VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.— Ventura County Credit Union (VCCU) partnered with Interface Children & Family Services — a nonprofit that assists those who suffer from abuse, domestic violence, family conflict and mental health issues — in support of the “Project Hope” art exhibit. Developed to provide domestic violence victims with the opportunity to use art as therapeutic expression, the exhibit creates a linkage that inspires the community to support these victims.
The exhibit was revealed at Interface’s third annual “Love is Brewing in Paris Champagne Luncheon & Tea” presented by VCCU. At the event, elected officials, law enforcement, and corporate and philanthropic leaders donned tea party attire, sipped sparkling wine, perused auction items and had an exclusive opportunity to view the artwork — which was accompanied by individual stories of survival and triumph from the domestic violence victims. More than $70,000 in funds were raised and granted to Interface through this event.
Following the luncheon, the Project Hope artwork was displayed to the public for the first time at the grand opening of VCCU’s new corporate headquarters. The exhibit will continue travel throughout the year to various VCCU branches and other Interface partner sites.
“We’re honored to be a part of Project Hope,” said Linda Rossi, chief administrative officer of VCCU. “We feel compelled to help these victims any way we can, and we hope that displaying their art at our branches will help bolster awareness of this important cause among the Ventura County community.”
Interface provides abuse victims with a 24-hour emergency response team, 2-1-1 information and referral service, counseling programs, and emergency and transitional shelters. The organization also offers free child abuse and teen dating violence prevention programs for thousands of school-age children, parents and educators.
“Our comprehensive approach gives us the opportunity to be a critical safety net for the community, addressing a variety of issues for victims and helping to prevent family violence and child abuse in the first place,” said Catherine L. Kort, fund development and marketing director of Interface Children & Family Services. “We’d like to thank VCCU for their extensive role in helping Project Hope pursue its goal of educating and engaging the community in solutions aimed at reducing domestic violence in Ventura County.”