Rebecca Hoffman

Rebecca worked SETs (Special Event Team) each night of the Charity Ball and did a fantastic job of organizing SET volunteers, showing initiative to see what task s needed to be handled, and ensuring that those tasks were completed. Other members were impressed by her calm demeanor and follow through on nights that are consistently busy.

Meredith McCrary

• Meredith did a phenomenal job as the Chairman for the Community Assistance Committee this year. She ran a well-organized, effective, and meaningful placement for volunteers. Meredith shined as a leader and as an ambassador of the League.

Seante Johnson 

• Seante did a great job of reaching out to the Executive Director of Books Between Kids to get more books in kids’ hands who do not have them. Her love of literacy and making a meaningful impact shines!

Amy Strickland

• Amy put her creativity to good use in decorating the League’s tree at the Alley Theatre’s Deck the Trees event. She devoted multiple hours a day to arranging ribbons and flowers, hand-cutting paper leaves, and making the entire vision come to life. Thank you for creating such a memorable tree!

Alex Jelinek

• With Alex’s leadership and support, the League and Kids’ Meals implemented the first ever Trunk or Treat event, which allowed Kids’ Meals to engage over 200 of their clients. Alex saw a need at Kids’ Meals and worked to provide a meaningful event. League members purchased supplies, decorated their cars, and showed up in mass to support Kids’ Meals and the clients they serve.

Shiree Berry

• Shiree has been serving residents at Open Door Mission as a GED tutor and has gone above and beyond to meet the scheduling needs of the clients she is helping. In Open Door Mission’s words, “Shiree Berry has been the most consistent and devoted Junior League tutor so far. She’s a blessing!”

Kimberly Podraza

• Kimberly did a fantastic job of securing donations from businesses in the Houston community and preparing creative auction item descriptions for the Charity Ball Auction Committee. Her dedication and creativity contributed to the committee raising over $100,000 from the Silent Auction at the League’s annual Charity Ball.

Casey Jo Chapman

• Casey Jo brings a positive, solution oriented approach to all that she does! She did a wonderful job as the Community Impact Director-Family Support for the League this year. Casey Jo shined as a leader and expert planner in her placement.

Katie Doyle

• Katie has done an excellent job as Membership Communications Manager communicating with the League’s membership, especially during this unprecedented time. She is an “absolute joy” to work with and is thoughtful and creative.

Courtney Rupp

• Courtney is a wonderful example of our members showing kindness to the individuals we serve. She has been an outstanding Pen Pals leader and has provided exceptional kindness to the children at Pilgrim Elementary.

McKinley Brown

• McKinley is a valuable asset to the League. She stayed well past her shift as a Charity Ball SET Volunteer to ensure that the League’s property was properly cared for and that the Charity Ball was a success.

Anh Hopper

• Anh has been an amazing Chairman for the Pen Pals placement. She is always coming up with great ideas to streamline processes and procedures for the assistant chairs and actives. Thank you for caring about the success of the placement and being a strong leader!

Elena Korbut

• Elena has demonstrated a strong commitment to bringing about positive changes for Ready Hands. She connects with the individuals the League serves and is known to put a smile on the ladies’ faces. She continuously strives to go above and beyond the call of her duty, and it is noticed. Thank you, Elena!

 Dionella Martinez                     

• Dionella is responsive, generous with her time, and an overall great example of an effective League leader. As TCH Chairman, her enthusiasm and dedication to the League is inspiring.

The Junior League of Houston Pantry has long been a go-to staple for tasty comfort foods. Today, in light of restaurant closures due to COVID-19, The Pantry has become an even more meaningful resource for takeout as well as for funding, which has otherwise dropped dramatically due to the enforced closure of the League’s Tea Room.

In response to the Stay at Home edict, the JLH in the past month has added fresh meals to-go to the traditional frozen collection of casseroles, desserts, those killer orange rolls, and more.

“We realized that our to-go style meals meet an even bigger need in the community during this time,” Junior League Houston president Jayne Johnston tells PaperCity.

In a genius move, The Pantry has also added adult libations.

“The Quarantine Quenchers menu has also been a favorite addition,” Johnston added. “Who would have ever thought you would be able to drive through the Junior League to pick up margaritas and beer.”

The Pantry has also expanded hours with food, ordered online on the website, picked up in the garage drive-through station between 1:30 and 4:30 pm Mondays through Fridays on orders placed by 12:30 pm on the day of the requested pick-up. (Previously, The Pantry was open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 am to 2 pm.)

Good news for fans of The Pantry staples: Always available are bestsellers chicken tetrazzini, King Ranch casserole, pasta Bolognese, and the famous to-die-for breakfast sausage tart. There are also menu specials that change daily.

