For 22 years, the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center has been providing hot meals, referrals to and assistance with social services, advocacy and counseling to homeless and low-income women and children in Berkeley.
The draconian cuts in state, county and city budgets have put a severe crimp in the services that the Drop-in Center can provide to its clients, forcing it to rely more than ever on financial support from the community.
This Sunday is the Drop-in Center’s main annual fundraiser, a benefit auction featuring live music, hors d’oeuvres and wine, and the chance to bid on wonderful items, ranging from gift certificates for local restaurants to original art to a stay in a farmhouse in Tuscany. The event combines a silent auction and a live bidding session for the higher value items. The vacation items, like the apartment in Paris, usually spur lively bidding.
The auction is from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 23 at St. Alban’s Church Parish Hall, 1501 Washington Avenue in Albany. Tickets for the auction can be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets or at the door. Donations to the Drop-in Center can be made via the center’s website.