Upcoming Mama's House luncheon to feature Jim Caviezel and Emily Compagno

Mama's House Ministries is celebrating more than 10 years of providing a safe, supportive, loving and nurturing home for women in crisis — whether pregnant or with an infant — who have no place to go and no means of support.

In preparation for its 11th annual Heartbeat of Love luncheon, the nonprofit has announced that actor Jim Caviezel will be this year's keynote speaker. Caviezel's most significant film role came when he was chosen by Mel Gibson to portray Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ." His latest film, "Sound of Freedom," exposes the horrific world of sex trafficking.

Fox News host Emily Compagno will make a special guest appearance at the upcoming VIP reception and luncheon. Compagno, an attorney and former NFL cheerleader, currently serves as co-host of "Outnumbered."

Co-chairs of this year's luncheon are Jan Lupia, co-founder and executive director of Mama's House, and Rachel Harrington, the organization's managing director. Chris Margarites returns to serve as the event's emcee.

"Perhaps you have watched Mama's House grow and thrive for more than 10 years," Lupia said. "And now, the Anne Silverstein Campus for Mama's House will be open in the new year, serving four times as many women and babies as before. Thank you for walking alongside us and giving financially. The expansion project is God-sized, and you believed with us that the funding would come. It has, though at this time we are just short of meeting our goal. We hope and pray you will continue supporting the expansion, to fill in the gap and the campus going forward, as the need will be four times greater."

This year's Heartbeat of Love luncheon is scheduled to take place Feb. 10, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa.

The evening prior, Mama's House will host an exclusive VIP reception and dinner for major donors at a private location in the Coachella Valley beginning at 5 p.m. with Caviezel and Compagno in attendance. All table sponsorships include some admissions to the VIP reception and a few include guests attending the private dinner immediately following the reception.

Sponsorships are available, starting with the VIP sponsorship at $1,250 all the way up to a $100,000 ultimate sponsorship. For more information, contact Lupia at (760) 406-3413 or (844) 232-8622 ext. 6 or via email at [email protected].

"Many know (Caviezel) as an actor, but he also has a heart for philanthropy, making him a great choice for Mama's House Ministries," Harrington said. "As our biggest fundraiser of the year, we look forward to a wonderful event made possible by both our faithful and new sponsors and attendees."

Exclusive media sponsors for this year's event include The Desert Sun, presenting newspaper and digital media sponsor; Inland Empire Magazine, exclusive magazine media sponsor; KESQ News Channel 3, exclusive TV media sponsor; and Alpha Media-Palm Springs, exclusive radio media sponsor.

Mama's House has announced that construction will be completed by the end of January 2024 on the organization's second residential property, the new Anne Silverstein Campus. This new five casita campus will quadruple the number of moms and infants it will serve. It will be an intimate, safe, secure, peaceful community of small homes which will include a playground, serenity gardens, patios, walking trails, as well as other amenities, thus creating a lifestyle of hope, healing and support.

Learn more about Mama's House Ministries at themamashouse.org.

Madeline Zuckerman is owner of M. Zuckerman Marketing & Public Relations, Inc., a strategic marketing, branding, public relations and special events firm with offices in Rancho Mirage and Newport Beach, Calif. She is a founder of McCallum Theatre, a board member of the One Valley Foundation, the official nonprofit of the Coachella Valley Firebirds and has been a guest reporter with The Desert Sun for the past 16 years.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Upcoming Mama's House event to feature Jim Caviezel and Emily Compagno