“Sales from The Pantry have increased dramatically. While this cannot make up for the lost revenue from our banquet/event/dining business, it’s a fantastic way for us to provide work for our dedicated employees and provide a service to our community,” Johnston says.

The Pantry typically provides $200,000 annually for League programs, which represents only seven percent of food revenue.  But sales are up and growing from an average month of $17,000 to $23,000.

All revenue to JLH helps support the mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

“Each purchase form The Pantry not only supports our dedicated and loyal staff,” Johnston says, “but also ensures that the League is able to fulfill our purpose of ‘Building a Better Community.’”

Source: April 17, 2020, Paper City Magazine, Shelby Hodge

SPRING INTO STEAK The Balsamic Glazed Steaks from Peace Meals are a good centerpiece for an Easter meal or when hosting company anytime. (Photo: Photo courtesy of the Junior League of Houston)

With the arrival of spring comes the Easter holiday. Beyond all the egg hunts, bunnies and chocolate candy, Easter is a time for reflection and renewal, as well as celebration.

When putting together an Easter meal, consider traditional options such as chicken, fish or beef, along with simple sides to complement the main courses.

For a refreshing start, consider making Avocado Cucumber Soup with Cilantro from Peace Meals. You can make the chilled soup the day before and serve it in individual decorative cups garnished with a dollop of yogurt, cucumber slice and cilantro.

The Balsamic Glazed Steaks from Peace Meals are a hearty, filling centerpiece for your meal. The balsamic glaze is a buoyant and straightforward finish, but should it not strike your fancy, considering serving the steaks with Blue Cheese Walnut Butter.

For something a little lighter, try the Oven Roasted Bourbon Salmon from Peace Meals. With brown sugar, bourbon and soy sauce, you’ll get a combination of sweet and savory. Alternatively, you can prepare Breast of Chicken Beau Monde from The Star of Texas. For a side, you can whip up some Almond Rice from The Junior League of Houston Cookbook. The rice has a smooth, buttery feel that complements chicken or fish.

Consider pairing the Green Vegetable Medley, also from The Junior League of Houston Cookbook, with your steaks. This recipe calls for frozen vegetables, but if you have fresh vegetables on hand, even better. The Pasta with Spring Vegetables in Saffron Cream Sauce from Peace Meals is a creamy springtime menu addition also calling for vegetables.

While the kids busy themselves with their chocolate goodies, adults will enjoy the juicy fruit flavors of Fresh Blueberry Pie or Fresh Strawberry Pie, both from The Star of Texas. Each pie is topped off with a dollop of cream. They can also be served with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Each of the recipes, in addition to being tasty, require less than one hour of prep and cooking time, which will allow you to spend more time with your guests. Happy Easter!

Source: April 1, 2020, The Buzz Magazines, Alicia Layfield

The Junior League of Houston’s 72nd Annual Charity Ball, themed Secret Garden, took place over two nights of fun and philanthropy, raising more than $800,000. The soiree featured displays of flowers, auctions, dinner and a show produced by Dylan Godwin and Logan Keslar. Performers Morgan Daugherty and Jamila Hodge received a standing ovation. Mary Lee Hackedorn Wilkens served as ball chair; Lora Knapp Smith was auction chair; Amanda Boffone was community partner chair; Amy Strickland was decorations chair; Emily-Frances McAdams was entertainment chair; Sally Anne Schmidt was invitations/reservations chair; and Semmes Burns was underwriting chair.

Source: March 23, 2020, The Buzz Magazines, Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld

Source: March 11, 2020, KRIV Fox 26

PARTY ON THE PATIO Try the Cranberry Tarragon Chicken Salad or Roasted Red Pepper and Three Cheese Spread, both from Peace Meals, with crackers or as fillings for light sandwiches, served al fresco. (Photo courtesy of the Junior League of Houston)

While out running recently on one of Houston’s glorious-weather days, I thought about the joys of entertaining outdoors and how there’s no better way to connect food and friends than with a spring garden party.

For meals in this season, I like to celebrate growth and fresh ingredients, avoiding the heavier meals of winter. The Roasted Red Pepper and Three Cheese Spreadfrom Peace Meals is the perfect flavoring for raw vegetables. Although Peace Mealssuggests serving it with hearty crackers, in the spring, I prefer pairing it with a selection of fresh raw vegetables from local farmers’ markets. It can also be served as part of an array of sandwiches on fresh, crusty bread or as a tea sandwich.

