News

During the end of year promotion, 30 customers donated $50 and received $200 off the purchase price of any Stressless® Recliner, or $400 off the Stressless® Royal Recliner in select leathers

LADERA RANCH and SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Feb. 1, 2012 – Laura’s House, a non-profit organization whose mission is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse, today announced that it received a $1,500 donation from Comfortable Sleep & Home™ customers to support the programs and services it offers to families impacted by domestic violence.

Comfortable Sleep & Home, which has locations in Ladera Ranch and San Clemente, ran a special shopping promotion during December and January to encourage its customers to donate to Laura’s House. During the promotion, in exchange for each $50 donation, Comfortable Sleep & Home gave its customers $200 off the purchase price of any Stressless recliner, and $400 off the purchase of the Stressless Royal Recliner in select leathers.

Comfortable Sleep & Home had 30 customers participate in the promotion, each donating $50 to Laura’s House. This is the third year that Comfortable Sleep & Home has run a promotion for Laura’s House, and participation this time tripled over the last year’s promotion, which garnered $500 in donations.

“We are delighted to support Laura’s House in providing much-needed programs and services to the families in our community that are impacted by domestic violence, and truly grateful to our customers who chose to join us in donating to Laura’s House,” said store owner and Registered Nurse, Meloni Jensen. “For the past three years, our customers have found this promotion to be a wonderful way to both give back to the community, and give themselves, or someone they love, the gift of ultimate comfort.”

“We are honored that Comfortable Sleep & Home chose to make Laura’s House the beneficiary of its holiday promotion again in 2011,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director, Laura’s House. “The partnerships we have with local businesses are very important from both a fundraising and an awareness-building perspective. We are grateful for their support and partnership”

About Comfortable Sleep & Home™
Comfortable Sleep & Home™ specializes in the personal comfort of its customers, and everything sold by the company combines Comfort, Function and Style. In addition to Stressless® products, they carry the full line of Tempur-Pedic™ mattresses and pillows and the world’s only truly comfortable sofa sleeper by American Leather™. For more info, visit http://comfortablesleep.net.

About Laura’s House
Annually, Laura’s House provides residential shelter services to more than 200 women and children, counseling to more than 300 clients, legal services to more than 300 clients and assists with more than 1,700 crisis hot-line calls. The mission of Laura’s House is changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

# # #

On Friday, Feb. 3, more than 100 people are expected to gather in Lake Forest at the Laura’s House Resale Store to recognize Jacque Villagomez, who died at the hands of her abuser in September 2008, and all victims of teen dating violence

LADERA RANCH, Calif., Jan. 9, 2012 – To bring local focus to the nationally recognized Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and to educate and prevent the devastating cycle of abuse that affects one in four high school students in Orange County, Laura’s House, will host a candlelight vigil in honor of all victims of teen dating violence on Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Laura’s House Resale Store, located at 23635 El Toro Road, Suite F in Lake Forest.

Among those being honored during the vigil will be Jacque Villagomez, a graduate of El Toro High School in Lake Forest, who died at the hands of her abuser in September 2008. “Jacque was only 19 years old when she was killed by her boyfriend,” said Marissa Presley, Bilingual Prevention Education Specialist, Laura’s House. “Sadly, she is not alone. Recent studies have found that one in one in four high school students, both young men and women, are in a physically abusive relationship, and nearly 80% of girls who have been physically abused in their intimate relationships continue to date their abuser.”

This is the second year in a row that Laura’s House has held a candlelight vigil commemorating Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. In February 2011, more than 100 attendees gathered at El Toro High School in Lake Forest. The event included music and tributes remembering Villagomez and all victims of teen dating violence. “We are grateful to the City of Lake Forest, for permitting us to hold the vigil this year at the Laura’s House Resale Store,” continued Presley. Local officials from Lake Forest and surrounding cities have been invited to attend the event.

The public is encouraged to attend the candlelight vigil, particularly families with teens and pre-teens, who are interested in learning more about how to prevent dating violence. Morgan Berschauer, a senior at Laguna Hills High School and the current Ms. Teen Orange County, will serve as the guest speaker for the event. Berschauer is an advocate for teen dating violence awareness and started a club at Laguna Hills High School to build awareness for Laura’s House and its Healthy Emotions and Attitudes in Relationships for Teens (H.E.A.R.T.) program.

