Community & Clubs:

Soroptimist International of Newport Harbor will conduct its 10th annual Matters of the Heart Feb. 6 at the Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a luncheon, opportunity drawings and silent auction, according to Dawn Marie Lemonds, past president of the local Soroptimist club.

The event is a celebration of two organizations that have made a difference for women and girls. This year’s event will celebrate two honorees: Sandie Morgan for her work with the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, and Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter for its excellent service to our community.

Sandie Morgan is the administrator of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, where she is working to build a team that will educate and enlist our local community against the modern slave trade. As an advocate for victims of human trafficking, Sandie guest lectures in universities, community groups and churches. Changing the way we think about the forces that drive demand for human trafficking is her goal.

“The modern slave trade is a business fueled by demand,” she said. “Consequently, to some degree we are all part of the problem or part of the solution. We contribute to demand by turning a blind eye to pornography and sex tourism, or by making choices that reward companies that keep their bottom line under the rest of the market by the use of slave labor.”

The mission of the Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter is to change the lives of homeless families by providing them with the encouragement and the tools for achieving self-sufficiency. Everyday, the interfaith group helps homeless families from all over Orange County in its efforts to find housing and attain self-sufficiency. In the organization’s 28 years it has evolved into a multifaceted transitional housing program addressing the tangible and intangible needs — from shelter, to parenting class to counseling. As one of the oldest and largest shelters in Orange County, Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter serves more than 300 individuals each year and is structured to respond in a proactive manner to the needs of our families.

Reservations are $60 per person and must be made by Jan. 31. Underwriting opportunities are also available. For additional information call Dawn Marie Lemonds at (714) 709-3686.