Women’s Center Launches Annual Major Gifts Campaign

STOCKTON – Marian Jackson and Anita Bautista will co-chair the Women’s Center’s 2007 Major Gifts Campaign, “Ending Fear, Creating Hope.” Marian Jackson is the Director of Government Affairs at Comcast and is a current Women’s Center board member. Anita Bautista is the Director of the University of the Pacific Student’s SUCCESS Program.

They will be joined by a committee of concerned community leaders to run this Campaign. Committee members include: Carlos Almanza – Vice President/Northern California Manager of Community Development, US Bank; Rick Berger – Retired Deputy Fire Chief, Stockton Fire Department; Anne Baird – District Director, Senator Michael Machado; Hillary Hays Garcia – Retail Sales Administrator, Diamond Foods; Randi Johl – City Clerk, City of Lodi; and Janet Smith, Deputy District Attorney, San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.

The campaign brings education and awareness to the community, renews donor commitments and establishes new partnerships. The committee will be challenged to raise $60,000 over the next several months. The campaign accounts for a generous percentage of the agency’s operating budget and is a critical in helping sustain services for the 24,000 plus victims that are served annually.

The Women’s Center’s mission is to provide a wide range of supportive, educational, and crisis intervention services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, enabling them to regain control of their lives. The Center operates the only undisclosed emergency shelters for battered women and their children. Last year, more than 500 women and children stayed at the Center’s emergency shelters, and over 15,000 victims benefitted from crisis intervention services such as: 24-hour crisis help lines, individual counseling, support groups, 24-hour hospital response, assistance with temporary restraining orders, court accompaniment and advocacy services. Another 10,000 people were impacted through outreach and prevention education programs.

The Women’s Center has been serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault for over 30 years, due in large part to the ongoing support of the community. Now, more than ever, that support is crucial to helping the Center to continue providing a wide range of services and programs for the community. The Women's Center relies on annual appeals and campaigns, such as this one, to ensure that quality, comprehensive services are available, at no cost, to women, children and men throughout San Joaquin County.

Funds raised through the annual campaign help the Center provide life-changing – and often life-saving – services to those who would otherwise have no where to turn. We invite you to participate in this year’s campaign to help end the fear that victims face, and create hope for a safer community for all of us. For more information, please contact Joelle Gomez or Kate Macek by calling (209) 941-2611.