Photos courtesy of Ventura County Family Justice Center Foundation.
Gala recognizes Hon. Colleen Toy White and Congresswoman Julia Brownley for their lasting contributions to survivors and the systems built to protect them
VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Family Justice Center Foundation (Foundation) raised over $234,000 at its annual Voices of Hope Gala on Wednesday, May 27, at Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms in Moorpark. The evening drew 240 community leaders, elected officials, and supporters who gathered to raise critical funds for the Foundation’s free programs serving individuals and families affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking, and other violent crimes.
Proceeds from the gala will support Camp HOPE, Voices of Ventura County, and the Pathways to Hope program, as well as the Foundation’s continued expansion. Two new Family Justice Centers are on track to open in 2027: the Carmen Ramirez Family Justice Center in Oxnard and the East County Family Justice Center, both of which will extend critical, trauma-informed services to communities across the county.
Two honorees were recognized for their contributions to survivors and the systems built to protect them. Honorees for the 2026 Voices of Hope Gala included:
• “Voices of Hope” Champion for Hope: Hon. Colleen Toy White (1944–2021) accepted posthumously by her
husband, Arthur Bliss
• “Voices of Hope” Hope Hero: Congresswoman Julia Brownley
“We were proud to recognize Judge White and Congresswoman Brownley, two leaders whose contributions have made healing possible for so many in our county. Their legacy, and this community’s generosity, reflected how far we’ve come.
Since the Foundation started, we’ve raised over $1.3 million to support survivors of violence, abuse, and trauma, and with two new Family Justice Centers on the way, the impact of everyone in this room will be felt for generations to come,” said\ Dianne McKay, President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ventura County Family Justice Center Foundation. Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko introduced the awards segment, and Hon. Judge Brian Back delivered a remembrance of Hon. Colleen Toy White before presenting the Champion for Hope award. The event also featured a cocktail hour, dinner buffet, live auction, and an “Unpacking Hope” interactive table experience. Foundation Board member, and gala chair, Heather Sumagaysay led the “Unpacking Hope” interactive experience, and former Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean served as auctioneer for the live auction and paddle raise.
The “Unpacking Hope” experience put guests in direct contact with the reality many survivors face: leaving means leaving with almost nothing. Each table received a backpack filled with the essential items the Foundation provides to individuals when they first arrive at the Family Justice Center, often after fleeing abuse with only the clothes on their backs. Guests read story cards and passed items around the table, each tagged with a statistic or personal account, connecting the evening’s program to the lived experiences of those the Foundation serves.
The Foundation works in partnership with more than 40 agencies and community-based organizations to provide collaborative, survivor-centered services at no cost to those in need. Since 2019, the Ventura County Family Justice Center has helped more than 15,000 adults and children throughout Ventura County who have suffered the effects of abuse and victimization. For more information about the Foundation and its programs, visit www.vcfjcfoundation.org
The Ventura County Family Justice Center Foundation – Launched as a 501c3 nonprofit corporation in 2018, the Foundation wa formed to provide funding and resources for the Ventura County Family Justice Center and its programs for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, dependent adult abuse, human trafficking, hate crimes, and other violent crimes by providing judicial, social, educational, financial, and advocacy services. Their holistic approach focuses on all aspects of a person through a variety of programs that are focused on a strength-based approach to recovery.
