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More than 100 guests are expected to join Laura’s House for a casual evening under the stars featuring culinary delights and tastings of more than 30 wines from California’s wine growing regions, as well Argentina and New Zealand

Ladera Ranch, Calif. March 21, 2013 – To build awareness and raise funds to support the programs and services that it provides to individuals and families impacted by domestic violence throughout Orange County and beyond, Laura’s House will host its 2nd Annual “Wine & Dine” event at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, on Friday May 3, 2013.

More than 100 guests are expected to gather under the stars for a casual evening that will include entertainment, a wine tasting, a selection of gourmet menu items, and a silent auction featuring wine tastings, unique experiences and tours, including Newport Beach Vineyards & Winery, as well as more than 100 bottles of wine from the wine growing regions in California, Argentina and New Zealand. Additionally, guests will have the opportunity to taste more than 30 different wines, and Master Sommelier Steve Poe, of Big Canyon Country Club will be on-hand during the event to share his wine expertise.

Some of the wineries that will be featured at the 2nd Annual “Wine & Dine” event include August West, Central Coast; Beringer Vineyards, Napa Valley; Big Basin Vineyards, Central Coast; Boson Wines, Napa Valley; Campesino Cellars, Napa Valley; Clos Pepe Estate, Central Coast; Colores del Sol Wines, Argentina; Cowboy Country Winery, Central Coast; DUNSTAN Wines, Sonoma Coast; Etude Estate Wines, Napa Valley; Giracci Vineyards and Farms, Silverado Canyon; Jean Edwards Cellars, Napa Valley; Le Pich, Napa Valley; Le P’tit Paysan, Central Coast; Levendi Winery, Napa Valley; Loring Wine Company, Paso Robles; Matua Wines, New Zealand; Newport Beach Vineyards & Winery; Purlieu Wines, Napa Valley; Saxon Brown Wines, Napa Valley; Sbragia Family Vineyards, Napa Valley; Tercero Wines, Central Valley and Santa Barbara; and, Zotovich Cellars, Central Coast.

“We are looking forward to hosting our 2nd Annual ‘Wine & Dine’ event at Big Canyon Country Club, and we are grateful to the local community for helping us shine a light on domestic violence by supporting attending our special events,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director, Laura’s House. “Last year, our ‘Wine & Dine’ event raised $15,000, which was used to fund our counseling, shelter and community outreach programs, and we are hoping to exceed that amount this year.”

The 2nd Annual “Wine & Dine” event for Laura’s House will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Big Canyon Country Club, located at 1 Big Canyon Drive in Newport Beach. Tickets are $95 per person, and can be purchased at http://www.active.com/adventure/silverado-ca/canyon-country-hike-and-hoedown-for-lauras-house-2013.

About Laura’s House

For nearly two decades, Laura’s House has provided residential shelter and support services to more than 3,500 families, and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 40,000 individuals. The mission of Laura’s House is to change the 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.

 

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Laura’s House is grateful to Whole Foods Market Laguna Niguel for supporting us in changing the 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 Wednesday, April 3, Whole Food Market in Laguna Niguel will be hosting a “5% Day” to benefit Laura’s House! Shop during store hours that day, and 5% of all of your purchases will go to Laura’s House to support our emergency shelter and transitional housing services; 24-hour crisis hotline; counseling and legal support services; and community education programs including the H.E.A.R.T. program for teens.

In addition to supporting Laura’s House through their purchases during “5% Day,” store shoppers can stop by the front entrance between 10am and 3pm, and blend their own Laura’s Signature Smoothie using fresh ingredients from Whole Foods Market. Representatives from Laura’s House will also be on hand to share information about current volunteer and donor opportunities!

Whole Foods Laguna Niguel is located at 23932 Aliso Creek Road in Laguna Niguel, and will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3. Please consider doing your shopping at Whole Foods Laguna Niguel that day, and help us to increase our impact on the community!


Since 1998, friends and neighbors of Dana Point resident and businesswoman, Diane Smith have exchanged clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories for items that are new to them, and then donated all remaining items to Laura’s House and other local charities

LADERA RANCH, Calif., Feb. 19, 2013 – Dana Point resident and businesswoman, Diane Smith has been a long-time supporter of Laura’s House, a non-profit organization whose mission is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence. Every winter, for the past 15 years, she has hosted a one-day “Clothes Exchange Party” at her home to benefit local charities, including Laura’s House.

For Diane, the “Clothes Exchange Party” has always been a “win, win, win” situation. “Not only do Laura’s House and the other charities we support benefit from the donations, my friends and neighbors reap the rewards of their generosity in numerous ways,” said Smith. “They get motivated to clean out their closets, they come home after the exchange with new items that they didn’t have to pay for, and they get the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping others.”

This year, the “Clothes Exchange Party” took place at Diane’s home in Dana Point on Sunday, February 10, 2013. More than 75 women joined in for an afternoon of shopping, fun, fellowship and networking, sponsored by Diane’s interior design firm, Resort Living Interiors. For the first time this year, Diane added a networking component. “This event is already about women helping other women, and providing the opportunity for my friends and neighbors to help local business women network and grow their businesses, seemed like a natural extension of our efforts to help the broader community,” said Smith

Following the “Clothes Exchange Party,” more than 2,000 pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories were collected for Laura’s House. Donated items will be given to the women and children served by the Laura’s House shelter. Additionally, donations will be used by the Laura’s House Resale Store in Lake Forest, which sells gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, books, collectibles and artwork to generate income to support the programs and services offered by Laura’s House.

