people with disabilities

RHA Howell Hosts Annual Clear Creek Center Golf Classic

Categories: RHA Howell Inc.
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A fundraiser for children and adults with disabilities.

April 16, 2012 (Albemarle, NC) – RHA Howell Inc., a statewide non-profit organization serving adults and children with disabilities, will host the Annual Clear Creek Center Golf Classic at the Tillery Tradition Country Club in Mt Gilead, NC, on Friday, May 4th. All proceeds will benefit children and adults with disabilities in the Charlotte area.

The third annual Classic will be a Captain’s Choice style of play with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The entry fee is $100 per player and includes: greens fees, use of a golf cart, lunch, the awards reception after the tournament, and one entry into the Putting Contest. Each player will be eligible to win hole-in-one and tee gifts.

“We are excited to have our families, friends, and neighbors in the surrounding communities show their support for people with disabilities,” said Clear Creek Center administrator Melissa Rivera. “We expect everyone who participates to have a fun filled day with us!”

The Vulcan Materials Company is the organizing sponsor for the event. Other sponsorship levels available are:

Golfer Participant – $100
Memorial or Honorarium – $25 (name displayed at tournament and recognized on RHA website)
Platinum Sponsor – $1000 (four playing positions, advertisement at club house before and after tournament and on RHA website
Gold Sponsor – $500 (four playing positions, advertisement on golf course and on RHA website)
Silver Sponsor – $300 (two playing positions, advertisement on golf course and on RHA website)
Tee Sponsor – $150 (advertisement on golf course and link on RHA website)

RHA Howell operates Clear Creek, a large residential center in the Charlotte area. Money raised through the golf tournament will directly benefit the children and adults with disabilities in this facility.

“We would like to thank everyone for their generosity and participation in making this a successful event,” Rivera said.

To sign up for the Clear Creek Golf Classic or for more information, call Teresa Bishop at 704-545-7200, ext. 1164, or email her at tbishop@rhanet.org.

For more information on RHA Howell, Inc., visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, please go to www.rhahowell.org.

Plans Are Underway For RHA Howell’s 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge

Categories: RHA Howell Inc.
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The popular culinary event is now accepting chefs, sponsors.

April 5, 2012 (Raleigh, NC) – RHA Howell, Inc., the statewide non-profit organization that serves people with disabilities and their families, has announced the 2012 Epicurious Vino Challenge, which will be held this year on Saturday, June 2, from 6:30-10 p.m. at the 80-acre Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC.

All proceeds benefit a child or an adult with a medical, physical, or mental disability.

The Epicurious Vino Challenge is RHA Howell’s most popular annual fundraiser, which includes live entertainment, The “challenge” is that participating chefs must randomly select one of Hinnant Family Vineyard’s award-winning wines, then create a signature dish using that wine as an ingredient.

On the night of the event, the chefs prepare small plates for the judges and the guests to sample as the chefs compete for The Chefs Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award. The samples are presented in the vineyard’s spacious wine tank room.

A panel of professional chefs from U.S. Food Service selects the Chef’s Choice award through a blind tasting. Those who attend the event vote for the People’s Choice award winner.

Last year’s top winner, Chef Tom Armstrong of Vinnie’s Steakhouse & Tavern in Raleigh (www.vinniessteakhouse.com), has already signed on to compete again this year, along with the 2010 Chef’s Choice winner, Brian Battistella of Battistella’s in Raleigh (battistellas.com), and Chef Jeremy Law of SoCo Farm & Food in Wilson (www.soconc.com).

Chefs who would like to participate, and businesses or individuals who would like to serve as sponsors (four levels of sponsorship are available), should contact event coordinator Debbie Valentine by either calling her at 919.803.2960 or emailing dvalentine@rhanet.org.

Along with the opportunity to sample original dishes by some of North Carolina’s finest professional chefs, this year’s event will include entertainment by nationally known comic Derrick Tennant, free wine tastings and specialty martinis, music, and a live auction.

Ticket information will be available soon on RHA Howell’s website, www.rhahowell.org, and on the Epicurious Vino Challenge Facebook page.

Hinnant Family Vineyards & Winery is the largest muscadine vineyard in North Carolina sprawling over 80 acres. Its international, award winning wines range from dry white and reds to the traditional sweet scuppernongs. The vineyard is located in Pine Level, NC between Raleigh and Kinston. For more information: www.hinnantvineyards.com.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for nearly 40 years. Integrity and high standards of quality and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell program. RHA Howell is a pioneering force in the field of human services for children and adults across North Carolina with the mission “Opening the world for people with disabilities and in turn, enriching the lives of everyone they touch.” For more information, visit www.rhahowell.org.

