Over the past year, a consortium of Houston’s finest chefs called I’ll Have What She’s Having has raised more than $30,000 to benefit women’s health organizations.
The group, comprised of Pondicheri’s Anita Jaisinghani, Erin Smith of Feges BBQ, Monica Pope of Sparrow Cookshop, and more local chefs, physicians, and business owners, raised the cash at five pop-up dinners held over the past several months. At Coltivare, a dinner raised $5500 for Trinity Church of Christ, which served as a relief distribution center during Hurricane Harvey and donated feminine hygiene products to victims of the storm. A later dinner at Giacomo’s raised over $7500 to buy birth control for patients of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.
The organization, announced in October 2017, was founded in response to ongoing legislative attacks on women’s healthcare initiatives in Texas and beyond. “Since most restaurant workers are uninsured, our participants feel this cause in a very personal way. I myself have been uninsured for many periods in my life, and many of my friends currently depend on Planned Parenthood and other funded clinics for affordable, high quality care,” chef Monica Pope said in a statement. “I cannot and will not believe that these devastating trends will persist when we make it clear how widespread the effects of the problem are and just how many Texans are against them.”
It would appear that 2017 was just the beginning, as I’ll Have What She’s Having plans to continue raising funds for uninsured women throughout the year. In April, the group will host a massive fundraising gala at Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire, with three food-focused events. All funds raised will be split between Legacy Community Health, The Rose, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.
Here’s the details on each event:
- Amuse Bouche — A tasting station-style event where $99 buys diners access to cocktails, beer, and wine, along with bits from Theodore Rex’s Kaitlin Steets, Madelyn Lester of Nancy’s Hustle, and Pondicheri’s Mary Cuclis.
- Al Fresco — $250 scores attendees a picnic basket filled with locally-sourced dinner supplies selected by Barbara McKnight of Culinaire, Words & Foods’ Janice Schindeler, and Claire Smith of Alice Blue and Canopy.
- Charitable Feast — A $500, three-course dinner prepared by Anita Jaisinghani, Erin Smith, Jamie Zelko, Lynette Hawkins, and Monica Pope. Dinner will be paired with a selection of sommelier-selected wines from woman-owned wineries.
Tickets for the event, dubbed Something For Everyone, An Inaugural Fundraiser in Three Acts, are on sale now.