For a garden party, I serve a variety of sandwiches, including the classic Cranberry Tarragon Chicken Salad from Peace Meals and Egg Salad from Stop and Smell the Rosemary, or, for something distinctive, the Grilled Gruyère and Salmon Sandwich twist on grilled cheese from Peace Meals.

For dessert, the Spiced Layer Cake with Berry Filling from Peace Meals is a gorgeous addition to your menu. If you want to make a family event of meal preparation, children love picking berries at nearby farms (our favorite is Blessington Farms) and helping to transform the fruit into a tasty dessert. Consider making this beautiful cake the centerpiece of your table.

The Cranberry Tea Punch or Clyde Tea, both from The Star of Texas, are refreshing and light choices. These can be served chilled in a punch bowl or in a large tea dispenser. Consider adding fresh orange or lemon slices to the Clyde Tea or frozen cranberries to the Cranberry Tea Punch to amplify the taste and presentation.

Fresh flowers and lightly scented candles on the table complete the garden-party atmosphere. Now it is time to gather your friends and enjoy!

Source: March 1, 2020, The Buzz Magazines, Judy Peterson

HOUSTON’S PIONEER ORGANIZATION for community philanthropic outreach impressed the crowds once again at its 72nd Annual Charity Ball. The Junior League of Houston’s lavish two-night affair, which drew more than 600 guests, was held at the League’s celebrated Uptown abode earlier this month. The theme—Secret Garden—saw the building’s halls adorned with gorgeous greenery and enchanting flowers to represent the League’s deep roots in the community. Guests came dressed in their most elegant floral attire to celebrate the efforts of this cherished group of volunteers.

Party-goers were greeted at the soirée with a champagne-drenched cocktail hour, during which attendees could take part in a silent auction and big board bidding. Items up for grabs included a stay at a private hunting lodge in Montana, a trip to haute ski destination Deer Valley Resort, and the opportunity to drive a different luxury vehicle from Sewell for each season of the year. A stunning, shoppable Buccellati Blossom Bar came from Tenenbaum Jewelers, the evening’s raffle sponsor, while Lanson B. Jones & Co. provided an adorable floral cart that made an appearance on most guests’ Instagram stories.

Before dinner commenced, current Junior League President Jayne Sheehy Johnston recognized the accomplishments of the organization’s volunteers. “This year alone, our volunteers will contribute more than 100,000 hours of service,” she said. “When these volunteer hours are combined with the League’s financial support, the contribution exceeds $2 million.”

The annual Charity Ball has been a key component in funding for the Junior League’s Community Program and volunteer initiatives since 1949. It’s through this fundraising that the League is able to partner with countless organizations throughout Houston to better the community. The Charity Ball is also a key event in the social calendar of Houston’s see-and-be-seen—this year, tables started at $5,000 and sold out quickly. Notably, the Charity Ball is the only gala in Houston that takes place over the course of two evenings.

The party continued with a decadent meal by Chef Michael Smith featuring a menu of beef tenderloin and fresh steamed vegetables and dessert in the form of chocolate cake topped with edible flowers. An all-volunteer cast show capped the night along with lively dancing to beats by DJ London. The whole affair raised more than $800,000 toward the League’s continued philanthropic efforts.

Source: February 19, 2020, Houstonia Magazine, Natalie Galerne

With Houston azaleas blooming well in advance of the season, the flower-infused “Secret Garden” theme of the Junior League of Houston’s annual Charity Ball(s) beautifully echoed the colorful tableau taking place on the building grounds. It was a fertile endeavor with the back-to-back gala evenings bringing in more than $800,000.

The nights of philanthropy in bloom saw all corners of the Junior League dressed in florals starting with guests’ arrival beneath a canopy of hanging roses, stock, greenery and other flowers. Kudos to Bramble & Bee for the fragrant entry. Throughout the club itself, Swift + Company cloaked the surroundings in blossoms. There were floral archways, topiaries and garden inspired vignettes.

Even Tenenbaum Jewelers embraced the garden theme with its Buccellati Blossom Bar display of beautiful pieces from the Italian collection.

Bringing the 2020 Charity Ball to fruition were ball chair Mary Lee Hackedorn Wilkens,auction chair Lora Knapp Smith, community partner chair Amanda Boffone,decorations chair Amy Strickland, entertainment chair Emily-Frances McAdams, invitations/reservations chair Sally Anne Schmidt, and underwriting chair Semmes Burns.

PC Seen: Julie and Matthew Baughman, Ginger Baldwin, Bethany and Ben Buchanan, Marian Hilpert, Jayne and Garrett Johnston, Elizabeth and Alexander Dwyer, Savanna and David Bowman, Amy Dunn Comiskey, Carol and Charlie Herder, Jennifer Howard, Terry Boffone, Richard Wilkens, Beth Zdeblick, Megan and Jordan Brown, and Emily and Kolby Wahl.

