Awareness Event

On May 20, 2010, Mariska testified before the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on the backlog of untested rape kits in this country.

On November 8, 2001, Amy Homan McGee, a mother of two, was shot to death by her husband in their home in Pennsylvania. The murder was the final act of violence in a history of cruelty and abuse. She was thirty-three years old.

On a sunny Saturday morning in LA, the Joyful Heart Foundation joined philosophy on Saturday to raise awareness about the need for domestic violence support services throughout California by building healing and wellness kits for women in crisis shelters. Our goal was to create enough kits to give one to each of the estimated 600 women currently being served in one of Los Angeles County's domestic violence shelters.

On October 22, medical experts, legal professionals, survivors of sexual assault and advocates, including staff and Board members from the Joyful Heart Foundation, joined New York State Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Denise E. O'Donnell at St. Luke's - Roosevelt Hospital in unveiling a new "rape kit" training video.

Following Joyful Heart's successful Second Annual Gala, The Joyful Revolution, Board Member Peter Hermann along with JHF staff and program partners were invited to ring the opening bell of the NASDAQ stock exchange.

The Joyful Heart Foundation was invited by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation to the Tenth Annual Prevent Child Abuse Hawai‘i Conference. Held on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, the event was designed to help parents, caregivers and professionals address ways the local community can work collectively to prevent child abuse and neglect.

The event was an intimate and festive afternoon tea, to raise awareness and support for Joyful Heart's pioneering mission and innovative programs.

On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, 75 guests gathered to celebrate Joyful Heart, our role in launching Hope Shining and our expanded partnerships in LA.