Share Our Selves to honor its founder

Share Our Selves founder Jean Forbath will be honored Oct. 9 at the nonprofit’s 20th annual Celebrity Chef Dinner.

Forbath started the nonprofit in 1970 to properly address the need for lower-income outreach services in Orange County.

She served for 22 years as the unpaid executive director, 30 years as the full-time coordinator of the holiday Adopt a Family Project, and 39 years on SOS’ board, including being chairman with her husband, Frank, according to a news release. She now assists the nonprofit as a member of the trustee council.

SOS has organized food drives, back-to-school donations and fundraisers to provide medical, social and dental services free of charge.

Forbath is impressed by the strides her organization has made over the last 40 years.

“Forty years ago we had no idea it would turn into the tremendously powerful organization it is today,” Forbath said. “We never had any paid staff in emergency services for 22 years. We were all volunteers.”

“The greatest experience is the fact that we’ve been able to help so many thousands of people in Orange County and we’ve also given so many people the chance to help,” she said.

Tickets for the dinner at the Costa Mesa Hilton, 3050 Bristol St., are $250 and all the proceeds go to the SOS Orange Aid Project, which takes leftover food from grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants and caterers and redistributes them to those in need.

Celebrity Chef Dinner founders the Golden Truffle’s Alan Greeley and Michael Kang of 5’ will also be honored for their continued support of the annual fundraiser.

Anyone interested in attending should contact Ashley Carlton at (949) 270-2134 or acarlton@shareourselves.org.