Summer Edition 2026

Dana Point Women's Club
Aug 10
8 min read

As summer starts packing up its beach towels and flip-flops, we hope everyone is soaking up the last sunny moments! Your board has been busy behind the scenes planning an exciting new season full of fun, friendship, and philanthropy—with a few fresh updates to make things even better. We can’t wait to kick things off together!

Please join us for our first meeting on September 3, 2026 @ 10:30 AM. We can't wait to kick things off!! Tickets will be on sale shortly, watch for the email!

Our Annual Storytelling 'Do Tell" Returns!

Please join us for the 7th annual "Do Tell" storytelling event. Sunday, September 20, 2026 from 4-6. This unique form of oral storytelling is modeled after “The Moth,” a national non-profit group which promotes the art and craft of storytelling through live events. "Do Tell" aims to entertain and inspire you as our storytellers each take 10 minutes to share a poignant life experience. Grab a friend and go to dinner afterwards, its a nice way to end a weekend. 100% of proceeds from this event benefit Project Foster. Tickets are on sale now, just click HERE.

Pizza and Wine Tasting was a hit!!

Our July 31st pizza and wine tasting evening, "Sip, Slice and Savor", was an absolute blast! Chef Louie kept the energy high with a little dough-tossing show, then treated us to some seriously delicious pizza — yum!

And then came the 'blind wine tasting'. Leticia Celaya and Marla Freeman definitely know how to pick them! With so many wonderful wines to try, the crowd still found a clear favorite: Tesoro Della Regina from Italy. Coincidence? Maybe not — Italian food, Italian wine, and everyone chose the Italian bottle as the winner!

A big thank-you to everyone who joined us. It was so nice to see your happy faces during our summer hiatus. And thank you to Leticia Celaya and Marla Freeman for hosting the event!

Don't forget to visit our booth at the Car show 🚗

The Car Show is rolling into town, and you won’t want to miss it! If you haven’t been before, get ready for an afternoon full of amazing cars, tasty treats, and plenty of fun.

Be sure to swing by our booth—we scored one of the best spots at the show! A big thank-you to our members who signed up to take a shift and help make the day a success. We can’t wait to see you there!

Sunday, September 23 @10:00 AM.

Great Ideas Need Great Volunteers!

One thing is certain—our members are full of wonderful ideas!

We distributed suggestion cards asking for ideas for speakers, activities, and Girls' Night Out events for the upcoming fiscal year, and the response was incredible. From exciting outings and educational programs to social gatherings and unique experiences, your suggestions have given us plenty of inspiration for a fun and engaging year ahead.

Now comes the next step: bringing those ideas to life.

Many of the suggestions, such as a day at the Del Mar Racetrack, wine tastings, theater outings, and other special events, require planning and coordination. While our board is excited to help make these events happen, we can't do it alone.

We're looking for members who would be willing to take the lead on an event or join a planning team. You don't need experience—just enthusiasm and a willingness to help. Whether you'd like to organize an outing, assist with reservations, coordinate logistics, or simply lend a hand, your support can make a big difference.

If there is an event you'd be interested in leading or helping with, please contact our Ways & Means Director, Leticia Celaya. Together, we can turn these great suggestions into memorable experiences for all our members.

Social Media Buzz

Madeline Smith, our PR Director, shares a simple way to support the Dana Point Women's Club and Community House:

Follow, like, comment on, and share our posts to help more people discover our events, programs, and mission.

Following our pages also keeps you informed about upcoming events and announcements.

Comments make a big difference, especially when they are more than three words. Replying to friends and engaging with posts helps boost visibility and reach people beyond our community.

These small actions increase awareness, attract new members, promote our events, and strengthen our community. Thank you for helping us spread the word!

And speaking of social media, we are looking for a volunteerr to handle FB and IG for Project Foster. This is a low demand job with a maximum of 5-6 posts per month. Please contact Madeline Smith if you can help.

Philanthropy Update

Project Literacy

Our September 3rd meeting will honor DPWC's annual tradition of helping one of our local schools with a Project Literacy Book Drive. The RH Dana teachers come back to work soon and one of their first priorities will be to add books to their Amazon Wish List so that we can help supply some wonderful books that will be used in the classrooms.

Watch for our September invite coming soon and please help by bringing some books to our meeting in support of this heartwarming drive. New Principal Juliana Mittino-Smith will be attending our luncheon to give us an update on all the good things happening at RH Dana Elementary.

