The Domestic Violence Center is hosting a Gatsby-themed gala, The Great Escape, on March 17 at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, officials said.

Last June, the SCV Domestic Violence Center’s staff was heartbroken.

A client was taking advantage of every program and opportunity presented to her.

She took part in the center’s outreach programs, the classes and  the services aimed at helping survivors become thrivers, according to center staff.

In addition to shelter, the DVC offers therapeutic programs, legal assistance and countless other foundations for its clients to create healthy structure in lives that are often being reconstructed due to the need to heal and recover from trauma.  

And by all accounts, Maddie was looking to do just that. This was not going through the motions, staffers noticed. She sought all the help available.

However, by design, the DVC is only able to offer temporary shelter — even though there’s often an extended need for a safe space, particularly if the client is still under threat from their abuser.

So when it was time for Maddie to transition out of the shelter, center officials sought, but had an impossible time finding, a temporary, transitional home. Funding policy calls for priority to be given to domestic violence survivors with children, making it much more difficult for single women, officials said.

This can leave single women, such as Maddie, without a place to go. In these scenarios, when the client is forced to return home, then the client remains in danger.

Maddie’s case was no exception.

She returned to the family home in June after leaving the shelter, and was killed by her abuser the following weekend.

The situation was heartbreaking for clients, staff and the community, Davies said.

In light of the tragedy, Domestic Violence Center officials want to turn the heartbreak into an inspiration that can increase local resources.

“She was a victim of her family, her abuser and the domestic violence system,” Davies said after the tragedy. “Single women have a harder time getting into transitional housing because agencies receive more money for a small family. If she had been accepted into transitional DV housing she would still be alive.”

Hurt but undeterred, DVC staff decided to turn the huge loss into a chance to raise awareness of what happens when there aren’t enough resources to address domestic violence.

Which is why the Santa Clarita Valley’s only full-time resource in the fight against domestic violence is holding its biggest fundraiser of the year at the Hyatt Regency Valencia on March 17, Davies said.

Tickets are still available for The Great Escape, a gala-themed ball at the Hyatt Regency Valencia that’s shaping up to be the nonprofit organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

The idea behind the name is the reminder given to Domestic Violence Center of Santa Clarita Valley clients, who are asked to be prepared for an escape, once they recognize they are with a partner who could potentially be abusive.

While the escape and suitcase is a somber reminder, it also has the potential to be a powerful tool in raising awareness about the danger of not addressing domestic violence, said Linda Davies, the center’s executive director. It also sends a powerful message about the need.

The event was inspired by a horrible tragedy that struck the center last year, and truly demonstrated the need for more resources.
In addition to entering in a grand prize that includes a secret vacation-theme organizers are being tight-lipped about, the $125 ticket provides dinner, dancing and a night of a Gatsby-style gala, to tie in to the Great Escape theme.

The proceeds from the Domestic Violence Center’s ball is going to support outreach services and the center’s operations, to try and prevent what happened m

There will also be a cocktail hour and numerous prizes that participates will be able to bid on for an auction, as well.

Tickets are still available. Anyone interested should call the Domestic Violence Center at 661-259-8175.

Click here for tickets.