Bethany House fashion show raises funds and awareness for families facing homelessness
Bethany House held its 23rd annual fashion show at the Rockville Links Club last week, raising funds to support its mission of ending homelessness on Long Island.
A Baldwin-based nonprofit, Bethany House focuses on helping women, and women with children, who are homeless move from uncertainty to stability. It currently runs three emergency shelters, and will soon open a fourth, in Baldwin and Roosevelt, as well as affordable apartments in Bellmore for women who have long-term housing vouchers.
According to Executive Director Katie Swanson, Bethany House serves about 40 families at any given time in its shelters and housing programs.
“Once you’re a part of Bethany House, you’re always a part of Bethany House,” Swanson said.
The annual event, on March 11, brought together supporters, volunteers and community leaders for an evening of fashion, fundraising and storytelling highlighting the organization’s mission. Among the attendees was U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, who said she has discussed with the organization what they could do together to end homelessness on Long Island.
“There is no reason, on Long Island, in a county like Nassau County, that people should be living on the street,” Gillen told the Herald. “Organizations like [Bethany House] make it possible for people to turn around their lives. It’s really important to support all the great organizations that address not only homelessness, but food insecurity, and making sure that people get the help they need.”
Gillen said she is focused in Congress on doing everything she can to reduce the cost of living for Long Islanders. “We’ve seen the greatest cut to Medicaid in our nation’s history,” she said. “We’re facing a real cost-of-living crisis, between housing, health care and utilities. When you have partner organizations like Bethany House, that are trying to pick up the slack because of the cuts that have been implemented by this administration, it’s really important to support them.”
This year’s fashion show raised $20,000 to help support Bethany House’s mission. Swanson said that fundraising events like this one provide critical flexible funding that allows the organization to support families in ways government funding often cannot.
“Government funding helps keep the lights on,” Swanson said. “But the money raised from events like this allows us to do the extra things that really make a difference — transportation when someone gets a new job, college books, therapeutic groups or other support that helps people move forward.”
The event began 23 years ago as a fun way for Bethany House to raise money for the women and children who turn to the organization in their time of need. Its guests used to model at the event, but because it became difficult to coordinate schedules, Bethany House now asks those who volunteer to walk the runway.
The donations included a three-course dinner, and supporters purchased $5 surprise bags in the hope of winning the grand prize, a Tiffany heart necklace.
The night began with a cocktail hour, before guests sat down for dinner. Bethany House officials including Swanson spoke, talking about the work the organization does and thanking the sponsors.
The emcee for the evening was Samantha Augeri, a former News12 meteorologist. Augeri said she got involved with Bethany House after visiting one of its homes and learning more about the scope of homelessness in the region.
“I didn’t realize the scale of homelessness on Long Island, especially for women,” she said. “When I saw the work they were doing and met some of the women and their children, it really struck a chord with me.”
Augeri said she felt inspired to take part in the fashion show after seeing how Bethany House supports women as they work to rebuild their lives. “Bethany House helps women get through struggles, and gives them the tools they need to succeed and hopefully reach their goals and dreams someday,” she said.
At around 8:15 p.m., the fashion show began. Dressed by stylists from Nordstrom, which supplied all of the clothing in the show, the models took to the runway. The featured looks were styled by Nordstrom employees Tatiana Smith, assistant department manager of women’s contemporary, and department Manager Carole Brown.
Smith said the team was honored to be part of the event after learning more about Bethany House’s mission. “Homelessness is something everyone can come together around,” Smith said. “Events like this bring people from different walks of life into one room to raise awareness and support something important.”
Styling the models, Smith said, was one of the highlights of the evening, noting that the process involved meeting with the participants and selecting outfits that reflected their personalities.
“It was so much fun getting to know everyone, and helping them find looks they felt great in,” she said.
Dozens of supporters filled the club’s ballroom, cheering as the models walked the runway. Swanson said that events like the fashion show highlight how community support plays a vital role in helping families rebuild their lives.
“Every little bit helps, and everyone has something they can offer,” she said. “Homelessness isn’t just an individual issue — it’s something the entire community can work together to solve.”
