Stars, Scrambled Eggs and Shelter

If history repeats itself, Shelter Network's 2010 Leading the Way Back Home Benefit Breakfast will be a big hit this year, and not just because of the bacon and eggs. The event, which the organization has put on for more than 20 years, typically draws a crowd of about 1,200 people.

With Academy Award winning actress Helen Hunt as the keynote speaker, this year's benefit will no doubt be a success. The breakfast will be held Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at the Burlingame Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The goal of the benefit breakfast is "to raise awareness and funds for Shelter Network's programs," Development Director Chris Canter said.

Shelter Network, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Burlingame, provides housing and support services in an effort to help homeless families and individuals in the Peninsula get back on their feet.

At the event, Shelter Network will also honor three community partners with the community spirit award.  Husband and wife volunteers Susan Siegel and Joe Kinsella are two honorees. Siegel has volunteered with the network for more than 10 years, and Kinsella has logged about four years. The third recipient is the Genentech Foundation, an organization that provides support for children who have cancer. 

Actor Greg Kinnear was originally scheduled as the keynote speaker, but had to cancel his appearance due to a movie commitment.  So, his As Good as it Gets co-star Helen Hunt stepped in.

The network seeks out celebrity speakers because they naturally draw more attention to the event and ultimately, to the the cause -- homelessness.

"We always require that the speaker have a connection to the cause," Canter said.

According to Canter, Hunt directed a commercial for Chicago-based Inspiration Café, part of Inspiration Corporation, an organization similar to Shelter Network.

"She was quite inspired by that," Canter said.

The network seeks out sponsors if the speaker requires a fee.

Previous keynote speaker include news anchor Dan Rather, actor and activist Martin Sheen, and Chris Gardner, portrayed by Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness.

In addition to the breakfast and the keynote speech, attendees can expect to see an inspiring testimony by a Shelter Network client – a 35-year-old mother of three young girls who moves into her new apartment the day after the event.

Shelter Network's 2010 Benefit Breakfast will take place Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Burlingame Hyatt Regency Hotel at 1333 Bayshore Highway. Tickets are $100 per person and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit http://www.shelternetwork.org/.