RHA Howell’s CAP/C Program Partners with Shaw University’s Social Work Department

Categories: education, health, non-profit, people with disabiliites
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To secure internship placements for students.

December 13, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) – Bridges, RHA Howell’s Community Alternative Program for Children (CAP/C), has announced its new partnership with the Shaw University Department of Social Work’s internship program.

“Bridges is honored to partner with such an outstanding university and looks forward to continue this relationship into future,” said John Gibbons, program director.

The program allows Social Work students to interact with clients of the agency or organization where they’re placed, to provide coordination of family support, and to learn about community resources.

Students in the program work a minimum of 16 hours per week in the field agency to which they’re assigned, 240 hours per semester for a total of 480 hours.

The first intern from Shaw, Salima Hines, began at the Bridges program in September. Manina McNeil, assistant professor and coordinator of field education at Shaw, worked with the RHA Bridges staff to get Hines the internship opportunity.

RHA Howell is a statewide, non-profit organization that that has been working with children and adults with disabilities for nearly 40 years. The RHA Bridges program provides the “bridge” between families and services they need, working with the Department of Social Services, the Division of Medical Assistance, physicians, therapists, and in-home care providers.

Bridges also provides CAP/C services for medically fragile children through age 21. For more information visit www.rhabridges.com.

For more information on Shaw University’s Social Work department, contact Manina McNeill at 919-333-4652.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for nearly 40 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.

“Summer Fun Campaign” To Benefit Children and Adults with Disabilities

Categories: charity, fundraising, health, kids' issues, leisure activity, news, non-profit, people with disabiliites
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RHA Howell seeks public donations to help provide summer activities for the people the non-profit serves.

Like so many other non-profit organizations that rely on state and federal funding to continue to help the people they serve, RHA Howell, a non-profit, statewide organization that has been serving people with disabilities for nearly 40 years, is facing drastic budget cuts. Yet the RHA staff leadership is determined not to let that interfere with the summer activities they’ve always provided for the children and adults they support.

To that end, RHA Howell has launched its first “Summer Fun Campaign” on its website, www.rhahowell.org. A link on the site’s landing page takes visitors to the “Summer Fun Campaign” page, where they can read about activities planned, or hoped for, this summer at RHA Howell’s Greenville group homes and River Bend programs in New Bern. At the bottom of the page is a “donate” button that allows anyone to contribute any amount to the campaign via Paypal or credit card.

“Every gift will truly make a difference, no matter how big or how small,” said RHA Howell’s marketing and events director, Debbie Valentine. “All donations are gratefully accepted and appreciated.”

What are some of the summer activities planned at RHA Howell’s Greenville and New Bern locations this summer?

The children in RHA Howell’s group homes in Greenville will be attending an eight-week summer camp provided by the Greenville Parks and Recreation Department. This camp is designed for adolescents with special needs. Each week has a theme with activities and field trips related to each of the themes. The cost is $49 per child per week.

The Greenville staff is also planning a family picnic for both group homes to bring the residents’ families and care staffs together for a day of fun, food, and games. They would also like to organize a beach trip sometime during the summer months.

The River Bend Center in New Bern is planning a day at the USS North Carolina Battleship in Wilmington, a trip to a water park, and a day at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. The cost is $25 per person.

River Bend would also like to go to an Aquarium, have a day at the beach, or simply go to the movies each week.   To celebrate the River Bend programs’ founding in 1983, the staff is also planning a full day of festivities for the 125 people who call River Bend home, their families, and the staff.

To make a donation to RHA Howell’s “Summer Fun Campaign,” go to www.rhahowell.org and click on the campaign’s icon.

About RHA Howell, Inc.

Plans Set For Third Annual Epicurious Vino Challenge

Categories: charity, entertainment, events, fundraising, music, news, non-profit, people with disabiliites
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The popular culinary event combines professional chefs with wine, music, and auctions to benefit children and adults with disabilities.

April 14, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) – All plans are now set for the 2011 Epicurious Vino Challenge, the popular culinary event that will be held this year on Saturday, June 4, from 6:30-10 p.m. at The Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC.

Hosted by RHA Howell, Inc, and benefactors US Foodservice, Hinnant Family Vineyards, and Southern Pharmacy Services, proceeds from the event will directly benefit children and adults with disabilities.

For the Epicurious Vino Challenge, professional chefs from Raleigh to Greenville, NC, and invited to compete to see who can make the best signature dish, or dishes, using an award-winning Hinnant Family Vineyards wine as a key ingredient.

