service league prayer lunch

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37th Prayer Luncheon 2023

On Thursday, May 4th the Service League welcomed over 200 guests for its 37th Annual Prayer Luncheon at Holbrook Palmer Park to celebrate the National Day of Prayer.

Steve Wagstaffe, Board President and District Attorney of San Mateo County, MC'd the event which featured musical performances by Everyday People and powerful personal testimony. Sheriff Christina Corpus and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Honor Guard kickstarted the event by leading the pledge of allegiance. We welcomed several Religious and Spiritual Services volunteers to share positive messages of faith including Mike Murray (Board Member, former Service League Religious Services Coordinator), Father Rene Iturbe, SM (Archdiocese of San Francisco), Ricky Wade (Street Life Ministries) and Pastor Katie Goetz (Woodside Road United Methodist Church).

Janis Crumb, a Hope House alumna, shared her personal story of how she went from hopelessness to living her best life with the help of the Hope House program. She believes that you cannot keep what you have unless you give it back to others and that God will always pull her through.

The first ever Dennis Sammut Ambassador Award was posthumously awarded to Dennis Sammut and accepted by his wife, Karen, and son, Cody. Karen Francone, Executive Director, presented the award and noted that Dennis’s “exceptional service, devotion and dedication to rebuilding lives with kindheartedness, understanding, opportunities and love coincides with our mission of restoring lives by providing compassionate, supportive services to individuals and families in our community.” Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Supervisor Ray Mueller, on behalf of San Mateo Board of Supervisors and President David Pine, also honored the memory of Dennis and thanked the Sammut family for their continued commitment and work in the community. Additionally, certificates of recognition were presented to the Sammut family from Congressman Kevin Mullin and State Senator Josh Becker.

A special thank you to our Miracle of Hope Sponsor, Michael and Sally Mayer, for providing a generous match challenge and the beautiful flower arrangements, and to Sharri Robinson, Hope House Art Therapy Instructor, for creating a unique butterfly keepsake for each of our guests.

Thank you to all who attended including our sponsors, donors, volunteers, staff, Hope House residents and alumni, spiritual leaders and speakers. You were all instrumental in making this event such a powerful, uplifting and successful day!