September 2025 Newsletter

Dana Point Women's Club
Sep 21
6 min read

Updated: Sep 23

Our September newsletter features the latest updates on Club activities:

DPWC Goes "Back to School"
Evening in Tuscany - a Rousing Success!
Philanthropy Update
Rising Stars and Guiding Lights
Shopping Extravaganza Benefiting DPWC
Book Club News

Save the Dates

Saturday 9/27 10 AM to 5 PM SHOP FOR A CAUSE AT SC OUTLETS
Thursday 10/2 11 AM to 1 PM MEETING - SCARY GOOD SAFETY TIPS
Wednesday 10/9 5 PM to 7:30 PM POLISHED FOR A PURPOSE
Sunday 10/26 4 PM to 6 PM "DO TELL" STORYTELLING EVENT

DPWC Goes "Back to School"

From left, Children’s Author Katie Horelick, PR Director Toni Nelson, Palisades Elementary Principal, Yesenia Hogancamp, President Kathy Belanger, Palisades Library Volunteer Lindsay Waggoner

Community House Facilities Director Monique Wolff hosted a wonderful back to school meeting featuring fun back to school touches and a delicious cafeteria style school lunch, including ding dongs and twinkies. Club members enjoyed three excellent speakers: the brand new Palisades Elementary Principal, Yesenia Hogancamp, School Library Volunteer Lindsay Wagonner, and prolific children’s book author Katie Merten Horelick.

Ms. Hogancamp gave an update on the Title 1 Palisades Elementary School, which has been an integral part of the Capistrano Beach community since 1961. Both she and dedicated library volunteer Lindsay Waggoner thanked DPWC for its ongoing support. Library books are solely funded through donations from the Palisades School Foundation, Scholastic Book Fair sales, and groups like DPWC. Members brought new hardcover books for Palisades' Amazon wish list. Total in-kind donations including $500 purchased from Club funds, totalled over $1500. If you missed the drive, you can still purchase from Palisades Elementary's Wish List

Author Katie Horelick, who moved with her family to Dana Point after her Altadena home was lost in the recent Eaton fire, spoke about the power of favorite books to comfort and heal. Katie had contacted DPWC earlier to make a generous donation to Project Foster of 40 of her children’s books and bags of excess toiletries they had received after the fire. Members were touched when she said “ I realized that in repurchasing and then reading the books that we had owned prior to the fires, I was able to recreate a feeling of comfort and familiarity for my children. We may have lost our home, but we still had the books that we read in that home, and therefore we had the memories. That’s why I donated my books to Project Foster. Giving a child a book so giving them something that they can take with them anywhere—Books transport you, and they make you feel a certain way, and they become your memories.” Ms. Horelick has 23 highly rated children’s books available on Amazon.

Best of all, two of our talented and passionate speakers, Katie Horelick and Lindsay Wagonner, joined DPWC as new members shortly after the event!

Visit our Facebook Page to see some fun videos and photos from the event, including set up. Thank you to Monique Wolff and her wonderful team who did a beautiful job setting up for Lunch on the Playground! Check out members' answers to some fun questions HERE.

Evening in Tuscany - A Rousing Success!

Community House was transformed into an elegant Italian Trattoria for a delicious four course homemade meal

DPWC Treasurer Donna Childress (who is as talented in the kitchen as she is with our finances) hit it out of the park with an outstanding four-course authentic Italian meal, raising more than $2000 for Project Scholarship at our (hopefully, first of many) Evenings in Tuscany.

Community House was transformed into an elegant Tuscan trattoria, complete with olive trees, a communal table strewn with lemons and vines, and a beautiful backdrop. The guests enjoyed al fresco cocktails on the lawn, followed by a delicous land lively dinner.

Donna showed off her amazing culinary skills, treating the crowd of about 50 guests to a 4 course Italian meal featuring antipasti, Caesar salad, homemade “melt in your mouth” lasagna and cheesecake with fresh strawberry sauce. Wine for the event, Santa Margherita Chianti Classico Reserva and Pinot Grigio and Torresella Prosecco, were donated by Andrew Tysler, husband of Community House Rentals Director, Venee Tysler.

