Community Corner
Center for Community Solutions Raises More Than $200,000 to Help End Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Center for Community Solutions (CCS), recently held its 15th Annual Tea and Tonic event at The Grand Del Mar. The organization which provides intervention, healing, advocacy, and prevention programs and services for individuals affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse, reports that preliminary event proceeds are at an all-time record high, raising over $225,000.
The Tea is held annually during the month of April in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This year 500 guests attended including local businesses, community leaders and philanthropists. Kimberly Hunt and Steve Atkinson, anchors of ABC Channel 10 News served as the event emcees. Nordstrom, Sycuan, HD Supply and The California Endowment were Premier Sponsors for the event. Media Sponsors were Riviera Magazine and Clear Channel Communications, and Contributing Sponsors included The Patricia & Christopher Weil Family Foundation, The TJX Companies, and Club Pilates.
A part of this year’s program, CCS presented its Courage Award to Danielle Tansino, a sexual assault survivor who received healing services from CCS. Ms. Tansino started a campaign called “Red My Lips” which launched in 2013 to encourage supporters to wear red lipstick all throughout the month of April to increase visibility and awareness related to sexual violence, demonstrate support and solidarity with survivors, and combat rape culture and victim-blaming. “Red My Lips” has supporters in 49 countries.
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CCS also recognized Las Patronas as its Volunteer Organization of the Year. Las Patronas is an all-volunteer organization that has generously supported CCS and over 1,000 charitable institutions in the San Diego community since 1946. Another Community Hero Honoree was Michelle Lerach who was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year. Ms. Lerach is not only a financial supporter of CCS; but a volunteer who has donated weekly deliveries of food to the agency. Her philanthropic work empowering women from San Diego to Africa and Liberia embodies CCS’ vision for all people to live free and empowered lives.
“While CCS works with very serious and difficult issues of relationship violence and domestic abuse, this event is an opportunity for us to recognize and celebrate the community’s overwhelming support in raising awareness and critical funds to ensure that we can be there each day for those who need our help,” said Verna Griffin-Tabor, executive director of Center for Community Solutions.Proceeds from the “Tea & Tonic” benefit CCS’ full range of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse programs, including emergency response teams, a 24-hour hotline, two emergency shelters, victim advocacy, two transitional housing programs, case management, court accompaniment, clinical services and legal services.
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About Center for Community Solutions
Center for Community Solutions (CCS) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation that provides prevention and intervention services for sexual assault and relationship violence survivors. Founded in 1969, we have remained committed to solving the problems of violence and abuse, improving the lives of survivors and changing the social conditions that breed and tolerate their existence. We assist more than 11,000 San Diegans each year and operate the only rape crisis center in the city of San Diego and the only elder abuse program in the county of San Diego.
For more information, visit: http://www.ccssd.org/
