This year’s Black & White Gala was a vibrant night of cherry blossoms, champagne, and hope! In one night, we raised over $880,000 to support families navigating homelessness in the Bay Area. Raphael House was honored to have Gala Co-Chairs Britt Wenzler Oglesby and Cheryl Sanclamente Zierten championing our residents’ path to stable housing through a show-stopping night of philanthropy.
The first Raphael House Gala happened on November 24, 1980—when founder Ella Rigney hosted a dinner for 50 people on-site at Raphael House. They sat together, shared a meal, and went about mailing 10,000 appeal letters to San Francisco residents asking for their support. Over the years, the Gala has evolved and changed shape, once taking over the Nordstrom downtown for the premiere of their new design line. Now, 45 years later, our Black & White Gala is our largest fundraising event of the year, and features a jam-packed program filled with merriment, speeches, a live auction, and a Fund-a-Future paddle raise.
Longtime supporters of Raphael House are familiar with the Palace Hotel, where we once again transformed the Grand Ballroom into a festive portal to generosity. Liam Mayclem returned to reprise his role as the master of ceremonies, introducing our gourmet meal and guiding us through an exciting live auction
To further the festivities, Liam introduced our Board Chair, Tom Poser, and our new Executive Director, Tina Burgelman. Together, they celebrated the 800 individuals we’ve served through our Residential and Bridge programs. In the past decade, 87% of families in our shelter transitioned into stable housing—and 93% of those maintained it with continued support from our Bridge Program.
Tina proceeded to introduce our Community Spirit Award Recipient, The Anita and Santosh Mehra Foundation. The Mehra foundation has proudly showcased commitment to our mission over the years, a dedication that began when their daughter, Aruna Mehra Light, first volunteered at Raphael House back in 2010. Aruna continues to treasure that time and now serves as a volunteer on our Executive Leadership Council, showcasing the lasting impact of our work on someone who has seen its effects firsthand. We are incredibly grateful for the Mehra family’s support and thrilled to celebrate their legacy of service and generosity at this year’s gala. Aruna and her sister Shabnum Mehra Palomba accepted the award with a tribute to their 15 years of service at our shelter.
We were then delighted to present Dr. Teresa Van Woy—physician, mother, and former Raphael House resident. Read an excerpt from her speech here:
My story starts 51 years ago. In 1974. When I was 7.
I was living in Florida with my parents and my 8 siblings. I had just finished 2nd grade, and my mom showed up to our house in an old Ford pickup truck with a small camper attached to the back. She told us that she was going to take us on a fun summer vacation.
At the age of 7, my family and I found ourselves in a difficult place. Struggling with homelessness and poverty here in San Francisco. We didn’t know it at the time, but my mother never had any intention of returning back to Florida.
In the midst of so much uncertainty, Raphael House became our refuge—a place where my family could rest, feel safe, and begin to rebuild. Raphael House gave me safety—not just from the streets, but from the fear and anxiety that come with being a child in such a vulnerable situation.
I can honestly say that Raphael House helped me find hope during a time when hope felt scarce. It was there that I began to understand that even in the hardest moments, there are people who care, and there are places that can help you rebuild.
After drying our eyes, we rolled right into our live auction, featuring donated prizes and experiences to the Raphael House cause. Among the prizes was a museum-showcased artwork, “Chainmail, 2022” by renowned artist Gianluca Franzese (who was in attendance!), and we ended the program with our Fund-a-Future campaign. The crowd was electrified by our “Give a Bear, Get a Bear” level (where we sent guests home with a stuffed animal like the ones we give to our families), and our attendees took their new fuzzy friends straight to the dance floor, where DJ Cams was spinning tunes for a great night of festivities (while plates of grilled cheese and fries floated through the room).
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, every single dollar that was raised on Saturday will go directly to the families that Raphael House supports on their path to achieving long-term housing and financial stability. We’d like to extend a special thank you to Gilead Foundation, our presenting sponsor.
With heartfelt gratitude to sponsors, donors, and volunteers, Raphael House is working to build the future we want children to grow up in—one with security, safety, and a heavy network of support.
If you couldn’t join us, you can still make a 100% tax-deductible donation to support families now. We appreciate everyone who has generously stepped up to support our families during this critical time.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us make our event a success and supporting Raphael House families!
Make a donation on behalf of our Gala
Thank You to Our Community
Our record-breaking 2024 Black & White Gala was made possible thanks to our generous community and sponsors, our dedicated Raphael House team and volunteers, the incredible staff at the Palace Hotel, and our hardworking event committee!
Check out some of the amazing photos from our event, and order your favorites directly from Drew Altizer Photography.
Thank you to everyone who supported our 2025 Black & White Gala!
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