Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery will put on a Beggars' Banquet on Nov. 18 at the Three Rivers Convention Center, hoping to raise money to pay for services in 2012.

The banquet, a soup-tasting dinner and auction, is the nursery's major fundraising event of the year. All funds raised will help reduce child abuse and neglect in the community by providing education and support to children and families in crisis.

Safe Harbor is working toward opening an overnight shelter for teens, aged 13-17, soon at facilities in Kennewick called My Friends Place. It is next door to the Benton County Animal Shelter on Grant Place, and formerly had been a residential facility managed for youth by EPIC.

It will be the Tri-Cities' only overnight shelter for homeless teens, said Sue Deluchi, the executive director at Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery.

The shelter is expected to be open starting in December, Deluchi said.

Last year's event had 769 guests and raised over $65,000 for Safe Harbor. This year's event will feature Kirt Shafer as the emcee and auctioneer.

There will be live and silent auctions featuring baskets, services, gift certificates, trips, mini-vacation packages and theme-decorated "Tiny Trees for Tots."

This year's event also will have games, a wall of wine, quilt and Coach purse raffles.

And the main event will be the popular soup-tasting competition that will pit local restaurants against each other for the bragging rights of having the best soup in the Tri-Cities.

Tickets at $35 each are available from Nancy Russell at 586-5609.

The doors open at 5 p.m., with the tiny trees and silent auction running until 7:30 p.m.

Soup tasting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The meal includes salad, bread, beverage and dessert.

Auction donations can be made by calling Russell, and for sponsorships, contact Suzan Bogert at 539-0012.