Mary's Path to Host Annual "Gift of Life" Gala

    TUSTIN, CA, March 04, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Mary's Path (formerly Mary's Shelter), a Tustin-based nonprofit exclusively serving pregnant teens and young mothers under the age of 18, is hosting its annual Gift of Life gala at the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

The 1940s themed gala will begin at 6 p.m. with cocktails, followed by fine dining from Turnip Rose and live entertainment by Steven Michael and the Paul McDonald Big Band. The program will include a silent auction, wine wall and heartwarming testimony by a former resident of Mary's Path. The event also will honor Rick and Karen Purpura with the Highest Impact Award for their dedication and service to the organization.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to have the community, friends and supporters come together with intent to invest in these teens, many of whom come to us with little more than hope," said Mary's Path Executive Director Ellen Roy. "These young girls have long histories of abuse, have experienced extreme trauma, and many of them have been victims of homelessness, abandonment, sex trafficking, poverty, neglect and sexual exploitation. There is so much to do to get them onto a path to recovery from their traumas and to begin thriving in life."

The organization recently launched two new residential programs, both designed to help the girls on their path to recovery. The first, equine facilitated therapy, uses horses to build trust, self-awareness, self-esteem and self-efficacy. The second, a program with Rhonda Sciortino, focuses on instilling a sense of dignity and self-respect in the girls who all have been through trauma.

Individual dinner tickets for Gift of Life are $175. Sponsorship packages also are available, ranging from $1,750 to $25,000. Direct contributions are appreciated and welcomed for those unable to attend. Proceeds from the gala will support the needs of the teens and their babies at the residence, including education, medical and counseling services, transportation and basic childrearing needs.

For more information, or to purchase tickets and sponsorship packages, visit https://www.maryspath.org/gala, or contact Gina Crofts at [email protected] or (714) 730-0930 x15.

About Mary's Path
At Mary's Path, pregnant teens and young mothers, ages 12-18, come to find dignity, learn self-sufficiency and regain hope. The girls, and their babies, find a safe environment in which to heal. A nonprofit, fully licensed residential program, Mary's Path offers child care for babies, and treatment and education programs for the teen mothers to gain self-esteem, overcome trauma and learn parenting skills. Since 1994, Mary's Path has helped more than one thousand girls find a way to break the cycle of hurt -- for themselves and for their babies. For more information, call (714) 730-0930 or visit http://www.MarysPath.org.

# # #