The participating chefs pull the name of a Hinnant wine from a hat and present their creations to the crowd in attendance. After tasting every dish prepared, the guests select a “People’s Choice” award winner. Professional chefs from US Foodservice, Inc. select the Chef’s Choice winner.

After enjoying the food and sampling Hinnant wines in the vineyard’s banquet hall, surrounded by music and festive decorations, guests will then participate in both a silent and live auction (items to be announced). Casual garden-party attire is suggested.

This year’s participating chefs, thus far, are:

Chef Tom Armstrong of Vinnie’s Steakhouse & Tavern, Raleigh
Chef Pat Walston of House Autry Mills, Four Oaks
Chef Vivian Howard of The Chef and the Farmer, Kinston
Chef Mark Lawson of East Restaurant, Blockade Runner, Wrightsville Beach
Chef Belo Shelton of Thrills From The Grill, Durham
Chef Kimberly Hall of Flying Fork, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro
Chef Mario Huante of Chef Mario’s, Inc., Raleigh
Chef Joyce Jenkins of The Serving Spoon, Pine Level
Chef Maggie Radzwiller of Comfort Cuisine, Durham

RHA Howell events director Debbie Valentine anticipates this year’s event selling out quickly. To reserve single tickets ($50 each) or to reserve a table for 10 ($400), go to http://www.rhahowell.org/NewsEvents/Epicurious/tabid/737/Default.aspx. Payment by PayPal is available. Questions about tickets and sponsorships may be directed to dvalentine@rhanet.org or by calling 919-803-2960.

The main sponsors, or Epicurious Benefactors, for the 2011 event are RHA Howell, Inc; US Foodservice, Inc.; Hinnant Family Vineyards; and Southern Pharmacy. Epicurious Advocates include Van Products, L&M, Fallon Benefit Group, Marcom Medical Consultants, and Wake Stone Corporation. Print Enterprise, Inc., is providing all printed materials.

Hinnant Family Vineyards is the largest muscadine vineyard in North Carolina, sprawling over 80 acres. Their international, award-winning wines range from dry whites and reds to traditional sweet scuppernongs. For more information and directions, visit www.hinnantvineyards.com.

RHA Howell, Inc. is a statewide, nonprofit organization that has been serving children and adults with disabilities, and their families, for nearly 40 years. For more information visit www.rhahowell.org and visit the Epicurious Vino Challenge Facebook page.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

SENET To Participate In Disabilities Fair in Kinston

Categories: business, charity, education, news, non-profit, people with disabiliites
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Day-long event honors National Disability History & Awareness month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

October 21, 2010 (KINSTON, NC) – SENET, a statewide non-profit Supported Employment Network dedicated to increasing job opportunities for people with disabilities, will be on hand for the Disabilities Awareness Fair to be held at Vernon Park Mall in Kinston, NC, on Friday, October 29, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The Fair will celebrate North Carolina Disability History and Awareness Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month, both of which are observed throughout October.

SENET will host an informational booth to support its goal of finding long-term employment for people with disabilities through local and regional partnerships within the business community.

“SENET offers a win-win solution for skilled workers eager to join the workforce and for area businesses seeking qualified, reliable employees,” said Tommy Cox, Director of Vocational Services.

SENET mirrors the national “Think Beyond The Label” campaign spearhead by the Health & Disabilities Advocates (www.thinkbeyondthelabel.com).

Established in North Carolina less than a year ago, SENET has secured worthwhile employment for 84 people with disabilities in Goldsboro, Charlotte, Greensboro and Lumberton. There is no placement fee for employers and employers may be eligible for Work Opportunity Tax Credits. Some of the participating employers are Time Warner Cable Arena, K&W Cafeteria, FastLane Service, Bi-Lo, Summit Place Retirement Center, the Carolina Panthers, Mint Hill Tool Rental, Carolina Home Remodeling, and the NC Department of Motor Vehicles.

SENET is in the process of launching its new website, which will offer detailed information for job seekers and for businesses who want to enhance their workplace by diversifying their hiring practices.

The Disabilities Awareness Fair in Kinston is sponsored by RHA Howell, Inc, a local Senior Girl Scouts troop, and RADD (Raising Awareness for Developmental Disabilities). For more information on the Disabilities Awareness Fair in Kinston, contact Kitty Hobbs-Proctor, 3738 Howell Day Care Road, La Grange, NC 28551, or call RADD and leave a message at 252-522-2814.

Vernon Park Mall is located at 834 Hardee Road, Kinston, NC 28503.

About SENET:

Supported Employment Network (SENET) is a statewide program dedicated to increasing job opportunities for people with disabilities. Our mission is to build networks that help people find long-term employment through local and regional partnerships within the business community. SENET offers a win-win solution for skilled workers eager to join the workforce and for area businesses seeking qualified, reliable employees.

