Hope Luncheon Raises $580,000
The 11th Annual Hope Luncheon to benefit Sojourner Center, one of Arizona’s largest domestic violence shelters, was Nov. 8 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa.
Connie Phillips, Sojourner Center executive director, addresses the luncheon crowd.
More than 780 guests attended the event, where they learned about the mission of the organization and heard stories from domestic violence survivors. Speakers included Carl Mangold, emcee; Connie Phillips, executive director; Jackie Valencia; Julie Peterson and Lorraine Bergman, CEO of Caliente Construction.
Phillips pointed out that Sojourner Center has lost $500,000 in state funding this past year, which has resulted in closing 80 beds and turning away about half the women and children who come to their doors. The Hope Luncheon raised a preliminary total of $580,000 in one-time contributions and multi-year pledges. All of the money will go directly into operating costs associated with the centers three campus facilities and the programs offered to women and children fleeing domestic violence.
At top: Lorraine Bergman, CEO of Caliente Construction
