Proceeds support mental health services for community’s most disadvantaged children and families

The Guidance Center, a nonprofit child and family mental health service provider headquartered in Long Beach, will host its seventh annual Sunset Sip: Nurture Your Inner Child wine tasting reception at Hotel Maya in Long Beach on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The event is presented by The Peck Family and sponsored by passionate mental health advocates like The Cherry Ave Properties.

This year’s theme “nurture your inner child” invites guests to explore the healing power of play through interactive play therapy experiences throughout the event. The evening will feature wine tasting, heavy appetizers from the talented Hotel Maya chefs, guest speakers, and a silent and live auction. Special guests include Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, a former Guidance Center client and a trauma-informed care expert.

The purpose of Sunset Sip is to raise mental health awareness in the community, break down barriers to treatment like stigma, and raise funds that will enable The Guidance Center to continue providing services to the most disadvantaged children and families who are struggling with mental illness and abuse in Long Beach and surrounding areas.

 “Sunset Sip is a special opportunity for our friends to come together to provide hope to our community’s children and their families all while enjoying excellent wine and delicious food,” said Patricia Costales, CEO of The Guidance Center. “We invite the community to join us and experience for themselves the healing power of play and the hope that mental health treatment provides.”

Last year, Sunset Sip raised more than $100,000 through ticket sales, generous donations, and sold silent and live auctions items donated by local businesses, The Guidance Center’s board of directors and mental health advocates. Funds raised have been used to positively impact the community through The Guidance Center’s early intervention and prevention programs like It’s About T.I.M.E. (Trauma-Informed Movement in Education), which is a new program in partnership with Long Beach Unified School District, play and art therapy on-the-go kits for clinicians, parenting classes, and co-located partnerships with other community organizations like Century Villages at Cabrillo and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

Tickets start at $100. Sponsorships are still available, starting at $500. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/SUNSETSIP2017 or call 562-485-2551.

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About The Guidance Center

Established in 1946, The Guidance Center provides comprehensive mental health treatment to nearly 3,000 children and families in the communities of Long Beach, Lynwood, Compton, Paramount, San Pedro and Avalon annually. The Guidance Center offers individual, group and family therapy, crisis intervention, case management, community education and outreach, and intensive mental health treatment. Headquartered in Long Beach, The Guidance Center also has clinics in Compton and San Pedro. For more information on The Guidance Center, please visit www.tgclb.org.