Over 400 guests were recently in-attendance at the 10th annual Saborea Atlanta fundraiser, where they enjoyed some of Latin cuisine’s finest offerings and helped support local mental health.
The fundraising event featured fourteen skilled chefs from metro Atlanta and Puerto Rico, who all volunteered their time to offer up mouth-watering signature dishes for attendees.
Among the exquisite foods that were served up at the event included paella with black squid ink; smoked pork, with pickled red onion and sweet plantains; empanadas and pastel tres leches; to name a few.
In addition to satisfying palates, the event also raised money for Ser Familia, a Kennesaw-based, nationally-accredited nonprofit that provides mental health and family counseling services to Latino residents in metro Atlanta.
Through its numerous programs, Ser Familia helps families deal with issues such as anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide and domestic violence — all of which have been made worse by the pandemic, the nonprofit says.
“The organization has doubled its number of case managers in the last 12 months as it deals with a surge of demand for mental health services,” said Belisa Urbina, the CEO and co-founder of Ser Familia. “It also started a new group therapy program, in partnership with Emory University, for teens experiencing chronic stress or trauma. Additionally, it tripled the number of parenting, couples and domestic violence program sessions.”
During the event, Ser Familia held an award presentation to honor Marietta City Schools, Brasfield & Gorrie (construction company), as well as the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta — with whom the nonprofit is partnering with for a project in the Fair Oaks community near Smyrna, Georgia.
Sponsors for the fundraiser included Gas South, Delta Air Lines, Georgia Power, Southern Co. Gas, Mundo Now and the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park.