Celebrated Artist Chick Wooten To Appear At RHA Howell’s River Bend Center

Categories: art, charity, non-profit, North Carolina arts, people with disabiliites
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Chick Wooten with one of his murals.

September 12, 2010 (River Bend, NC) — Renowned primitive artist Chick Wooten will be on hand for a public tour of the murals he painted throughout the halls of the RHA Howell River Bend Center in New Bern, NC, on Saturday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations will be accepted and all proceeds will benefit a child or an adult with a disability at RHA Howell River Bend.

A second opportunity to tour the center will be available on November 16^th by appointment.

One of eight children, Chick Wooten grew up on a farm in LaGrange, North Carolina, and began making sketches in 1959 after moving to New Jersey. In the 1970s he moved back to LaGrange and began receiving widespread recognition for his art. Two series of his paintings, “Days Back Yonder” and “The Garden Spot,” capture the relaxed charm of Southern culture in their depictions of rural Eastern North Carolina in the 1930s and ‘40s.

Chick Wooten is best known for his paintings of life in the Carolina countryside. The central themes of his work are family life, togetherness especially in tough times, and the importance of faith and community traditions.

The artist’s wall murals can be seen not only in the interiors of all of RHA Howell’s care centers for the developmentally disabled, but also the halls of LaGrange Elementary.

RHA Howell River Bend, which serves 125 people with disabilities, is located at 140 Pirates Road, New Bern, NC 28562. Admission to the public tour is free and $10 donations are welcomed to help the center reach its goal of raising $5000. For more information, contact Laura Marcum at 252-638-6519; lmarcum@rhanet.org.

For more information on RHA Howell, visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell:

RHA Howell, Inc. is a non-profit organization that has, for over 35 years, been dedicated to helping people with special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently. Integrity, high standards for quality and hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. RHA Howell’s services are provided statewide. For more information, visit www.rhahowell.org.

Motorcycle Charity Ride To Benefit People with Disabilities

Categories: charity, leisure activity, news, non-profit, people with disabiliites
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RHA Howell will host a ride from Clear Creek to Concord

August 26, 2010 (CHARLOTTE, NC) — Clear Creek, an RHA Howell Inc. residential care facility for people with disabilities, will host its first Motorcycle Charity Ride fundraiser on Saturday, September 18^th, with registration starting at 10 a.m.

The ride will begin at 11 a.m. at Clear Creek, 11950 Howell Center Drive, Charlotte, then follow highways 24/27, 601 and 29 to Bruton Smith Boulevard in Concord, NC, concluding at the Hooter’s on Gateway Lane.

The Motorcycle Charity Ride will also award a variety of door prizes at Clear Creek and at Hooter’s, including a golf package for four at the Cabarrus Country Club, vouchers for free nights at select hotels, a beach trip, and more.

Tickets to participate are $25 per bike. All proceeds benefit Clear Creek, a 120-bed facility that provides physical, occupational and recreational therapy; round-the-clock nursing care; and an on-site school for children whose conditions warrant home schooling.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Darla Morgan at 704-221-8497 or Teresa Bishop 704-545-7200.

For more information on RHA Howell, visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

ADA’s 20th Anniversary: RHA Howell President Reflects on Successes, Remaining Challenges

Categories: kids' issues, news, non-profit, Opinion, people with disabiliites
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August 8, 2010 (RALEIGH, NC) – This summer, the nation is observing the 20^th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act that was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The ADA is a sweeping civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

Sam Hedrick, president, RHA Howell Inc.

Recently, Sam Hedrick, president of RHA Howell, Inc., a statewide organization in North Carolina that has been serving people with disabilities and their families for over 35 years, paused to reflect on the successes and on-going challenges for the ADA. Hedrick is also the mother of a child with disabilities and a member of the board of directors of the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), a nonprofit trade association representing more than 800 private providers of services and supports for Americans with disabilities.

Question: What do you feel has been the greatest impact of the ADA?

Hedrick: “Some of the greatest success to date has been around making our communities and public buildings more accessible to people with disabilities. There was a time that people in wheelchairs could not navigate outside their homes just to accomplish necessary daily activities. Wheelchair-accessible public transportation is also available now in many cities and towns, thanks largely to the ADA. So in many respects, the ADA made it possible for people with disabilities to become independent and to live and participate in their communities more freely for the first time.”

