Debra Bulkeley (front row, in dress) with family and friends. / Photo by Keiko Hiromi
There are plenty of great places to eat on Newbury Street, but undeniably one of the most important is the Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime shelter that feeds, counsels, and otherwise uplifts unhoused women.
The organization held its annual Eat Lunch Give gathering at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston, which attracted such kind-hearted and like-minded supporters as board president Kate Gallivan; honoree Debra Bulkeley; TJX Companies exec Clemia Brittenum and her über-chic colleague Valarie Couillard; the duo of Lynne Smith and her daughter Allyson; the achingly lovely Inna Khitrik; college sweethearts Joseph Reed and Arnold Sapenter; bright young thing Caroline Holland; longtime volunteers Kristin Abati and Harriet Kessellman; and one woman who asked two others how they knew each other, to which the answer was, “Our dogs are best friends.”
An appropriately spa-cuisine Green Goddess salmon was followed by a sinfully delicious chocolate mousse cake, interspersed with acknowledgment of the people who make the shelter a safe port in a storm, as well as a reminder that all of us, no matter who we are, are one stumble in life away from homelessness. The level of compassion was off the charts.
During the speaking program, someone said, “Food brings us all to the table,” to which one guest whispered, “Wine doesn’t hurt, either,” eyeing the crisp French rosé in his glass.
As someone else put it, the afternoon was “an investment in dignity and hope.”
Then, overheard on the way out the door:
“Did you get my text?”
“Yeah. I didn’t think it required a response.”
Valarie Couillard and Clemia Brittenum. / Photo by Keiko Hiromi
Adelsa Mendes, Jose Abreu, and Abby NguyenBurke. / Photo by Keiko Hiromi
Diana Kenneally, Mary Beth Mahoney, and Kelly Broderick. / Photo by Keiko Hiromi
Kate Gallivan and Andrea Killory / Photo by Keiko Hiromi
Senator Liz Miranda, Tammy Kraus, Larissa Azevedo, and Pamela Abeiga. / Photo by Keiko Hiromi
Kate EvansCorreia. / Photo by Keiko Hiromi
Bill O’Brien. / Photo by Team Impact
Perfect Pairings
More than a thousand people turned out for the 14th annual Game Day Gala to benefit Team Impact, an organization that matches critically ill kids with college sports teams to provide support and encouragement. Held at Encore Boston Harbor, the event attracted the impossibly charming Lauren Baker with her husband, NCAA chief and former Governor Charlie; Patriots grand poobah Robert Kraft; and BC’s head football coach Bill O’Brien. The cochairs were construction mogul Jay Calnan and family-holding-company head Dan Kraft, and the event raised more than $3.5 million, or roughly the average annual salary of an NFL player.
Drew Bledsoe and Robert Kraft. / Photo by Team Impact
Lauren Baker, Charlie Baker, and Josh Kraft. / Photo by Team Impact
Beatriz Amelia, Meclina Gomes, and Joseph Henry / Photo by Melissa Blackall
Ars Longa, Dinner Brevis
The Boston Center for the Arts hosted Dinner Under the Dome at the Cyclorama, featuring dishes by celebrity chefs Gordon Hamersley, Joanne Chang, Jody Adams, and Lydia Shire, peppered with performances by Castle of Our Skins, Olivia Moon, ILLana Popz, and Amanda Shea. The evening transformed the space into a multimedia feast for the senses and also introduced incoming BCA artistic director Shey Rivera Ríos, serving as a reminder that the arts are nourishment for the soul.
Olivia Moon performs. / Photo by Melissa Blackall
Kristi Keefe, CEO of the BCA. / Photo by Melissa Blackall
Alanna Logan performs. / Photo by Melissa Blackall
Philip Lovejoy, Gordon Hamersley, and Veronique Le Melle. / Photo by Melissa Blackall
First published in the print edition of the June 2026 issue, with the headline,“Here’s to the Ladies Who Lunch.”
