The usual Avalon crowd was more subdued last night, as businessmen and women gathered to attend the 16th annual Beyond Shelter event to benefit the homeless.
The benefit was sponsored by Friends of Boston’s Homeless, an organization that aids Boston homeless in obtaining housing and employment.
The upscale gathering featured big band music from Kendrick Oliver and the New Life Jazz Orchestra and food samplings from such restaurants as Redbones and Hamersley’s Bistro.
Each restaurant donated its food and time for the event, and many of them have helped cater the event for all 16 years.
Art Welch, a chef at the Deville Lounge, said he donated 300 servings of tropical fruit salad, and felt that the extra time was worth the cause.
“We just opened this month, so this is our first time at the event,” he said.
“But we’ll definitely keep coming back.”
Luxury hotels in the Boston area and television stations like MTV and VH1 also contributed to the cause by donating auction items.
By relying so heavily on donations, Friends of Boston’s Homeless was able to maximize the steep cost of the benefit for charitable use.
“One hundred percent of all the profits go to the homeless,” said Kim Lord Curtis, spokeswoman for the organization. John Rosenthal, the founder of the sponsoring organization, said that the benefit raises approximately $150,000 annually. He said the money will be used to help the organization empower people in Boston to overcome homelessness.
“Friends of Boston’s Homeless is a vehicle for the business community to help the homeless beyond shelter,” he said. “We partner with the city of Boston and move 150 of 800 people beyond shelters to full-time jobs.”
Rosenthal said most people find jobs in restaurants and laundry services. Friends of Boston’s Helpless has helped found Serving Ourselves, an eatery managed by formerly homeless people.
“We enter homeless people into culinary programs or teach them how to operate a laundry service,” he said.
In addition to the job training programs, the money raised at this year’s event will be used to build permanent affordable housing in Jamaica Plain and to fund special women’s housing in Roxbury, with the goal of providing safe housing for women and reuniting mothers with their children, many of whom are placed in foster care.
With all the “transitional programs” like permanent housing and job training that Friends of Boston’s Homeless provides, Rosenthal said “Boston is one of the most successful places in combating homelessness.”
Phyllis DeCastro, a guest at the event said she wished “more states had programs like these” to benefit the homeless.
“The music is great, the food is great and it’s amazing that the community is able to come together for a cause like this,” she said.
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