The 2024 “Evening of Dreams” will feature a Birmingham Chef Showcase spotlighting local chefs.
Published: August 9, 2024
Sozo Children International, a Birmingham, Alabama based nonprofit ministry dedicated to serving at-risk children in Uganda, will host its annual fundraising Gala at Haven on Friday, August 23, 2024. Building upon Birmingham’s reputation as a foodie city, the “Evening of Dreams” will feature a Birmingham Chef Showcase spotlighting local chefs who will prepare small plates of popular dishes. The evening will also feature a silent auction from 5:30p.m. to 7p.m. and live auction from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Guest speakers for the evening are Brodie and Kellie Croyle of Big Oak Ranch.
“We’re excited to fellowship with our supporters and hope to share some great food with a lot of new friends too,” says Suzanne Owens, CEO of Sozo Children. “We have so many plans to grow our ministry in Uganda and some great things in store here in our hometown as well,” she said. The ministry recently purchased more land in Uganda with plans to build a school and medical center and has hopes to expand to serve locally in Alabama.
Sozo began in 2010 when the Owens and a group of supporters rescued 17 children from a children’s home that had been abandoned and was being closed by local officials. Now in its 14th year, the ministry operates Sozo Village, a 28-acre community which has grown to serve more than 150 children—providing housing, medical care, education, and more. Sozo Children also leads Kid’s Club—a twice-weekly Bible club for Ugandan children living around the village. As many as 400 children, some of whom walk miles to attend, share a meal and devotional time each week during Kid’s Club.
“Our focus for this evening is on our new Harvest Program,” Owens says. “We identified a critical need in Uganda to provide ongoing care for our young adults who have grown up in and around Sozo. So, last year, we started a program to nurture them as they prepare for college and careers,” Owens adds.
The Harvest Program is open to boys and girls in Sozo’s care who are preparing for college or vocational school. The program includes a mentor program which challenges each young adult to volunteer in their community, to seek leadership opportunities and to develop life skills. Participants, called Harvesters, take entrepreneurial classes and also work with their mentor to develop strong family leadership skills.
Children served by Sozo come to the ministry from situations of extreme generational poverty, abuse, neglect and often have been rescued from human trafficking situations. “The Bible tells us to provide for widows and orphans. Although we are not an orphanage, many of our children have lost parents or worse, been abandoned by parents who were supposed to care for them,” she says. Participants in the Harvest Program are even encouraged to seek out relatives and mend relationships.
Sozo Children hopes to raise more than $225,000 at the Evening of Dreams through the auction, event sponsorships and table sponsorships. To sponsor a table, donate an auction item, or to purchase dinner tickets, visit sozochildren.org/2024-dinner. To learn more about the mission of Sozo Children and how you can help, visit http://www.sozochildren.org.