Q. What has yet to be fully enforced, or what is still lacking despite the ADA?

Hedrick: “People with disabilities still do not earn equal and fair wages for many jobs. According to the American Association of People with Disabilities, on a national average, 16.9 percent of Americans with disabilities are unemployed, versus 9.3 percent who are not living with a disability.

“Housing and public transportation are also still often out of reach for most people with disabilities, which prevents them from living as fully participating citizens in the communities of their own choices.

“President Obama is making great efforts to correct some of these inequities through HUD grants and the Affordable Care Act, but discrimination continues to exist in our country today.”

Q. What do you see as priorities for current advocates for Americans with disabilities?

Hedrick: “Some of the on-going challenges we must overcome are:

(1) Infants, children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities must have the opportunity to be supported at home and to succeed in school. They should be included in all of the experiences of childhood.

(2) Adults with disabilities need to lead lives of their own choosing and to be free from poverty and free from fear of having their life-line services cut.

(3) People with disabilities need to be included in civic activities and to have their voices heard politically.

(4) Accessible low-income housing must be available in our communities and wheelchair-accessible public transportation must be available in more cities across America.

(5) We need to provide meaningful and equal-paying jobs for productive work for all people.

(6) Health care must be affordable and available to people with disabilities, and ‘wellness’ and preventative care must be a priority within it.”

For more information on the Americans with Disabilities Act, go to www.ada.gov.

For more information on RHA Howell, visit www.rhahowell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.

Chef’s Take Home Trophies, People with Disabilities Benefit

Categories: charity, entertainment, news, non-profit, people with disabiliites, women's health issues
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2010 Epicurious Vino Challenge is a huge success.

Chef Brian Battistella (left) receives the Chefs Choice Award from US Food Services Exec. Chef Bob Passerelli at the Epicurious Vino Challenge.

June 17, 2010 (PINE LEVEL, NC) – Two North Carolina chefs took home trophies and six others received accolades, but the real winners of the second annual Epicurious Vino Challenge held recently at Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level are the people with disabilities served by RHA Howell, Inc. The wine and food event raised $30,000.

For the “challenge,” professional chefs competed to see who could come up with the best dish using a Hinnant Family Vineyard wine that they pulled out of a hat. The crowd in attendance chose a People Choice Award winner and executive chefs from US Food Services named the Chef’s Choice through a blind judging.

The Chef’s Choice Award went to Chef Brian Battistella of Battistella’s New Orleans Kitchen in Raleigh (located in the Crabtree Inn above Crabtree Valley Mall). Using Hinnant Family Vineyard’s “Tar Heel Red” wine, the chef, a New Orleans native, created Creole spiced pork tenderloin served with Tasso ham, mashed sweet potatoes with muscadine gastrique, charred sweet pepper salad, and crisp sweet potato chips.

Chef Robbie Lilly (left) takes home the Peoples Choice Award.

The Peoples Choice Award went to Chef Robbie Lilly of Sisters Garden & Catering, also in Raleigh, who created Beef Tenderloin with a “Hinnant Bordelaise,” using Hinnant’s “Noble” red wine, laced with sautéed shitake mushrooms and served over Gouda grits.

In the Chef’s Choice category, US Foodservice Executive Chefs Bob Passarelli, Mark Turner, and Wes Dills named Chef Tom Armstrong of Vinnie’s Steakhouse and Tavern in Raleigh in second place and Chef Pat Walston of House Autry in Four Oaks in third.

In the People’s Choice category, the crowd in attendance placed Chef Battistella in second place and Chef Walston in third.

Other participating chefs included Executive Chef Clifton Vogelsberg of Solas Restaurant, Lounge & Rooftop in Raleigh; Colleen Speaks of Posh Nosh Catering in Raleigh; personal chef Melinda McGuirk of Charlotte, and Chef Martin Nessley of Sunset Grille in Cary.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the results of the 2010 Epicurious Vino Challenge,” said

A lively crowd enjoys the food, wine and other festivities at the 2010 Epicurious Vino Challenge.

Debbie Valentine, special events and marketing planner for RHA Howell. “Our guests couldn’t stop talking about the fantastic dishes all the chefs created. And it’s all of those chefs, who set aside precious time from their hectic schedules to contribute to this event, that a good idea last year became a great idea this year. Along with Hinnant Family Vineyards, our sponsors and everyone who attended, we’ve sent the message that even in the most stressful times, caring for people with disabilities is still a top priority.”

Presented by RHA Howell, the event was sponsored by Hinnant Family Vineyards, US Foodservice Raleigh, and Fallon Benefits Group.

RHA Howell is a statewide organization that has been helping people with disabilities and their families for 35 years. For more information, visit www.rhahowwell.org.

About RHA Howell, Inc.:

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