Lumina Alliance announces Shining Light Award Winners

Shining Light Awards to be presented to Chris Lambert, Kimberly Victor, Kara Samaniego, and Jane Pomeroy at Lumina Nights

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Lumina Alliance is proud to announce this year’s Shining Light Award winners ahead of our Lumina Nights event on April 12th and 13th at Thousand Hills Ranch in Pismo Beach. This year’s recipients come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but have one thing in common: they have chosen to stand in support of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and their actions have made SLO County a brighter place to live.

Ally Award

The Ally Award, to be presented Friday night, recognizes a community member who empowers victims to heal from trauma and transform their lives through their partnership or with the services they provide. This year’s award recipient is Chris Lambert, the producer and host of the Your Own Backyard podcast. Chris’ dedication to seeking justice for Kristin Smart not only helped to solve her case, bringing justice to Kristin’s family, but also helped to shine a light on the high cost of sexual violence in our community. Chris’ empathetic storytelling also invites listeners to learn about the unique struggles survivors and their loved ones face on the road to justice and healing, sparking conversations about how we can prevent sexual violence.

Supporter Award

The Supporter Award, to be presented on Friday night, honors a business or individual donor who supports ongoing services for local survivors by demonstrating a continued commitment to our work with financial or in-kind donations over an extended period of time This year’s award recipient is Kimberly Victor, a long time supporter of Lumina Alliance and survivors in SLO County. Most notably, Kimberley has hosted the valuable fundraising event Fashions for a Purpose. Founded in 2015, it has raised over $250,000 for survivors of domestic violence. Her tireless efforts to support victims have not gone unnoticed, and we are thrilled to recognize her work with this award.

Hero Award

The Hero Award, to be presented Saturday night, is dedicated to a current member of Lumina Alliance staff, board of directors, or generous volunteers who have played a key role in supporting the work of Lumina Alliance over the past year. This year’s recipient is Kara Samaniego. In addition to spending almost 10 years with Cal Poly’s Safer program, Kara was a valuable member of the Lumina Alliance Board of Directors for 4 years. Her work fostered valuable collaboration between Lumina Alliance and Cal Poly, and her dedication to supporting survivors has been instrumental to both organizations’ capacity to serve survivors and their loved ones.

Legacy Award

Finally, the Legacy Award, to be presented Saturday night, is presented to someone who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to supporting survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence. Recipients of this award are recognized for their contributions to survivor care, volunteer service, prevention education, the Lumina Alliance mission, and innovation within the movement to end sexual and intimate partner violence. This year’s award recipient is Jane Pomeroy. As a nonprofit leader with over fifteen years of experience, Jane has shown a lifelong commitment to ending sexual and domestic violence, and her work has had a remarkable impact on the health and wellbeing of our entire community. Jane was a dedicated staff member of Lumina Alliance for almost 8 years, and her work was instrumental in shaping what our agency is today. Jane’s commitment to advocating against injustice wherever she sees it has solidified her as a fierce defender of survivors and their families, and we are honored to present her with this prestigious award.

“The Shining Light Awards allow us an opportunity to appreciate those who have made the greatest impact on the lives of survivors in SLO County. The work these award recipients do often goes unrecognized and unacknowledged, but this event allows us to shine a spotlight on survivors and those who serve them. Congratulations to all of our 2024 award recipients!”- Jennifer Adams, Lumina Alliance CEO.

Visit LuminaNights.org to get your tickets today. Saturday night is sold out and Friday night is selling out fast, so don’t wait!

ABOUT LUMINA ALLIANCE — Lumina Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created by the merging of RISE and Stand Strong in July 2021. Their mission is to empower those impacted by sexual and intimate partner violence through innovative advocacy, healing, and prevention programs. Services include 24/7 crisis and information line, case management, accompaniment and advocacy, emergency shelters, transitional housing, individual and group therapy, and robust prevention education. For more information, please visit www.LuminaAlliance.org