Deborah Norville Hosts The New York Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Children 2017 Food & Wine Gala

“Just a few more hours till the goodies begin,” Dr. Penny Grant, a Board of Director of The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (The NYSPCC), told us during our costume de rigueur call for her table at its annual Food & Wine Gala. We were so focused on the magic of the Metropolitan room and the gowns Penny, Jean Shafiroff and the glamour gang don, (not to mention the important cause) that we, of all people, had forgotten it is an epicurean event. But only for a moment.

Dr. Mary L. Pulido and Deborah Norville. (Photo: Sylvain Gaboury/PMC)

Year after year, The NYSPCC ups their gourmet game, with a wine tasting room, exquisite hors d’oeuvres and four star celebrity chef culinary concoctions. This year it was the co-owner and executive chef of New York’s Delicatessen and Macbar, Michael Ferraro, who tickled our taste buds with his fennel pollen dusted Long Island duck breast with coriander confit carrots (paired with a selection of wines, including those from La Scolca, Marziano Abbona and Baer Winery), and first courses of roasted squash with burgundy black truffles, risotto with shellfish and white sturgeon caviar.

Foodies Tim and Nina Zagat spoke about their innovative idea to let nonprofessionals review restaurants. Guests included FOX Business Network’s Cheryl Casone, FOX News Channel’s Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Ainsley Earhardt, Danielle Yancey, Susan Shin, Valesca Guerrand-Hermès and Hilary Geary Ross

“We are the go-to agency for New York City” said Dr. Mary L. Pulido, Executive Director of The NYSPCC. “When you hear about a horrific story in the media, we are called to help. When a child endures indescribable abuse, we are called to provide counseling in our trauma recovery program.”

On the heels of another shooting, by a man who beat his wife and kids, and the statistics emerging showing that domestic violence can be a precursor to mass murder, it is clearer than ever that the mission of The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children protects not only children, but the entire community.

Kimberly Guilfoyle. (Photo: Sylvain Gaboury/PMC)

“Here in this city, every day there are 244 cases of child abuse that are reported and that’s the ones that get reported,” Deborah Norville, of Inside Edition, who hosts this event year after year, told the room. “Children are 1/3 of our population but they’re 100 percent of our future and they don’t have a lot of advocates for them.”

“Our mission, protecting children here in NYC and strengthening families with health, legal and education services, works. We’ve been doing this for 142 years. So, the society has figured out the best practices. And as the challenges change with the people we deal with, we know how to respond.”

They are in the business of saving children who are abused physically or emotionally, identifying and changing home environments to make families whole. Saving children saves our future. The chain of abuse does not continue to the next generation of wives, children and, yes, even mass targets of unhealed minds.

For more information, visit www.nyspcc.org.