Crittenton Women’s Union Gala Raises $225K, Surpassing Goal

http://www.massnonprofit.org/news.php?artid=2621&catid=12

November 18, 2011 — Crittenton Women’s Union, a Boston-based nonprofit that helps low-income women attain economic independence, announced that it raised more than $225,000 at its fifth anniversary gala, the first such event it has held, surpassing its goal by more than 12%.

Crittenton Women’s Union (CWU) had aimed to raise $200,000 at the event, which drew 300 attendees, held earlier this month at studies of WGBH to showcase its accomplishments of the last five years.

Peter Zane, CWU board chair, said, “We thank all our friends and supporters who made our fifth anniversary celebration such an overwhelming success, especially our event lead sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and State Street.

“So many of the same friends and supporters who joined us at Live! Work! Thrive! have stood with us from CWU’s inception five years ago and have enabled CWU to fulfill its mission daily to help low-income women become economically self-sufficient and create better futures for themselves and their families.”

Gov. Deval L. Patrick, his wife, Diane Patrick, and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and his wife, Angela Menino, served as the event’s honorary co-chairs. Event co-chairs were Zane, Pamela A. Murray, senior vice president, Rockefeller Financial, and Fredi Shonkoff, senior vice president, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Margaret McKenna, former president of Walmart Foundation and of Lesley University, was the evening’s featured speaker.

Those attending included friends, supporters, partners, politicians, elected officials, and policy makers. Among the guests were Vivien Li, president of The Boston Harbor Association, Kwame Lewis, president of the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, and Ellen Zane, recently retired president/CEO of Tufts Medical Center.

Incorporated in July 2006, CWU was formed from the merger of two Boston-based organizations – Crittenton, Inc. and The Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, Inc. Today, CWU helps 1,400 people annually through its housing, alternative education, workforce development, and family support programs. It combines direct services with independent research and public advocacy in support of its mission to help low-income women attain economic independence.

One of the largest providers of emergency family shelter in Massachusetts, CWU serves approximately 420 families a year, providing emergency and transitional shelter for homeless families and supportive housing services for formerly homeless families living in permanent housing.