Donna was supported by a small but mighty team including two dedicated volunteers, Denise Avarez and Shari DeFreese, who generously decided to forego the meal to plate the meals and wait on tables. The husbands got into the act as well. Dynamic duo, Mike Wolff and Boyd Childress built a beautiful new bar from which Andrew Tysler poured his excellent donated wine.

The guests were delighted with the food, wine and ambience and gave Donna a well-deserved standing ovation. Check out the amazing transformation on our Instagram Page in a reel crafted by our talented PR volunteer, Madeline Smith.

Philanthropy Update

Project Foster:

Project Foster will be transitioning to our new warehouse in the Capistrano Business Park at Ortega Highway and the 5 Freeway on October 3rd and 4th.
We will be able to open and sort donations, organize inventory and pack cases in one location that includes a warehouse space with a roll up door.
Project Foster will need volunteers to help out. Email Project Foster to volunteer.
25 Cases were delivered to a Continuation School in Newport Mesa School District.
3 cases were delivered to Palisades Elementary in Capistrano Beach for at-risk kids.
In kind donations outreach for suitcases and contents is underway
Received a donation of 11 boxes filled with new stuffed animals.
Several grants are in progress
A busy fall schedule for packing events is taking shape
Toni Nelson and Shannon Wernemar spoke at the Dana Point Civic Association coffee chat on Friday 9/18 about DPWC, its history, philantrhopies, and Project Foster.
Stay tuned for information about the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce Annual Turkey Trot -- This year Project Foster is one of the beneficiaries!

Project Literacy:

DPWC donated $1500 in in kind new book donations toward the Palisades Elementary School Project Literacy Book Drive

Project Scholarship:

An Evening in Tuscany raised more than $2000 toward Project Scholarhship

Rising Stars and Guiding Lights

This monthly section highlights some of our new members, "Rising Stars," and our seasoned members, "Guiding Lights". Please read the brief bios below and get to know some of the amazing women in our midst. Thank you to our wonderful Membership Chair and 2nd VP Pearl Zimmerman who is the editor of this section.

Guiding Light Debra Schueler has such captivating positive energy. It was fun to relive DPWC Club moments as she described them in her appreciative and enthusiastic way. Debra described our recent Evening in Tuscany this way, "Donna knocked it out of the park. She made the best lasagna I ever had. It was like air!" Debra is excited about our mentor program, and I'm thankful for her dedication to mentoring. Debra currently works as a Client Services Director for Liberty Wealth Management, although she most enjoys making a difference in enriching women’s lives as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. Keep an eye out for Debra walking our Dana Point Harbor with her newly adopted Frenchie rescue dog, "Flower."

RisingStar Rose Folli What a joy it was to interview and get to know Rising Star Rose Folli. Rose is such a caring person; she immediately wanted to be part of our TLC team (taking care of our members when various needs arise). Her recent retirement motivated Rose to join DPWC, as she looks forward to more time with friends. Rose previously worked as a Human Resources Director, which involved plenty of worldwide travel. Her husband was also busy with global travel for biotech sales. They've lived in South Orange County for almost 40 years; however, you can't help but see Rose's midwestern roots in her strong work ethic and genuinely friendly ways.

Shopping Extravaganza Benefiting DPWC

DPWC has been invited to partner with the San Clemente Outlets for their 11th annual shopping extravaganza. This is a wonderful opportunity to shop for a cause - DPWC's Project Foster. Each $40 ticket includes:

$25 donation to your chosen charity (Please choose DPWC at check out)
Catered lunch from Ruby's Diner (meet up with fellow DPWC members)
Complimentary wine tasting
Exclusive discounts at top outlet retailers
Live Entertainment
Chance to win over $40,000 in prizes - including gift cards to top brand stores

DPWC will earn $25 for every ticket purchased for the 11th Annual San Clemente Outlets' Shopping Extravaganza to be held Saturday, September 27th from 10 AM to 5 PM. Proceeds will benefit Project Foster

PLEASE BUY A TICKET AND ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES TO SHOP FOR A CAUSE! Be sure to pick DPWC (fifth charity listed) at check out!