On Saturday, September 13, 2014, the Face Forward Foundation hosted the 5th Annual Fundraising Gala. This year’s theme was “The Venetian Masquerade: An Evening of Music, Dreams and Passion” at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Host Jackie Watson was on the red carpet catching up with celebrities, supporters, and members of this amazing foundation.
Hosted by the Face Forward Foundation’s founder, entrepreneur and philanthropist Deborah Alessi, this Venice-themed event featured a cocktail hour, dinner and gala with performances, including several world-renowned artists.
Face Forward is a nonprofit organization. Our mission is to provide facial surgical reconstructive services for women and children who have been victims of domestic violence.
ABOUT
Face Forward works with community leaders around the nation to identify victims of violence who are legitimately working toward recovery and who carry the physical evidence of past abuse. We are able to provide our services to individuals who are committed to their recovery by partnering with local community centers, which offer complementary relief: housing, counseling, job searches, and legal assistance. We are one humble part of the recovery puzzle; however, the immediate results of our healing efforts provide individuals with the confidence to literally put their best Face Forward once again.
Face Forward is a non-profit organization, a 501(c)(3) registered in the State of California. Better than 90% of all donations are directed toward victim treatment and recovery. Since an average patient’s treatment costs approximately $5,000, every penny helps.
MISSION
Our mission is to provide physical and emotional reconstruction for women and children who have been victimized by domestic or gang related violence. Face Forward vows that all individuals who cannot afford the fees associated with proper internal and external care will be treated pro-bono. Our team of skilled surgeons and specialists have been fortunate enough to impact the lives of many with truly life-changing results, but this is just the beginning. We need your help.
We welcome your generosity, support and donations. Please contact us for details on how to support our cause and keep an eye out for one of our fundraising events.
STATISTICS
The statistics are staggering! Based on public records, at least one in three women globally have been physically abused and approximately half of all murders and disfiguring assaults in major metropolitan areas are gang-related. Sadly, there are few treatment options for victims of abuse beyond the underfunded county systems.
Approximately two-thirds of reported domestic violence incidents are classified as “simple assaults,” which result in a misdemeanor rather than a felony. However, up to 50% of these “simple assaults” result in physical injuries and disfigurements that are at least as serious as 90% of all rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults.
Domestic violence is abuse committed by a spouse, a former spouse, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a cohabitant upon another individual. It is estimated that a domestic violence act occurs every 15 seconds somewhere in the United States. That figure translates to over 2.5 million victims per year. This abuse affects the lives of the victim and the family and children who live within the boundaries of these abusive relationships.
In many cases, the effects of continued or traumatic abuse are lasting and indelible. These marks are a constant reminder of abuse and can show as scars, burns, cuts, persistent bruising, or immobility. This can significantly affect the ability of former victims to find jobs, integrate with the public, erase the past and find courage to move forward toward the future.
Face Forward partners with communities throughout the United States to recognize and respond to women and children affected by violence. We provide reconstructive relief to erase the scars of the past and enable victims to put their best face forward toward recovery.
Our surgeons have provided relief to many patients with truly life-changing results.
