Published: June 16, 2023
Since its founding in 1951, Dana Point Women’s Club (DPWC) has been a significant local philanthropy, strengthening the South Orange County community and empowering women, children, and families through its charitable activities. Community House, a 70-year-old building located in the heart of the Lantern District, has served as DPWC’s Clubhouse for over seven decades under the management of a sister organization, Community House, Inc. This year, the boards of both entities succeeded in legally unifying the two groups as a single nonprofit corporation renamed Dana Point Women’s Club, Inc.
The new board is focused on streamlining operations and taking both aspects of its charitable purpose to a new level –providing a vital meeting place for nonprofits in Dana Point while benefiting the community through worthy philanthropic programs.
In the words of DPWC President, Kathy Belanger, “Community House has been the best kept secret in Dana Point for decades. We want to change that. We’re actively pursuing grants to upgrade and renovate the building and want to see Community House become a well-known and well-used community venue. The best part about paying rent for the use of Community House is that after a reserve for building preservation, all profits come back to the community, benefiting Project Scholarship, Project Literacy, Sparkpoint OC, Handbags for Hearts, Project Angel Tree, and our other worthy philanthropies.”
Community House Director Jody Hughes wasted no time in her efforts to grow rental revenue. She is already hard at work with existing long-term tenants and many new ones, and is designing new contracts, signage, and promotional materials. “ I want to see Community House filled with non-profits and other community groups, especially Mondays through Thursdays. I’m also eager to rent our space to private parties for birthdays, celebrations of life, small weddings, and other events on the weekends. We want the community to enjoy this wonderful local venue as much as we do.”
The charming 2,300 square foot historic building is located at 24642 San Juan Avenue in the heart of the Lantern District. Its great room can accommodate 80 to 130 people, with a covered porch for buffets, ample public parking, and a spacious lawn.
For more information, contact Jody Hughes at 949-284-6415 or email communityhousedp@gmail.com. Community House is available for daytime or evening meetings and events, 7AM to 10 PM daily.
For information about DPWC or membership inquiries, contact dpwc.oc@gmail.com.
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