Source: February 13, 2020, Paper City Magazine, Shelby Hodge

You’ve got to hand it to the Junior League of Houston. Those women know how to embrace a theme and run with it.

At the hand of this year’s chairman, Mary Lee Hackedorn Wilkens, last weekend’s 72nd annual Charity Ball transported guests to a “Secret Garden” on not just one, but two occasions. Friday and Saturday nights’ back-to-back fundraisers raised nearly $850,000 towards the non-profit’s mission to foster a lifetime of service for it’s 5,000-plus members. Between 2019-2020, the League will contribute approximately $2 million in volunteer hours and financial support to 35 local projects.

But what’s interesting is how the League manages to consistently make its event fun. And personal. And really photogenic.

Case in point, most of the sold-out, 600-strong crowd dressed with the evenings’ motif in mind. Despite the February event dates (what is winter?), floral ballgowns filled the League’s Briar Oaks ballroom. Arrivals were greeted by a sea of three-dimensional blooms embroidered onto tulle skirts in and around the storied venue.

Gala-goers entered under a canopy of greenery created by Bramble & Bee. Post check-in, attendees could either perch on wooden swings in the garden, order a cold one in a tented biergarten, or pluck a fresh bouquet from the Lanson B. Jones & Co. flower cart. Swift + Company provided the rest of the heavy décor lifting.

For those in the market for serious bling, there was also Tenenbaum Jeweler’s Buccellati Blossom Bar, which featured gardenia bracelets and daisy earrings of the sterling silver and 18-carat gold variety. Rachel Regan, incoming chairman of Charity Ball 2021, received a butterfly engraved cuff as a surprise gift from her husband, Tom Regan. With Valentine’s Day within striking distance, it proved a smart and thoughtful play.

Community partner chairman Amanda Boffone and her husband Terry Boffone embraced the Ball’s celebratory spirit, too. The couple treated their seat-mates to a magnum of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque. You know, the champagne bottle covered in white anemones?

It was just right amount of liquid courage that Bethany Buchanan needed before she kicked off the League’s 12-minute song and dance show. She temporarily swapped her tropical PatBo gown for a flower crown-adorned stage look to perform Kasey Musgrave’s “High Horse.”

The impressive, all-volunteer production led by Dylan Godwin and Logan Keslar included vocalists, dancers, a pianist and cellist.

Amanda Boffone later shared that League members had also arranged the table centerpieces. Chef Michael Smith tied it all together by placing edible pansies atop individual molten chocolate cakes for dessert.

But the party didn’t stop there. After dinner, revelers retreated to the Tea Room-turned-late-night-lounge for Whataburger’s honey butter chicken biscuits and a set by DJ London.

Rumor has it, the flood of FOMO-inducing social media posts from Friday night led to a surge of after-party ticket purchases on Saturday.

And so it bears repeating: These women know what they’re doing.

Source: February 11, 2020, Houston Chronicle, Amber Elliott

Brennan’s of Houston is still located on Stuart Street in Midtown in a building originally designed by the late John F. Staub for The Junior League of Houston. Its architecture is similar to that of the 1795 Rillieux House in New Orleans, which is home to Brennan’s of New Orleans.  Photo: Courtesy of Brennan’s of Houston

On a long-ago trip to New Orleans, John Staub became smitten with the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Rilleux House, built in 1795 a year after a huge fire destroyed much of what is now the city’s French Quarter.

That trip likely happened in the early 1920s, not long after the New York architecture firm Staub worked for sent him to Houston to manage their projects here. While dining on the New Orleans trip, he took a charcoal pencil from his pocket and sketched the building on a white linen napkin, saving it for future inspiration.

A handful of years later, a dozen or so prominent Houston women who had founded the city’s chapter of the Junior League, called on Staub to design a building for their new club with a budget of $50,000, raised by the women themselves. Staub had launched his own architecture firm by then and his wife, Madeleine, was a member of the Junior League, so the connection was an easy one.

He remembered the building he loved in New Orleans and referred to his drawing as he created an L-shaped building with a courtyard on a roomy lot at the corner of Smith and Stuart streets in what is now Midtown. Just like the Rillieux House, it had arched windows, second-floor wrought-iron balconies and an entrance hall that was a mirror image of its Louisiana counterpart.

Staub couldn’t have known then that in the decades to come, he wouldn’t be the only person drawn to the Rillieux House and its Houston cousin.

