If Friends Lend a Hand, It’s No Handout : For its 10th annual taste, supporters of Irvine Temporary Housing try fine dining at the Marriott.

Irvine Temporary Housing celebrated its 10th anniversary Saturday by turning its annual all-you-can-eat food fest, Taste of Irvine, into an elegant evening of fine dining.

At previous tastes, Friends of Irvine Temporary Housing would invite guests to wander from table to table indulging in specialties prepared by local restaurants. For its 10th annual taste, the Friends decided to hold a fancy sit-down dinner prepared by the Irvine Marriott.

At this year’s “Celebrate the Taste,” about 200 guests enjoyed lamb, swordfish and beef with peppercorn sauce at tables adorned with ivy-covered topiaries set up in a voluminous white tent at the hotel. The $85-per-person gala was expected to net $15,000 for Irvine Temporary Housing, which provides shelter for the homeless.

Worlds Turned Upside-Down

At first, an affluent, master-planned community such as Irvine seems an unlikely place to have a homeless problem.

“When people think of the homeless, many think of people out on the street,” said Ann Dean, president and board chairman of Irvine Temporary Housing.

Irvine’s homeless problem is less visible but very real, Dean said. Residents there might appear to be well-off, but their finances can be stretched thin due to high mortgages and credit card bills. When catastrophe strikes, such as illness not covered by insurance, divorce or loss of job, even families that appeared to have it all can lose their homes.

“They say most of us are just a couple of paychecks away” from being homeless, Dean said. “You can have this nice, neat little life, then something can turn your neat little world right on its head.”

Helping Themselves

Since its inception 10 years ago, Irvine Temporary Housing has provided shelter for 170 Irvine families and offered additional support services for more than 8,000 Orange County residents annually. The agency assists both the homeless and families on the verge of losing their homes.

Irvine Temporary Housing owns two condominiums and leases eight apartments and two rehabilitated farmhouses to use for shelters. Families pay a reduced rent to live in one of the units, staying an average of 90 days to six months.

“Housing is the cornerstone of the program. We can’t get the families’ attention unless that basic need is taken care of,” said Margie Wakeham, executive director of Irvine Temporary Housing.

Clients must undergo counseling provided by the agency so they learn to live within a budget, handle stress, develop parenting skills, shop for low-priced food and develop other skills to become self-sufficient.

“When you get stressed out, you can’t even put a meal together,” said Pat Carlyle, event co-chairwoman.

In addition, the agency operates a food pantry and clothing closet for needy Orange County residents.

“It’s a hand up, not a hand out,” Carlyle said. “These are people in transition. They could be your neighbors.”

Among the guests were Suzan Langlois, event co-chairwoman; Lydia Tyler, president of Friends of Irvine Temporary Housing; Ed and Teresa Belfanti, Jim and Janet Colclaser, Keith and Elaine Greer, Dave and Joyce Gwidt, Jim and Joanne Hale, Carol Hoffman, Larry and Phyllis Hogle, Kevin Shamlou and Christine Shea, David and Susan Sills, Dick and Ann Sim, John and Renee Simonis, Franco and Lisa Vessia, Alan and Barbara Wiener, Dennis and Jamie Wilkinson and Bob and Carolyn Williams.