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$5,000 to Support Network for Battered Women

Thursday, March 22, 2007

The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation presented a grant of $5,000 to the Support Network for Battered Women during the March 22 Tour Meeting of SILVAR's Sunnyvale/Cupertino/Santa Clara District.

Chata Alfaro, executive director of the agency, was pleased to accept the grant from Silicon Valley Association of Realtors® (SILVAR) President Mark Burns. Alfaro said the mission of the Support Network for Battered Women, which is based in Sunnyvale, is "to empower our diverse community to live free from domestic violence."

Services at the agency include a 24-hour toll-free crisis line, an emergency shelter, counseling, information and referrals, support groups, safety planning, legal services and community education presentations. Staff and volunteers also contact police-reported victims of domestic violence to inform them of their rights and resources. All Support Network services are completely confidential, are either free or low-cost and are offered in both Spanish and English.

In Santa Clara County, which has a population of about 1.7 million people, there are only 58 confidential domestic emergency beds for battered women and their children; 24 of these are at the Support Network for Battered Women's emergency shelter.

Alfaro said the Charitable Foundation's grant will help the Support Network provide shelter services such as case management, counseling, legal assistance, court accompaniment and advocacy, social services advocacy, preventative education and safety planning to 25 domestic violence victims and their children.

This donation by the Charitable Foundation Trust has been made possible in part by sponsorship from the Heritage Bank of Commerce.


The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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