Rainbow Village's "We Are Family" Benefit Gala 2018 Proves Major Success

DULUTH, Ga. - Nov. 19, 2018 - PRLog -- On Saturday, October 27, Georgia nonprofit – Rainbow Village – hosted its largest fundraiser of the year at the prestigious Atlanta Athletic Club. During last year's Gala, Rainbow Village and its supporters raised $275,000 to help the Gwinnett County-based nonprofit meet the financial demands of providing housing and services to continue to transform the lives of homeless families. The results are in and this year's fundraiser raised $292,475 for Rainbow Village and its mission to break the cycles of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence in Georgia. The funds will be used to support Rainbow Village's facilities and programming. Its campus is nestled in the heart of Duluth and boasts five apartment buildings with room enough to house 30 families at a time. The onsite community center is home to an early childhood development center, learning spaces for character development classes for resident youth and life skills classes and counseling sessions for resident adults, a chapel and a gathering space for weekly family meals and special events.

"We are so incredibly grateful to all of our Gala sponsors and attendees for making this year's event such a phenomenal success," said Melanie Conner, Chief Executive Officer for Rainbow Village. "This was my first year taking part in the 'We Are Family' Gala and it was such a special evening shared by people from all walks of life coming together to support a common cause – the eradication of homelessness. We all enjoyed a seated dinner, wine, games and a raffle, as well as live and silent auctions. Winners in this year's auctions went home with exciting items like Superbowl tickets, hotel accommodations, a week's stay at Villa on Lake Burton, Rothschild Wine, Roundtrip Delta Airline Tickets and more. The funds we raised will be used to help transform the lives of recently homeless families – giving them a hand up rather than a hand out to ensure their success for years to come."

Perhaps the most special and profound moment of the evening occurred with Bianca – young mother of three and recent graduate of Rainbow Village – stood before the crowd of Gala goers to share her story and describe the impact Rainbow Village has had in her life. As she gazed into the crowd, she said, "I didn't know my Village was this big!"

Sponsors of the 2018 Rainbow Village "We Are Family" Benefit Gala included: Brand Bank, First National Insurance, Quantum National Bank, Coles Barton LLC, Wilmington Trust, Scott and Holly Phelan Family Foundation, Global Systems of America, United BMW, Robert Half, The Lorentzen Family, The DeLoach Family, Wilson Lewis, Change Healthcare, The Bass Family, East West Bank, The Fletcher Family, Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation, Gwinnett Medical Center and Leslie Harrison.

Opportunities still exist to have an impact on this Duluth-based nonprofit organization through the gifts of time, talent, resources and treasure – either during the holiday season or throughout the year. Interested parties can volunteer, become a one-time or monthly recurring financial donor, or donate items or gift cards to make the holidays happier for Rainbow Village families. To learn more about Rainbow Village, its programs, volunteer opportunities, interested parties are encouraged to visit www.rainbowvillage.org. While on the site, visitors can make an online donation or discover ways to make Rainbow Village families feel at home for the holidays.

About Rainbow Village:  Established in 1991 and based in Duluth, Georgia, Rainbow Village is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to breaking the cycles of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence. Committed to serving as a "community of transformation", Rainbow Village applies a holistic, two-generational approach to serving homeless families with children. With the goal of helping families achieve emotional stability and financial independence, Rainbow Village provides housing, early childhood education and after-school care, child and youth programming, financial planning, career counseling, workforce readiness, mental health counseling, community events and more. Rainbow Village accepts applications from homeless families with minor children throughout Georgia. To learn more about Rainbow Village, register as a volunteer or make a donation, visit www.rainbowvillage.org.