Happy New Year from Julie Valentine Center!
As we close the door on 2020 and begin the journey into 2021, I am filled with hopeful optimism and gratitude. Not only did Julie Valentine Center survive 2020, we thrived in 2020. As we look to the future and plan for the year ahead, I am inspired by victims and survivors we serve and our community of supporters who continue to make it possible.
We will kick off 2021 with our 11th Annual Julie Valentine Center Journey of Hope and Healing event on February 12. This year’s event will look very different from previous years. We will not be gathering together with more than 1000 supporters in the same room to celebrate Julie Valentine Day. I will miss seeing all of our friends, family, and community in person that day. I will miss the energy and excitement that fills the room. I will miss the hugs, handshakes, and photo ops. But if I learned anything in 2020, it is the art of coming together when we are still apart. I know that we will not be in the same room on Julie Valentine Day 2021, but we will be together and that is what matters most. I know that many of you are making plans and resolutions for the New Year and I hope that celebrating Julie Valentine Day with us is among them. Here are a few suggestions for ways to get involved with the Journey of Hope and Healing that will ensure that the spirit and energy of Julie Valentine Day spreads far and near in 2021.
Register for the event. Join us on February 12, 2021 at noon. You can register for the event online here.
Share the event with others. One of the gifts of hosting the event virtually is that anyone, anywhere can participate. Attendees are no longer limited by travel and distance. Invite your friends and family from near and far to participate in the event with us this year.
Read Jaycee Dugard’s books. In A Stolen Life: A Memoir, Jaycee shares her painful, inspiring story of her survival while being held captive for 19 years of her life. The story is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of trauma. In Freedom: My Book of Firsts, Jaycee gives us a first-hand look at her life after captivity as she experiences many “firsts” that she missed. It is an incredible reminder to slow down and enjoy the gifts of everyday living that we often take for granted.
Create a personal fundraising page. For the first time, you can create your own personal fundraising page to raise money for Julie Valentine Center. Once you have registered at the link above, you can create your own personal fundraising page. Our goal is to raise $300,000 this year. This is an ambitious goal that we know we can reach with your support.
Create a watch party. We encourage you to gather safely with friends and family to watch the event in- person and/ or virtually. This event is all about coming together to support one another and we hope that you take it as an opportunity to share the love and support that Julie Valentine Day is all about.
Thank you for your continued support and for working with us to create a safer community for all.
With gratitude, Shauna Galloway-Williams, CEO
Thanks to your generous donations we exceeded our goal of raising $20,000 by the end of 2020 and raised over $50,000. Thank you for being part of the healing journey for child abuse and sexual assault victims in our community. In 2020, over 1800 individuals in our community began their healing journey. Thanks to your support, we will continue to provide free, confidential services to more victims and survivors in 2021. The journey of hope and healing is possible for children and adults in our community thanks to you.
A huge thank you to Meatless Monday, Abbie Phillips and Shadow Ellis, for raising an additional $24,115 in 2020! They donated a total of $33,100 to Julie Valentine Center last year. We are so grateful for this amazing group’s support. Their continued donations directly support our mission to end child abuse and sexual violence. Thank you!
Thank you the Upstate South Carolina Chapter of IFMA for selecting Julie Valentine Center as the beneficiary of their 2020 Charity Golf Tournament and donating $5000. 
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