The founding members of the Junior League were the daughters and/or wives of captains of industry — bankers, lawyers and oilmen with surnames still recognized today — so the building’s grand opening 90 years ago garnered a good deal of attention. Oilman Joseph S. Cullinan, who founded what became Texaco, donated land for the building since his daughters, Nina and Margaret, were founding members.

The lower floor had shops — including office space for Staub — and the Junior League women operated a luncheon club to raise money for their charitable efforts, an early one being a well-baby clinic for those who couldn’t afford health care. The stock market crash of 1929 that launched the Great Depression had happened just days before the Junior League opened, so their timing was perfect because there were so many people in need for years to come.

While designing the Junior League building and watching its construction, Staub worked on homes throughout River Oaks, Courtlandt Place, Broadacres, Shadowlawn and Shadyside, contributing to the city’s early architectural aesthetic. Perhaps his most notable design was Ima Hogg’s Bayou Bend home, now a house museum with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Membership in the Junior League grew quickly, to 600 members within a couple of years. Dues were $5 and members rolled up their sleeves to help in every community project, according to the club’s current president, Jayne Johnston, a health care finance consultant. Today the club has 5,000 members and another 200 patrons and continues to support a variety of causes.

Early in its life, the Junior League launched its children’s clinic, and through the years the Stuart Street building hosted all sorts of events and fundraisers, children’s theater programs and fashion shows, even social dances for locals and soldiers who came through Houston in World War II.

Around the same time in New Orleans in 1945, Owen Brennan was making a liquor delivery to the Old Absinthe House bar on what must have been a really bad day for its owner.

“My family stumbled into the bar business,” said Houston restaurateur Alex Brennan-Martin. “My eldest uncle, Owen Brennan, had small stores, a service station, liquor store. He was calling on a client and the owner of the bar said ‘if somebody would give me X dollars they could have the damn place.’ Well, he knew where he could get X dollars and he woke up my grandfather in the middle of the night and we owned the Old Absinthe bar the next day.”

The bar business quickly turned into the restaurant business and Owen Brennan’s siblings and, later, their children, all jumped in, too. Across the street from the bar was the Vieux Carre restaurant and they bought it, eventually changing the name to Brennan’s of New Orleans.

When they later needed a bigger location, they found the Rillieux building — the one John Staub fell in love with decades before and nearly copied in Houston. Years later when the Brennans decided to expand to Houston, Dick Brennan came to town.

The Junior League had moved to a new location, and when Dick Brennan was taken to see the vacant Stuart Street building in 1967, he could hardly believe his eyes.

“When my uncle saw this building, he said ‘you’ve got to be kidding me.’ It was nearly an exact duplicate of our building in New Orleans,” Brennan-Martin said. “Under the definition of serendipity in the dictionary is that story. It’s almost too good to be true.”

The Brennans recreated their white tablecloth restaurant here in Houston and Brennan’s of Houston is still in the same location today. It opened in 1967 after extensive remodeling that brought in chandeliers, skylights, a mahogany bar and rich fabrics for upholstery.

Through the years, regular folks have sat alongside celebrities, professional athletes and even presidents for the restaurant’s Texas Creole cuisine. When you arrive, a never-empty tray of pralines sits on a table in the main hall, and you can grab a few on your way in or out — some people have opened handbags or filled pockets.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded the New Orleans restaurant and a few years later in 2008, the Houston restaurant caught fire during Hurricane Ike.

Well-known chefs such as Randy Evans, Chris Shepherd and Mark Holley all used their experience at Brennan’s to launch their own local restaurants.

For all the birthdays, prom night dinners, Mardi Gras parties and mariage proposals that have happened in one of Brennan’s several dining rooms, it’s the “Terms of Endearment” experience that people of all ages still ask about. The 1983 Oscar-winning movie was filmed at least partly in Houston and includes a scene in which Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson) and Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) go on a lunch date to Brennan’s.

When MacLaine’s character arrives at the table, Nicholson’s character is loudly slurping down raw oysters and ogling an attractive woman at a nearby table. What happens next is still so classic that clips of it on YouTube still get thousands of views.

Brennan-Martin said that people still come in and ask to be seated at the table where that scene was filmed. Early on, there were so many requests that they told everyone who asked — no matter where they sat — that they were at the “Terms of Endearment” table.

In another story that Brennan-Martin and his longtime staff still like to tell, singer Billy Joel was in town for a concert and brought his whole crew in for dinner. It was during his marriage to supermodel Christie Brinkley and she came along too, asking for a plate of carrots while everyone else ate full-fat fare off the menu.

Nearly every staffer working that day argued over who got to deliver what was probably the plainest meal ever eaten there.

Source: February 7, 2020, Houston Chronicle, Diane Cowen