Donate Today
Quick Escape

Safety Alert

To immediately leave our site click the QUICK ESCAPE button. Please test this now to ensure it works and you are familiar with its function.

We also suggest you clear your browser history after visiting our site by going to:

Tools › Internet Options › History › Delete

$50,000 Grant, Funded by the Sale of McGraw’s AveryLasting Love Lip Gloss Collection, Will Support the Laura’s House Courthouse Advocacy Project

(Los Angeles, CA – September 23, 2014) – When Georgia Smiled: The Robin McGraw Revelation Foundation will award its first grant, funded by the sale of McGraw’s AveryLasting Love Lip Gloss Collection, to Laura’s House, a leading nonprofit dedicated to providing domestic violence education, prevention, shelter and counseling services to individuals and families across Southern California. The presentation will be made during a special episode of the Dr. Phil show airing Wednesday, September 24th (check local listings).

The $50,000 grant from When Georgia Smiled will allow for the expansion of Laura’s House Legal Advocacy Program, which works to address a lack in continuity of legal services for victims of domestic violence and elder abuse in Orange County. In 2013, more than 4,000 individuals received assistance to file restraining order applications through the Domestic Violence Assistance Program (DVAP) office at the Orange County courthouse. No onsite legal advocacy services were in place to assist them after the application process, even though the needs of this population typically intensify and become more complex at this stage. This represents a countywide gap in services for thousands of victims of domestic violence and elder abuse and Laura’s House Legal Advocacy Program is specifically designed to meet this challenge, by providing continuing legal advocacy following services from the DVAP.

“The most dangerous time in the life of a battered woman is often when she attempts to leave her abuser,” notes McGraw. "I am proud to support Laura’s House in providing women and their children with the necessary services to get them through that critical time so they can live healthy, happy lives.”

“We are so honored to receive such a generous grant from The Robin McGraw Revelation Foundation,” added Margaret Bayston, CEO and executive director of Laura’s House. “The much-needed funding will help Laura’s House expand its legal advocacy project to continue helping the lives of hundreds of victims of domestic violence and elder abuse, and their children each year.”

Domestic violence is a pervasive social problem and continues to be the leading cause of injury to women nationwide. While the exact number of victims is impossible to determine, Laura’s House estimates that over 250,000 women and children are directly affected by domestic violence in Orange County alone and that this number continues to increase and is higher than the national average.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Laura’s House has provided shelter and support services to nearly 4,000 battered women and children and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to more than 40,000 persons. Today, Laura’s House continues to be the only state-approved comprehensive domestic violence agency in South Orange County.  Laura’s House operates on the philosophy that domestic violence is multi-dimensional an often cyclical in nature and must be addressed through a range of interventions. The nonprofit’s goal is to provide supportive service programs that will prepare clients and their children to live independent and violence-free lives.

Robin McGraw launched her foundation, When Georgia Smiled, in October 2013 with the announcement of the foundation’s inaugural program, The Aspire Initiative, an online domestic violence education and prevention curriculum. The program’s corresponding smartphone app has had more than 130,000 downloads and was recognized on Capitol Hill by the National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse as one of the two apps in 2014 most beneficial in the fight to end domestic violence.

When Georgia Smiled is funded, in large part, by the sale of select Robin McGraw Revelation products whose total net profits directly benefit the Foundation and its domestic violence programs.  The AveryLasting Love Lip Gloss Collection, a four-shade collection of lipglosses that debuted in the summer of 2014, was the first of such product lines, and its sales have directly resulted in this grant.

About Laura’s House

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 to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

In 2014, Laura’s House celebrates its 20th anniversary serving those whose lives have been affected by domestic violence. For the past two decades, Laura’s House has provided shelter and support services to more than 4,000 battered women and children and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 45,000 people. Connect with Laura’s House on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About When Georgia Smiled

When Georgia Smiled: The Robin McGraw Revelation Foundation creates and advances programs that help women and children, especially those affected by domestic violence, live healthy, safe, and joy-filled lives. For more information, visit www.WhenGeorgiaSmiled.org.

About Robin McGraw

Robin McGraw is a bestselling author, television personality, philanthropist and entrepreneur. She is featured daily on Dr. Phil, where she is a familiar face and friendly voice to the audience, speaking often to issues that affect women. Robin has worked for many years with a variety of philanthropic causes that serve to improve the lives of women and children. Robin was recently named the National Celebrity Spokesperson for the Girl Scouts of the USA.  She is also a National Spokesperson for C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children). Robin is a board member of The Dr. Phil Foundation, and a member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. Robin has been recognized for her work in philanthropy with awards such as the Heart of Gold Award by the Starlight Starbright Foundation and the Big Heart Award by the Westside Children's Center. She is a sought-after public speaker and has appeared on a variety of broadcast programs. She is the author of two #1 New York Times bestselling books: Inside My Heart: Choosing to Live with Passion and Purpose and What’s Age Got To Do With It? In April 2014, Robin launched her purpose-driven lifestyle brand, Robin McGraw Revelation.  Connect with Robin McGraw Revelation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

#

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Andrea McCallister Laura’s House amccallister@laurashouse.org

Dawn Mead HKA Inc. Marketing Communications dawn@hkamarcom.com

Anne Bradford Robin McGraw Revelation anne.bradford@robinmcgrawrevelation.com