Nonprofit Devoted to Ending Homelessness – One Family at a Time – Will Extend the Celebration to Those Not in Attendance with Special Raffle and Virtual Silent Auction
Duluth, Ga., September 14, 2021 – Marking 30 years of bringing help, hope, housing and healing to families experiencing homelessness, the Rainbow Village “We Are Family” Benefit Gala represents the pinnacle of the year-long celebration. Serving as the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser, the 2021 Gala is designed to make everyone part of the event – whether in attendance in-person or showing their support virtually. In addition to a seated dinner, 30th anniversary celebration and live auction hosted at the Atlanta Athletic Club on October 16, Rainbow Village will extend access to its silent auction items for online bidding. It will also offer a very special raffle with a limited number of just 300 tickets available for purchase at $100 each in hopes of raising $30,000 in commemoration of its 30 years. The winner of the raffle will receive a 7-night stay for up to eight guests at Casa de Sofia – a luxury home with pool and private beach access in a gated community in Manzanilla, Mexico.
“While we get excited every year for our annual Gala, we are particularly enthusiastic this year,” said Melanie Conner, CEO of Rainbow Village. “Last year’s Gala was virtual due to COVID – and while it was still special and highly successful in terms of funds raised, it’s hard to replace the power of being able to look someone in the eye and say ‘Thank you’ for their support. This year’s Gala also presents us with a special opportunity to pay tribute to one of our biggest supporters – Reverend Joel P. Hudson, who we lost in July at the age of 90 surrounded by his loved ones. It was his prayerful decision to answer the calling that God placed on his heart to serve the homeless in the local community – making Christ Episcopal Church in Norcross our organization’s birthplace. In all the years since, his leadership brought many to embrace the mission of Rainbow Village. We’ve since learned that his night time caregiver was a recent graduate of our program. If that isn’t a tale of an act of kindness coming full-circle, I don’t know what is.”
Conner added that the lessons learned during the virtual Gala Rainbow Village held last year inspired her team to extend the celebration beyond the ballroom at the Atlanta Athletic Club. For those who cannot be in attendance, they can access the Gala’s silent auction through the Rainbow Village website. The silent auction features items like a Big Green Egg, Asheville NC Getaway, Lake Oconee Weekend Getaway, Wine & Dine Package at Bone’s Restaurant, 5 Bottles of Specially Curated Bourbons and more. Members of the public can also purchase a raffle ticket through the website – but with only 300 available for purchase and such an incredible prize up for raffle, they’ll want to hurry. The prize of the weeklong stay at Casa de Sofia will be good through October 2023.
Designed to celebrate the nonprofit’s past while offering a glimpse into its future, sponsors of the 2021 Rainbow Village “We Are Family” Benefit Gala include: Northside Hospital, Quantum National Bank, Wages & Sons Funeral Homes and Crematories, Wilson Lewis Certified Public Accountants, Garrard Group, Porter Steel, Renasant Bank, All-State Electrical Contractors, Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, the Scott and Holly Phelan Family Foundation, the Lorentzen Family, the Bass Family, Leslie Harrison, the Fletcher Family, the Kress Family, Skooter and Theresa Bullock, and the Morgan Family.
Tickets and sponsorships are still available for the 2021 Rainbow Village “We Are Family” Benefit Gala and can be purchased online at www.RainbowVillage.org. The in-person event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 16, but the silent auction will open for bids on October 4 and raffle tickets are available for purchase now. Proceeds from ticket sales, live and silent auctions, and raffle sales will benefit Rainbow Village in support of its 2.5-acre campus with room enough to house up to 30 families and the transformational programming it extends to them for up to two years. For anyone who wishes to have an impact on Rainbow Village and the families it serves beyond the Gala as it looks ahead to the NEXT 30 years – whether through direct monetary contributions or volunteering – please visit www.RainbowVillage.org.
About Rainbow Village: Established in 1991, Rainbow Village is a transformative 501(c)3 nonprofit program located in Duluth, GA that serves families that are currently experiencing homelessness. Our model provides safe housing, education, and community support systems that allow families to confidently embark on the journey to self-sufficiency and thrive beyond our village. To learn more about Rainbow Village, register as a volunteer or make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.rainbowvillage.org. To stay up-to-date on the latest Rainbow Village news, the nonprofit invites you to connect with them on social media, including Facebook @RainbowVillageInc, Instagram @rainbowvillageinc, Twitter @rainbowvillage1, and LinkedIn @rainbow-village-inc.
