Chhahari event will benefit 23 children living at Kathmandu orphanage

img_0815

“Faces of Chhahari” is the name of the event to be held on Sunday, Sept. 11 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the home of the nonprofit organization’s board member Ann Shea in Laguna Beach. Guests will be treated to live music by jazz artist and new board member Victoria McGinnis, handmade tacos, wine, beer, and a silent auction that includes fine jewelry, original art, accommodations at two luxurious Napa Valley properties on a two-acre vineyard, and more.

All proceeds from the event will provide for the daily needs and educational expenses of the 23 children who live at the hostel in central Kathmandu.

Suggested donation at the door is $75. Donations can be made online at www.chhahari.org or by check by mailing to Chhahari, Inc., c/o Davis Law, 580 Broadway, Suite 204, Laguna Beach CA 92651. An electronic invitation can be requested by emailing mcmurray@mac.com. Facebook: Chhahari Organization Nepal

Christine Casey, who founded the nonprofit in 2007, noted, “We take our job very seriously of educating, feeding, and maintaining the health and well-being of our Chhahari children. Visitors are always struck by the calm, homey atmosphere and how well the children function as a large, loving, cheerful family.”

Chhahari’s beginnings

After her retirement, Casey fulfilled a lifelong dream by trekking Nepal in 2004. She was appalled at the sight of desperate street urchins in terrible physical condition, “being stepped over by passersby as if they were garbage.” She vowed to take action. In 2007, with the help of Laguna Beach attorney Tom Davis, she founded the home in Kathmandu for a handful of children whose lives would have otherwise been short and brutal. A former banker, Casey is scrupulous in her accounting for her nonprofit, so virtually every penny raised is used to cover the children’s daily needs. They attend school a few blocks from their home, learn music and art, and live as a large, loving family. The organization’s goal is to help these children and to change poverty-stricken Nepal from the inside out by helping to create a new generation with an educated middle class. www.chhahari.org

EVENT AT A GLANCE

WHAT:         “Faces of Chhahari,” a fundraising event to benefit Chhahari children’s home in Kathmandu, Nepal

WHEN:          Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

WHERE:       A private home in north Laguna Beach, Calif.

DETAILS:     Suggested donation is $75 per person and includes authentic handmade taco bar, wine and beer. Live music, silent auction. Donations can be made online at www.chhahari.org or by mailing a check to Chhahari, Inc. c/o Davis Law, 580 Broadway, Suite 204, Laguna Beach CA 92651. An electronic invitation can be requested by emailing mcmurray@mac.com