By: Maricela Rios-Faust, Chief Executive Officer
As I look back on the past year, I remain grateful to each of you, our community of caring individuals and partners, for your steadfast commitment to igniting social change in service of victims and survivors of relationship violence.
Because of you, Human Options has been able to keep healing at the heart of what we do. The path for every survivor is different and your support ensures that we stay responsive to the needs of each survivor and their families as they begin the journey of healing.
It was a year of listening to survivors, learning from their experiences, and uplifting their journeys so that our services are more accessible and transformative for the next survivor who calls our hotline or enters our shelter. This has reinforced our belief that survivor stories have the power to shape innovative responses to their needs enabling us to design more effective, survivor-centered tools and services. By uplifting survivor voices, we affirm that agencies respect and value their input, fostering trust and encouraging our partners to engage empathetically. “I feel heard, and that is a valuable experience,” shared one survivor. By centering survivor voices, we can tailor services to address underlying barriers rather than focus on symptoms.
Our work would not be possible without individuals who share their voices and talents to enable victims and their children to overcome trauma and begin to lead safe and healthy lives.
During our Serious Fun Gala, “Under the Tuscan Sun”, held at the Balboa Bay Resort on May 18th, we celebrated DOVE honorees, Latham & Watkins LLP, Steve Hittleman & Michael A Morris. Guests were able to enjoy a “Tuscan-inspired” evening with live entertainment, raising over $500,000 to benefit Human Options’ life-saving programs.
This past year, our Shine the Light event expanded to a third city. We are grateful to have partnered with the Cities of Costa Mesa, Irvine and now Santa Ana, as well as their police departments during Domestic Violence Awareness Month to host a #ShinetheLight event, a walking vigil for the community to learn about the impact domestic violence has in our county and a place where survivors can find “safety” and a path out of an abusive relationship. You can learn more about the #ShinetheLight walking vigil here.
We remain committed to educating our community about relationship violence. At our Fall Luncheon, attendees heard from a graduate of Human Options, and Beverly Gooden, a distinguished author and social activist, renowned for spearheading the groundbreaking social movement, #WhyIStayed. In 2022, Gooden released her debut memoir, “Surviving: Why We Stay and How We Leave Abusive Relationships,” shedding light on the complexities of intimate partner violence. Held on October 11th at Lido House, Autograph Collection, the event raised nearly $225,000 to help sustain Human Options’ programs in Orange County.
We are grateful to have received a new impactful grant this year. This grant will build on the success of integrating human-centered design to ensure that existing services meet survivor needs (adults and minors), including a Survivor Advisory Council, a Teen Empowerment Group, and a Family Group. The impact of the grant will be disseminated to the domestic violence field and contribute to the knowledge base for domestic violence programs focused on children and youth, including other agencies funded by this grant.
Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to ensuring survivors have a safe place to heal from abuse. We remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing our vision where every person and family in Orange County can experience healthy relationships and live free from fear.
Hoping you all have a safe holiday season and a very Happy New Year!