Annually, Laura’s House provides its H.E.A.R.T. program to more than 3,000 Orange County teens at local high schools, junior colleges and other youth facilities. The program helps teens become educated on healthy relationships and appropriate conflict resolution skills. Laura’s House also has a website designed to assist teens who are seeking information on healthy relationships. Teens can visit http://www.laurashouse.org/lhteen/ for more information. They can also become a fan of Laura’s House on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. Learn more about our programs through videos posted on YouTube and our podcasts on Podomatic.com.

To schedule a H.E.A.R.T. presentation at your school please contact Marissa Presley, mpresley@laurashouse.org. More information on the programs and services offered by Laura’s House is available at www.laurashouse.org or by calling the Counseling and Resource Center at (949) 361-3775. Victims of domestic abuse can get immediate help by calling the Laura’s House 24-hour hotline at 949-498-1511 or toll-free at 866-498-1511.

About Laura’s House
Annually, Laura’s House provides residential shelter services to more than 200 women and children, counseling to more than 300 clients, legal services to more than 300 clients and assists with more than 1,700 crisis hot-line calls. The mission of Laura’s House is changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

# # #

Tustin, Calif., Jan. 5, 2012 – For the second year in a row, Tustin-based JazzWithMe.com selected Laura’s House as their charity of choice during the holiday season. This year JazzWithMe.com donated $2,100 worth of complimentary Jazzercise classes and $400 in checks and cash to the organization.

Shawn Masse, Jazzercise instructor and owner of JazzWithMe.com, delivered the cash donation and certificates for the complimentary Jazzercise classes to Laura’s House in late December. “We encouraged our clients to help us again this year in supporting Laura’s House by making a cash or in-kind donation, and we are very pleased with the outpouring of generosity,” said Masse. “We continue to support Laura’s House because of its reputation for offering quality programs and services to families that are impacted by domestic violence. The organization services hundreds of deserving women and children each year, and we are delighted to give them the ‘gift of health’ for the New Year.

Each December, JazzWithMe.com selects one charity for their customers to think globally and act locally. This year, Karen Cawley, a JazzWithMe.com customer, donated two tickets to the Michael Jackson “Immortal World Tour” by Cirque du Soleil, which were raffled to raise money for the cash donation toward Laura’s house. “As a Soroptomist, I believe in Laura’s House and their efforts to help women and children. I felt I could do my part during the holidays and donate the tickets to go along with the free Jazzercise classes,” said Cawley.

“We are grateful to JazzWithMe.com for their generosity toward Laura’s House,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director, Laura’s House. “The Jazzercise classes, especially, provide our clients with a healthy way to relieve stress as they rebuild their lives free of violence.”

Masse’s Tustin/Irvine program offers 17 classes per week at various times and for all Jazzercise fitness levels, from beginner to experienced. For more information, follow JazzWithMe on Facebook, visit JazzWithMe.com, or contact Shawn Masse at 714-730-3758.

About Jazzercise
Jazzercise is a dance fitness program, founded in 1969 by Judi Sheppard Missett, and hosts an international network of 7,800 fitness instructors teaching more than 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries.

The workout program, which offers a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, cardio, kick-boxing and Latin-style movements, has positively affected millions of people worldwide. Benefits include increased cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility, as well as an overall “feel good” factor.

About Laura’s House
Annually, Laura’s House provides residential shelter services to more than 200 women and children, counseling to more than 300 clients, legal services to more than 300 clients and assists with more than 1,700 crisis hot-line calls. The mission of Laura’s House is changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

# # #

Announcement follows December 1^st Grand Opening celebration attended by business leaders, Laura’s House board members, project partners and the community in Lake Forest

LADERA RANCH, Calif., Dec. 13, 2011 – Laura’s House today announced that Boral Roofing, the nation’s most sustainable concrete and clay tile roofing manufacturer, has donated the roof for its Emergency Shelter Rebuild Project. An effort to improve services to families impacted by domestic violence, the shelter rebuild has greatly increased the number of families that Laura’s House can assist in Orange County. As a leading roofing supplier with headquarter offices in the county, Boral Roofing is uniquely positioned to assist in the effort. The announcement follows the December 1^st Grand Opening celebration for the shelter, which was attended by business leaders, project partners and Laura’s House board members.

