Dear Friends and Supporters,

I could not let this year end without taking some time from the whirlwind of holiday preparations here at The Center for Family Justice to send out a personal message of thanks.

Although this year has been a challenging one for those of us who care about victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence and child abuse, this season serves as a generous reminder of why I am so  grateful to have led this agency for the past eleven years.

All I have to do is go to our lobby to truly feel the holiday spirt: For the past several weeks it’s been full of visitors bringing gifts, food and warm clothing for our deserving clients.

We are so touched that this year have also had a record number of incredibly generous people adopt families living in our Kathie’s Place safe house, to ensure they and their children have a meaningful holiday.

In the spirit of that generosity, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to:

  • The more than 9,000 women, men and children who came to CFJ seeking services last year. Their courage to seek the help and support they deserve is a constant source of inspiration and gives me hope.
  • CFJ’s staff. This challenging work is a true team effort and I am in awe of their selfless focus on our mission of transforming victims into survivors.
  • Our Board of Directors. We could not do our work without their dedication, support, vision and tireless efforts on behalf of our clients.
  • The countless volunteers who devote their time and talents to supporting our clients.
  • Our community partners, including our friends in law enforcement, who help us provide so many vital services to our clients.
  • The generous and thoughtful team at Unilever, who once again created an incredible holiday party– which included gifts, a delicious meal and a visit from Santa– for one hundred of our client children.
  • The dozens of individuals, families, businesses and community groups who went out of their way to shop for gifts, food and purchase gift cards for our clients, so that their families could enjoy the holidays in spite of their personal challenges.
  • Those committed individuals who are so focused on ensuring a safe healthy future for all victims and survivors by focusing on legislative efforts to reauthorize the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA.)
  • The donors who have kept our vital mission in their thoughts this season with generous gifts to our ongoing Annual Appeal.

I wish you and yours a safe, blessed and peaceful holiday season.

Warmest regards,

Debra A. Greenwood, President & CEO