The stage was set for a lovely evening of giving back to the community.

Guests were delighted at the tasty Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti take-home treats!

Phyllo fingers filled with spinach and feta were just one of the many appetizers provided by Chef Yasmine Sandhu.

Guests mingled over delicious appetizers and sparkling lemonade.

Kathy Steinman, left, and co-sponsor Sue Smith shared a laugh.

Co-sponsors Sue Smith, left, and Valerie Kaiser explained why they decided to host this evening's event.

Sue Curtis, executive director of Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter, offered ways concerned women can help.

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Many generous guests made donations and offered notes of encouragement on the giving tree to the LAWS residents and volunteers.

Kristen Smith, left, and Savannah Kaiser lent helping hands in creating a successful evening.

Jean Wolfe, left, and Isabel Garcia spent a moment catching up.

The art of the bid

Art lovers, patrons and friends swarmed REHAU's Palladium Building in Leesburg April 9 to support "An Evening for Art's Sake," the Loudoun Academy of the Arts Foundation annual fundraiser.

Silent and live auctions offered guests a myriad of items to bid for -- from designer earrings and necklaces to baskets of delicacies, pottery, paintings, garden services, fine Italian wines and horse-riding lessons. Twenty prime, high-end items commanded the crowd's attention as professional auctioneer Clark Carr presented them one by one. A mountain biking package, an Ultralight flight, a bulldog puppy and many original fine art paintings and sculptures by Loudoun's leading artists were among the live auction items.

The Loudoun Academy of the Arts Foundation is the premier organization in Loudoun County dedicated to supporting the visual arts, fostering emerging and professional artists, and bringing art to our community through classes, workshops, seminars and special events. The foundation operates ArtSquare, the center of Loudoun's visual arts, located at 12 Cardinal Park Drive in Leesburg.

The Loudoun Academy of the Arts Foundation's hosted its annual fundraiser on Saturday, April 9 at REHAU in Leesburg.

Foundation President Marybeth Muir opened the evening with thank yous to this year's Grand Sponsor, REHAU, and its Patron Sponsor, The George Washington University, Virginia Campus.