Contact Information: Contact: Mary Riedel, President and CEO, Women In Distress mriedel@womenindistress.org 954.760.9822
Moran Challenge Grant Announced for Fort Lauderdale Women In Distress Expansion
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL--(Marketwire - December 17, 2009) - Jan Moran, philanthropist and advocate
for issues affecting children and families, today announced a special Moran
Challenge Grant of $500,000 to assist with the Project Safe Place expansion
campaign of Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. (WID) for the new Jim
and Jan Moran Family Center campus that will be located in Deerfield Beach.
Jan Moran will match all new contributions to the capital expansion
campaign, pledging a dollar for every three dollars in new contributions,
up to $500,000, from now until the end of 2010.
Longtime supporters of Women In Distress, Jan, together with her late
husband Jim, provided the lead gift in 1995 when the agency opened the
current Jim and Jan Moran Family Center in Fort Lauderdale. For more than
20 years, they have supported programs aimed at helping adults and children
who are victims of domestic abuse.
"When we first donated to WID's Capital Campaign almost 15 years ago, I
remember Jim saying how pleased he was we were able to offer support to
Women In Distress and encouraged others to join us," said Jan Moran. "I
know he would feel the same way today with the Challenge as a continuation
of our support for the agency's mission to stop domestic violence and their
work to help families affected by this tragic problem. This is my ongoing
commitment to what was so important to Jim and me -- improving the quality
of life for families."
Earlier this year, the agency announced plans to expand to a new Jim and
Jan Moran Center in Deerfield Beach. The Project Safe Place campaign seeks
to raise a total of $5 million; approximately $1.6 million has been raised
to date. Renovation is currently underway on the six-acre site that
includes five buildings. When completed in the spring of 2010, the new Jim
and Jan Moran Family Center will allow the agency to better meet community
demand for services and increase the number of emergency shelter beds from
the current 62 to 100.
"On behalf of all of us at Women In Distress, and especially for the
families and children who we serve, this is a milestone gift for our
agency," said Mary Riedel, president and CEO of WID. "It provides the
momentum to complete our expansion and positions us to better meet the
pressing needs in our community."
"This generous gift from Jan Moran and her vision in establishing the Moran
Challenge will make the dream of a new campus with expanded services and
safety for more families to come alive in new and better ways."
In addition to its headquarters and shelter operations, Women In Distress
provides services at outreach centers in various areas of Broward County,
including Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale, Plantation, Coconut Creek and
Pompano. It also has a thrift store located at 1372 N. State Road 7 in
Margate. These will continue at their current locations. Three buildings
owned by the agency are up for sale.
Women In Distress, founded in 1974, is the only nationally accredited,
state-certified, full service domestic violence center serving Broward
County, Florida. Its mission is to provide victims of domestic violence
with safe shelter, crisis intervention and resources, and to educate the
community to Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE) through Intervention, Education
and Advocacy. Currently, it provides counseling, outreach, education and
advocacy programs; operates a 62-bed emergency shelter; and provides a
24-hour crisis line. All services are free and open to all who are victims
of domestic violence. For more information on Women In Distress of Broward
County or to make a donation, please visit our web site:
www.womenindistress.org.