“We would like to thank Diane for using her annual ‘Clothes Exchange Party’ as a way to support Laura’s House and other local nonprofit organizations,” said Paolo Scarfo, General Manager, Laura’s House Resale Store. “This event is just one of the many creative ways that members of the local community can help us to raise money and build awareness for the programs and services we provide to individuals and families that are effected by domestic violence.”

About the Laura’s House Resale Store

Since 1995, Laura’s House has maintained a thrift store to support the funding of our programs and services. The Laura’s House Resale Store is located at 23635 El Toro Road, Suite F in Lake Forest, and is open on Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and, Sunday from Noon to 5:00 p.m.

The Laura’s House Resale Store accepts donations including gently used designer, formal, business and casual clothing and shoes for women, children and men, jewelry, paintings, collectibles and books. Donors should be aware that Laura’s House cannot accept items that are torn or stained, large furniture and appliances, mattresses, box springs and undergarments, and that city law prohibits leaving items at the rear or front of the store outside of normal business hours. All donations are tax deductible and a receipt will be provided upon drop-off. Donation drop-off hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The Laura’s House Resale Store can be reached by phone at 949-472-8800.

About Laura’s House

Over the past eighteen years, Laura’s House has provided shelter and support services to nearly 3,500 battered women and children, and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 40,000 individuals. The mission of Laura’s House is to change the 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.

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This month, in honor of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, the Laura’s House Resale Store in Lake Forest is featuring an art installation called “Take a Walk in My Shoes.”

The installation is an adaptation of a project that was first put in display in April 2004 by The Women’s Community, in Wausau, Wisc., in partnership with The Clothesline Project, to commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Since that time, many organizations across the United States have displayed similar projects to build awareness for domestic violence and sexual assault.

As part of the project, Laura’s House clients and survivors of domestic violence created pieces of artwork using shoes to express their feelings about surviving domestic violence, and help others understand how it feels to “walk in their shoes.”

“We are proud to be able to provide our clients with this wonderful opportunity to express the feelings they have as survivors of domestic abuse,” said Deborah Phillips, MFT, a clinical therapist with Laura’s House. “The shoes that are on display right now demonstrate both the pain and healing that our clients are experiencing on their journey toward building lives that are free of violence.”

The public is encouraged to stop by the Laura’s House Resale Store, located at 23635 El Toro Road, Suite F in Lake Forest to see the “Take a Walk in My Shoes” art installation on display.


Through presentations to local law enforcement, Laura’s House is arming Sheriff’s deputies and police officers throughout Orange County with the tools and information they need to improve the outcomes of domestic violence 9-1-1 calls

Ladera Ranch, Calif., Feb. 1, 2013 – Recent studies indicate that police in the United States spend approximately one-third of their time responding to domestic violence calls, and will often return to the same home multiple times to address complaints. To better educate Orange County Deputy Sheriff’s and local police officers concerning domestic violence, and arm them with the resources and information they need to improve the outcomes of domestic violence 9-1-1 calls, Laura’s House has teamed up with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, led by Sheriff-Coroner Sandra Hutchens.

“Domestic violence is a serious issue that can often be viewed as a nuisance for law enforcement officers who are called to the same home, over and over again – especially when the victim is too afraid or refuses to press charges,” said Marissa Presley, Bilingual Prevention and Education Specialist for Laura’s House. “The startling reality is that this recurring violence can turn deadly, if the victim does not take legal action and receive access to the support and resources she or he need to start rebuilding a life that is free of violence. By providing law enforcement with the tools and strategies that will enable them to better understand the violence from the victim’s perspective, and help them through referrals to Laura’s House and other domestic violence resources, we can change the attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate the violence.”

Since 2010, Presley has been leading presentations for Orange County Deputy Sheriffs and police officers, as well as the Juvenile Services Bureau, which includes School Resource Officers and Investigators. These presentations are designed to help officers and investigators responding to domestic violence calls better assess both the situation and the behavior of the victim and abuser, so that they may take a course of action that will lead to a more positive outcome. During these presentations, officers learn about the types of questions they should be asking both the victim and their abuser, and how to counsel and provide the victim with a clear overview of their rights, which include pressing charges and seeking assistance at Laura’s House or other local domestic violence shelters.

Laura’s House also provides the Orange County Sheriff’s Department with victim’s assistance resources, including small cards with the number for the Laura’s House 24-hour domestic violence hotline imprinted on them, as well as many other helpful agencies. “Being able to provide the victim with a phone number where he or she can get help is one of the ways that law enforcement can gain the victim’s trust,” continued Presley. “Victims are often hesitant to involve the police because they are afraid that their abuser will turn the tables and blame them for everything.”

“We are grateful for Laura’s House and their commitment to ‘ending the silence’ of domestic violence in Orange County and beyond” said Sandra Hutchens, Orange County Sheriff-Coroner. “The presentations that Laura’s House provides to our Deputy Sheriff’s and law enforcement officials are instrumental in our efforts to break the cycle of violence in our communities. Being better informed about how to appropriately deal with situations where violence is occurring within the home is one of the ways in which our deputies can prevent domestic violence from turning deadly.”

About Laura’s House

Over the past eighteen years, Laura’s House has provided residential shelter and support services to nearly 3,500 families, and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 40,000 individuals. The mission of Laura’s House is to change the 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.

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