Boral’s contribution to the emergency shelter rebuild is a 6300 square-foot clay tile roofing system. A lifetime product needing little to no maintenance, the roof is an earth-friendly and energy efficient solution that will help Laura’s House achieve utility cost savings, providing added benefit to the organization. “Laura’s House provides an incredible service and as a building product manufacturer and supplier here in Orange County, we were both well-equipped and thrilled to contribute to such an important organization working to help our own community,” said Boral Roofing Director of Marketing Dave Hager.

The roof was recently installed onto the new emergency shelter, which nearly doubles the number of beds, from 28 beds to 44 beds and 10 cribs, effectively increasing the shelter’s annual capacity by 93%, and enabling the organization to serve 175 additional clients annually. In expanding its emergency shelter, Laura’s House is also increasing countywide capacity for serving individuals impacted by domestic violence by 15%.

“Boral Roofing’s contribution is an integral component in the completion of our new facility,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director, Laura’s House. “We are grateful for their generosity, and contributions to this project which are ultimately helping us to meet our goal of increasing capacity the capacity of our shelter to serve more who are in need of our services.”

The Emergency Shelter Rebuild Project is part of the Cornerstone Capital Campaign, a fundraising initiative that was officially launched in September 2010 to raise $4.5 million to fund the shelter re-build project and the expansion of the Laura’s House Step Ahead transitional housing for shelter graduates. The grand opening of its emergency shelter for families impacted by domestic violence was held December 1, in partnership with HomeAid Orange County at Portobello Road Resale Boutique, located at 23635 El Toro Road in Lake Forest. Residents have begun to move into the facility.

During the grand opening ceremony, development and building partners for the shelter re-build project were recognized with certificates of appreciation for their contributions to the success of this project. Among the more than 30 companies partnering with Laura’s House in the shelter re-build are Lutzky Associates Development, LLP; William Hezmalhalch Architects, Inc.; Huitt-Zollars, Inc.; GMU Geotechnical, Inc.; Option One Engineering; Salehi Engineering, Inc.; Western National Group Contractors; Style Interiors Design, Inc.; Fidelity National Title Company; Land Concern Ltd.; La Jolla Pacific; Morrow Management; Paskerian, Block, Martindale and Brinton, LLP; Focus 360; Constructor’s Bonding, Inc.; Firesafe Planning Solutions; Mestre Greve Associates; Friedmann & Friedmann Insurance Services; Phillips & Associates; PMC Consulting; Robert Rooks Photography.

Subcontractors and manufacturers who have partnered with Laura’s House include Aliso Air, Inc.; Capital Drywall; Boral Roofing; CPS Security Solutions; Fiber Care Baths, Inc.; Gateway Plastering; GE Appliances; Milgard Windows; Olsen Pavers; RSI Cabinetry; Smart Systems Technologies; Terra Tile; TLS Laboratories; Titan Sheet Metal, Inc.; Walker Windows; and, Yo Fire.

In 2010, 269 individuals, including 152 children, received services through the Laura’s House emergency shelter program.

About Boral Roofing
Boral Roofing is a division of Boral USA, the country’s largest premium provider of complete roofing and re-roofing solutions for architects as well as commercial and residential builders. Boral Roofing which includes US Tile and MonierLifetile, operates 15 clay and concrete tile manufacturing plants throughout the U.S. and Mexico. More information can be found at www.BoralNA.com.

About Boral USA
Headquartered in Roswell, Georgia, Boral USA employs approximately 1,500 individuals at more than 140 operating and distribution sites across the United States. The U.S. operations include the country’s largest brick manufacturer and the largest clay and concrete roof tile manufacturer.

