Hundreds of abused and neglected youth from across the state will soon benefit from the seventh annual luncheon for Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina (BGHNC) in Pinehurst.

The luncheon, organized by 12 volunteer- and civic-minded local women, will be held Monday, June 13, at the Country Club of North Carolina and is open to the public. The event includes a silent auction, lunch, guest speaker and a fashion show.

Former BGHNC board member Carolyn Register, who has served on the luncheon committee since its inception in 2005, is an advocate for children who have been abused and neglected and continues to be instrumental in the success of the program.

“The committee meets regularly — sometimes as often as once a week — to work out all the details,” Register said. “We do it because we are dedicated to helping the children.”

Committee Chair Hartley Fitts is also influential in fundraising and in raising public awareness to the ongoing plight of vulnerable youth in our communities.

“If we can guarantee a better quality of life even for one child, it will have been worth the effort,” Fitts said. “Boys and Girls Homes has a saying, ‘It made a difference to that one.’ And, that’s what our luncheon is all about.”

The guest speaker for the event will be former BGHNC resident Ron Faircloth, who lived at the homes in his teens during the late 1950s, had previously been subjected to various forms and levels of abuse. Today, the retired businessman is also a missionary as well as a beloved husband, father and grandfather.

Faircloth contributes his success to God and the care he received while living at the Homes. Faircloth is the brother of Gary Faircloth, current BGHNC president, who also lived at the homes as a boy.

Following the speech will be a fashion show including clothes from Clothes Horse Fashions. Girls from the Homes and adult models will participate.

The luncheon begins at noon. The silent auction preview, consisting of miscellaneous donated items, begins at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $35 and include lunch plus a donation to BGHNC.

Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, Inc. has been helping children since 1954. Since then, nearly 5,000 children have benefited by the services of the nonprofit, tax-exempt agency, a news release said. Its mission is to provide a comprehensive array of services for children and youth who have been removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect or other family dysfunction.

BGHNC offers ado]ption, foster and therapeutic foster care as well as residential care on the campus at Lake Waccamaw. The campus features a SACS-accredited middle and high school, vocational education, recreation facilities, farm, chapel and cottage life. As many as 180 vulnerable children are cared for through residential and community-based services at any given time.

To learn more about BGHNC, visit www.boysandgirlshomesofnc.com.