California

Board Member Amanda Stephens and her husband, Bart, hosted a reception at their home in Tiburon on September 14.

The event brought together members of our San Francisco Bay Area Committee to discuss Joyful Heart’s advocacy work and efforts to pass rape kit reform laws in California and across the country.

More than 120 supporters gathered on September 12 for a fashion luncheon hosted by Bottega Veneta, Joyful Heart, and Vanity Fair to benefit our work.

Guests at the event browsed Bottega Veneta’s highly-anticipated new collection preview.

Joyful Heart board members and Los Angeles Committee Co-Chairs Jenny Belushi and Heather Mnuchin graciously welcomed guests who shopped at Bottega Veneta’s pop-up boutiques featuring artisan crafted leather handbags, fine jewelry and accessories, chic dresses, and ready-to-wear coats. A portion of the sales will benefit Joyful Heart’s work.

Joyful Heart was honored to join leading domestic violence organizations in California in November 2016 to form a Learning Circle, convened by the Blue Shield of California Foundation. The Circle came together for six months of facilitated learning sessions to explore each organization's practices that lift up survivor-centered approaches with the purpose of producing a white paper for funders and the field at large.

Survivors and supporters excitedly lined up outside The Martlet Tattoo Parlor in Hollywood, California on May 13 to attend an all-day flash tattoo fundraiser to support Joyful Heart. The event organizer, Still Not Asking For It (SNAFI), promotes awareness and discussions of sexual assault and violence in our community and to say it is unacceptable.

Our Los Angeles Committee hosted a Spring Charity SoulCycle Ride on March 12 to benefit Joyful Heart's work to end sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse in California. Instructor Angela Davis — a five-time, all-American Olympian — filled the room with her magnetically positive energy as she led 50 adults on an inspiring ride.

On November 17th, 37 members of our joyful community gathered for our first Los Angeles Committee Holiday Boutique, hosted by members Jenny Belushi, Jill Eisenstadt-Chayet, Colleen O'Brien and Vanessa Frank.

On November 19th, our San Francisco Bay Area Committee hosted its first fundraiser, a SoulCycle ride to benefit Joyful Heart's Healing, Education and Advocacy work in California.

​On September 29th, Carolina Herrera, in partnership with the event committee: Heather Mnuchin, Jenny Belushi, Jill Eisenstadt-Chayet and Wendy Landes hosted 40 members of our joyful community for a private shopping event at their new Beverly Hills location.

Our recent shopping event with Jimmy Choo brought together committee members and supporters from throughout Southern California to celebrate Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Joyful Heart's work by shopping for a cause.

On September 28, 40 members of our joyful community gathered at the Belushi residence to TALK with our featured speaker, Nancy Jo Sales, who presented on her latest book, American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers. 

The event was opened by our Los Angeles Committee co-chairs and board members, Jenny Belushi and Heather Mnuchin, who set the context for the discussion and linked the book’s content to Joyful Heart’s work to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.