Ventura County Credit Union Partners with Interface Children & Family Services

    VENTURA COUNTY, CA, June 30, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ventura County Credit Union (VCCU) partnered with Interface Children & Family Services -- a nonprofit that assists those who suffer from abuse, domestic violence, family conflict and mental health issues -- in support of the "Project Hope" art exhibit. Developed to provide domestic violence victims with the opportunity to use art as therapeutic expression, the exhibit creates a linkage that inspires the community to support these victims.

The exhibit was revealed at Interface's third annual "Love is Brewing in Paris Champagne Luncheon & Tea" presented by VCCU. At the event, elected officials, law enforcement, and corporate and philanthropic leaders donned tea party attire, sipped sparkling wine, perused auction items and had an exclusive opportunity to view the artwork -- which was accompanied by individual stories of survival and triumph from the domestic violence victims. More than $70,000 in funds were raised and granted to Interface through this event.

Following the luncheon, the Project Hope artwork was displayed to the public for the first time at the grand opening of VCCU's new corporate headquarters. The exhibit will continue travel throughout the year to various VCCU branches and other Interface partner sites.

"We're honored to be a part of Project Hope," said Linda Rossi, chief administrative officer of VCCU. "We feel compelled to help these victims any way we can, and we hope that displaying their art at our branches will help bolster awareness of this important cause among the Ventura County community."

Interface provides abuse victims with a 24-hour emergency response team, 2-1-1 information and referral service, counseling programs, and emergency and transitional shelters. The organization also offers free child abuse and teen dating violence prevention programs for thousands of school-age children, parents and educators.

"Our comprehensive approach gives us the opportunity to be a critical safety net for the community, addressing a variety of issues for victims and helping to prevent family violence and child abuse in the first place," said Catherine L. Kort, fund development and marketing director of Interface Children & Family Services. "We'd like to thank VCCU for their extensive role in helping Project Hope pursue its goal of educating and engaging the community in solutions aimed at reducing domestic violence in Ventura County."

To learn more about Interface's domestic violence programs or inquire about hosting a Project Hope art exhibit, visit http://www.icfs.org/DVChampion or contact Julie Harvey at 805-485-6114, ext. 628.

ABOUT VENTURA COUNTY CREDIT UNION
Ventura County Credit Union was chartered in 1950. It is the largest credit union headquartered in Ventura County, with seven offices (and a new Oxnard branch on the way), more than 70,000 members and over $700 million in total assets. VCCU offers a complete line of loans, federally insured savings, 24-hour electronic access services and more. Call 1-800-339-0496 or visit http://www.vccuonline.net for more information.

ABOUT INTERFACE CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
Interface Children & Family Services is Ventura County and the surrounding community's most comprehensive nonprofit social services safety net. Our mission is to strengthen children, families and individuals to be safe, healthy and thriving. Founded in 1973, Interface works to prevent and heal the effects of child abuse, neglect and abandonment; domestic violence; family conflict and mental health issues. We have 24 distinct programs representing five major service areas, including youth and family strengthening services, mental health, family violence intervention, justice-involved families, and 2-1-1 information and referral across all socioeconomic levels.

Interface operates our region's most comprehensive domestic violence program, including shelter, support and counseling. The 2-1-1 Information and Referral service, a 24-hour comprehensive helpline for available no-and-low cost county support services, was the first 2-1-1 in our state, developed by Interface.

Serving approximately 24,000 local individuals annually, plus assisting 150,000 people across the state in need through the 2-1-1 Helpline, Interface offers effective solutions to the urgent needs of families and individuals in crisis. This important work is sustained through donations and grants from individuals and organizations, as well as by the work of dedicated volunteers and staff. For more information, please contact Interface Children & Family Services at 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd, Suite I, Camarillo, CA 93012 by telephone at 805-485-6114 or visit http://www.icfs.org.

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