About the Cornerstone Capital Campaign
The Laura’s House Cornerstone Capital Campaign was officially launched in September 2010 to raise $4.5 million to fund the shelter re-build project and expansion of transitional housing for shelter graduates. The campaign committee is chaired by Wayne Pinnell, who most recently serves as the chair for Laura’s House board of directors. Campaign committee members include Beth Adkisson, Chris Aitken, Jennifer Boyer, Laverne Friedmann, Randy Harmat, Wayne Pinnell, Casey Wolin and Brenda Zalke. The capital campaign has the full support of the Laura’s House Board of Directors. Honorary chairs of the Cornerstone Campaign are Bette and Wylie Aitken.

More information on the Cornerstone Campaign can be found at www.laurashouse.org or by calling (949) 361-3775.

About Laura’s House
Annually, Laura’s House provides residential shelter services to more than 200 women and children, counseling to more than 300 clients, legal services to more than 300 clients and assists with more than 1,700 crisis hot-line calls. The mission of Laura’s House is changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

# # #

Monetary, in-kind donations of goods and services are gratefully accepted. Through Center for Car Donations, supporters still have time to donate a vehicle and receive a 2011 tax receipt.

LADERA RANCH, Calif., Dec. 12, 2011 – With the end of the 2011 tax year just around the corner, Laura’s House would like to remind the community that there is still time to donate monetary, and in-kind goods and services before the end of the year, and receive a 2011 tax receipt for the donation.

“As the year closes, we invite our supporters to consider those families in need who are just starting a new and healthier life in coming year,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director, Laura’ s House. “There are many ways to help Laura’s House, including making a year-end donation in honor of a loved one or family member, donating gently worn clothing to our Resale Store, or donating a used vehicle to Center For Car Donations.”

For vehicle donations, Laura’s House partners with the Center for Car Donations, a national organization whose mission is to assist charities nationwide by providing them with a means to accept donated vehicles.

“100 percent of the proceeds that we receive from the sale of used vehicles through the Center for Car Donations is used to support our counseling and shelter services that Laura’s House provides to families impacted by domestic violence,” continued Bayston. “We have partnered with the organization since 2006, during which time we have received more than 75 car donations, and raised more $45,000. We are grateful to Jacquie Elliott at Center for Car Donations for helping us raise the much-needed funds that enable the families we serve to build lives that are free of violence.”

Individuals wishing to donate an unwanted or unused vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, boats, trucks or RVs, can call 877-411-DONATE to set up a convenient pick-up time for the vehicle. Same day and weekend appointment may be available. The donor can then designate that the proceeds from the sale of the vehicle be allocated toward Laura’s House. Upon the sale of the vehicle, donors will receive a receipt for the sale amount.

To qualify for a tax deduction during the 2011 tax year, all vehicles must be picked up by the Center for Car Donations by Dec. 31, 2011. Vehicles do not have to pass a smog test, be operational or registered. However, the donor must be the legal titleholder of the vehicle, and must show clear title. Additionally, all donated vehicles must have an engine and be towable.

The IRS allows the taxpayer, to claim a tax deduction of :

• The value of the vehicle up to $500 or
• If the vehicle for more than $500 donors are notified by mail, stating the exact amount for which it sold, which is the value that can be stated for tax purposes.

For additional information, the IRS provides A Donor’s Guide to Car Donations at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/pub4303.pdf.  Donors are also encouraged to check with their tax professional to determine the exact benefit of their donation.

Through the end of the year, Laura’s House is also offering several other ways that the community can help the families its serves through the “Spirit of Empowerment Program.” To help the families served by Laura’s House regain their dignity and self esteem by providing directly to their individual needs with Gift Cards to Barnes & Noble; Costco; CVS Pharmacy; Kohl’s; Local Grocery Stores; Gas & Phone Cards; Old Navy; Payless Shoes; RiteAid; Target; Toys-R-Us; Wal-Mart; bus passes; and for local restaurants including Denny’s; Jack in the Box; McDonalds; Taco Bell; TOGO’S; Subway; Bagel Shack and Starbucks Coffee.

More information on the Laura’s House “Spirit of Empowerment” holiday program can be found at www.laurashouse.org/events or by calling (949) 361-3775.

About Laura’s House
Annually, Laura’s House provides residential shelter services to more than 200 women and children, counseling to more than 300 clients, legal services to more than 300 clients and assists with more than 1,700 crisis hot-line calls. The mission of Laura’s House is changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

# # #