Project Foster

Thank you to all our DPWC members who have signed up to help in the warehouse this summer. Although our Club is on summer hiatus, Project Foster is still packing and distributing duffle cases to foster and at risk kids and teens every week. Be sure to check Sign Up Genius to volunteer for a short shift and have some fun in philanthropy!

One of our wonderful warehouse managers, Shelly Toole, has created a comprehensive procedures manual that tells you everything you need to know about our warehouse operations. If you're new to this philanthropy, or just need a refresher, be sure to take a few moments to read it before your shift. As always, our terrific Leads are on hand to guide you if you have any questions.

Our "Summer or Hope” drive was launched in July and we're already seeing cash donations and new items roll into the warehouse. Huge thanks to all our generous members who joined churches, companies and members of the community in supporting this drive. Huggable stuffed animals, toys with high play value, hoodies and PJs are still in short supply. So please spread the word.

Project Foster is entirely dependent on cash and in-kind donations from generous churches, companies, community groups and individuals. Cash Donation, Target and Amazon Wish List Links can be found HERE or use the QR codes below.

Rising Stars and Guiding Lights-

Membership Chair, Rose Folli, caught up with a couple members this summer. Their conversations highlighted favorite club memories, inspiration for staying involved, and the friendships, service, and community that make our club special.

Let's see what they had to say! ✨

Rising Star, Tenley Hardt, tells a bit about herself and what drew to DPWC.

Tell me about yourself:

I'm a wife, mom of two, sailor, golfer, horseback rider, and someone who finds joy in everything from hosting themed dinner parties to cheering on my kids, with our boat docked right here in Dana Point.

What inspired you to join DPWC:

After supporting Habitat for Humanity Women Build, Boys and Girls Club through DPYC, and Miracles for Kids, I was ready to stop showing up occasionally and start showing up consistently alongside women who make giving back a way of life.

What interested you most about the mission:

Working with women who are managing successful careers, running households, going through major life transitions, and making major financial decisions while also managing everything else in their lives, I understand the value of having someone you trust handle the financial piece so you can focus on the rest — making DPWC’s mission of supporting women and families feel deeply personal.

What skills are you hoping to bring:

Event design, creative fundraising, community building, and a genuine love of bringing people together for something bigger than themselves.

What is something fun or surprising about you:

I'm a wealth advisor who shows up to Dodger games in floral suits, sails on weekends, and plays ukulele with significantly more confidence than skill — most people meet me and assume I’m a creative, and the finance part tends to surprise them.

Guiding Light, Whitney Adams, tells us a bit about what drew her to the club.

What first drew you to our club?

I was brand new to Southern California and wanted to connect with people. My husband's job brought us to the area from Denver and we did not know anyone.

Do you remember your first meeting or event, what stood out? What’s changed?

I joined the club right away. When the first meeting came, we'd not yet received our furniture, I was exhausted from the move and debated whether to attend. Boy was I glad I decided to show up. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. When I arrived to Southern California I felt like a stranger everywhere but after joining the DPWC, that's changed!

What has kept you involved?

Project Foster, I work in the warehouse regularly and have made many connections with other members. I love helping out with such a great cause.

What advice would you give to new members?

Get involved right away, there are so many opportunities i.e. Project Foster, Gardening, Book Club, Set Up/Clean Up etc...Also, try to sit with new people at the monthly meetings, to meet other members.

What is something fun or surprising about you?

I'm obsessed with interior design. I love it, I want to read every book, travel to see styles of architecture, it's my happy place.

Book Club News

Here is August's selection, Still Alice, a New York Times bestselling novel by Lisa Genova about a 50-year-old Harvard professor, Alice Howland, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, forcing her to confront her identity as her memory and cognitive abilities decline.

Our September book, The Big Sleep, published in 1939, is Raymond Chandler's first novel and the debut of his iconic private detective, Philip Marlowe, who is hired by a dying millionaire to handle a blackmail case involving his wild daughter, Carmen. The case quickly spirals into a complex web of kidnapping, pornography, murder, and corruption in 1930s Los Angeles, establishing the "hardboiled" detective genre with its cynical tone, atmospheric setting, and morally ambiguous characters.

For those who like to read ahead, our October book is White Oleander, a 1999 novel by American author Janet Fitch. It is the unforgettable story of Astrid's journey through a series of foster homes and her efforts to find a place for herself an impossible circumstances. Each home is its own universe, with a new set of laws and lessons to be learned. With determination and humor, Astrid confronts the challenges of loneliness and poverty, and strives to learn who a motherless child in a an indifferent world can become.