Grande Dames of Charity Culinary Womenís Group Helps Women in Need by Heather Nalbone Theyíve provided more than $250,000 to homeless women, disadvantaged mothers and aspiring students, and theyíve been referred to more than once as a group that changes lives. The Salvation Army? Noótry a group of Washingtonís most distinguished chefs and wine merchants, known to those familiar with the culinary industry as Les Dames díEscoffier. The local organization, one of 20 chapters of a larger international society stretching as far as British Columbia and Adelaide, Australia, claims among its ranks some of the areaís (and nationís) top restaurateurs: the maitre dí at Michel Richard Citronelle and the founder of Firehook Bakery, to name a couple, and trendsetter Julia Child is among the societyís international members. Gaining membership into the organizationóat both the Washington chapter and elsewhere in the worldóis a highly selective process, requiring at the very least five years of professional experience and achievement in food, hospitality or a related field. But for all their prestige, the women of Les Dames d íEscoffier have but one major focus: to help others succeed. "Thereís often a misperception that we are only ladies going around eating food," said Annie Boutin King, a member of nine years and senior catering manager at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Unlike other sizable nonprofit associations, Les Dames díEscoffier is operated solely by volunteers. No one gets paid to organize educational seminars at local embassies, and they charge just enough for wine tastings and special dinners to break even. What money the dames make, they give away. Some of it goes to maintaining a 3,400-volume culinary library they developed at The George Washington Universityís Mount Vernon College located in Northwest Washington. Last year, members wrote three checks totaling $8,000 to community organizations that assist homeless and disadvantaged women, and theyíve given away thousands more in scholarships to help young professionals further their careers. It may not sound like a lot compared to federal grants or endowment-funded foundations, but Caroline Bruder Ross is one of several who say the philanthropic efforts of Les Dames are more than enough to change a few lives. Ross worked for nine years in various kitchens, then hit a wall when a fresh-faced college graduate overseeing the hiring process at an upscale restaurant said experience without a degree wouldnít be enough to land her a job. So despite the expertise she had gleaned from working next to reputable chefs at another four-star restaurant, Ross decided to go to cooking school. She applied and was accepted into a culinary academy in Paris but found she wouldnít be able to afford both tuition and living expenses. It wasnít until Les Dames offered to cover part of her tuition that she was able to book a flight to France. Now executive chef at La Bergerie in Alexandria, Va., Ross attributes her professional accomplishments to Les Dames, of which she is currently a member. "It changed my career," Ross said of her scholarship. "Even though a degree is only a piece of paper, it made a huge difference in how people perceive my knowledge." For all the organization has accomplished, Les Dames díEscoffier International is still relatively new. Its roots go back no further than the 1970s, when 50 New York women formed a society dedicated to raising the image of women in the food and wine industry. By the time it became an official international entity in 1985, the Washington branch was one of just five. Most of the remaining 15 chapters have been added within the past decade. Still, the international association has managed to collectively distribute more than $2 million in culinary scholarships and community grants. In Washington, the money comes from an elaborate biennial fundraiser that takes months to plan. This year itís the 10th Epicurean Food and Wine Auction at the Embassy of France, a formal gala thatís been in the works since last June. Tickets are going for $185 a person, and auction items are valued at as much as $1,600. But this is not an ordinary dinner gala, and the items up for bids are not your typical cruise vacations and trips to Disney World. The members themselves will be preparing hors díoeuvres and a four-course dinner based on recipes by the organizationís namesake, Auguste Escoffier, a famous 19th-century French chef hailed widely as the creator of modern cookery. And if the prestige associated with holding a formal event at the French Embassy isnít enough, the donated auction items alone are representative of the connections and reputation the women of Les Dames díEscoffier have secured in such a short span of time. "We like to do special packages of things you canít go out and buy on your own," said Carol Cutler, a charter member and past president. There are 10 scarves signed by a famous 19th-century French artist, personal cooking lessons at a waterfront farmhouse, and private dinners to be prepared by chefs at upscale bistros. Packages range from a weekend of wining and dining in Dupont Circle to a weekís stay at a Paris riverfront apartment and an invitation-only visit to the French Senate. Cutler and her colleagues are hoping the auction will pump $40,000 into their budget. Of course, even if the event planners reach that goal, the organization wonít see a dime of the proceeds. It will be divided into scholarships and grants to help women pursue work in the hospitality, food and beverage service industries. "[The organization] has made a big difference in peopleís lives," said Mary Lou Tietz, the supervisor of one group thatís benefited from Les Damesí charity. Tietz is the executive director of Community Family Life Services, a local nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing and various career-building services to people who are homeless or on welfare. Through a 16-week culinary training program started 10 years ago, Community Life has helped nearly 300 peopleómost of them single mothersósecure living wage jobs in the cityís hotels and restaurants. Over the years, the women of Les Dames have been there to support itóand not just by paying to put several women through the training program. Theyíve been there to help expand the network of job connections available when the training is done. "Les Dames is about women helping women," said Tietz, who herself is not a member. "From a personal standpoint, theyíve been good in giving of themselves." The 10th Epicurean Food and Wine Auction will be held Feb. 10 at the French Embassy and is open to the public. Tickets are $185 per person. For more information, please call (202) 973-2168. Heather Nalbone is a freelance writer in Silver Spring, Md.