STUDIO SERIOUS FUN 2025 WAS A SUCCESS

What a night! Whether you danced the night away, joined the online auction, or supported from afar, Studio Serious Fun 2025 was a celebration of community and impact. Together, we exceeded our goal and raised over $570,000 to fund Human Options’ life-saving programs. Survivors, children, and families will have the resources they need to rebuild their lives and write their own stories of resilience, transformation, and success.

A huge thank you to our sponsors and gala committee for making this night possible, and congratulations to our 2025 DOVE Honoree Wendy Peterson, a champion of our collective work to build a community that wraps around survivors, their children, and their families.

Thank you for your dedication to our mission and your commitment to survivors everywhere.

Save the Date for next year's Serious Fun gala: Saturday, May 16, 2026!

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: CAPITAL GROUP

What started as a conversation between our board member Andrew Gray and his colleague at Capital Group became a transformation of our Children's Program space at our Second Step transitional housing site.

As part of their Irvine Community Action Day, 35 Capital Group volunteers worked to create a safe, welcoming environment for children impacted by relationship violence. Their efforts incorporated human-centered design, guided by listening sessions with youth, families, and our Innovation Team, ensuring the space truly meets their needs.

The result? One little girl exclaimed that her last day of being 7 was the best day of her life.

Thank you, Capital Group volunteers, for making this possible and helping us build a future where every child feels safe, supported, and free from fear.

GIVING DAY KICKS OFF STRONG START TO "LOVE IS" MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN

On May 21, Human Options joined 26 nonprofits across Orange County for Giving Day to raise awareness and critical funds for mental health services in our community. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Joe & Noelle Ferrentino and Newmeyer & Dillion, LLP—who matched every donation dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000—we surpassed our goal, raising $21,660 to launch the Love Is Giving Campaign in support of survivors and their families.

But the journey doesn’t end here. Love Is more than a moment—it’s a mission. Through the month of June, you can help ensure survivors of relationship violence, their children, and their families receive the mental health support they need to heal. Your donation fuels accessible, community-based mental health services at our walk-in centers—places where survivors feel safe, places that matter to them right in their own communities.

Let’s build on this momentum and keep the love growing. Donate today and be the reason a survivor feels seen, supported, and empowered on their path forward.

Love Is Support | Love Is Advocacy | Love Is Giving | Love Is YOU

INVISIBLE SCARS: UNDERSTANDING THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPACT OF ABUSE

Not all wounds are visible. For survivors of relationship violence, some of the deepest scars live in the mind, affecting emotions, relationships, and even the ability to feel safe or loved. But healing is possible.

Read the full blog to learn more about the hidden effects of abuse and how survivors can heal from the inside out.

If you or someone your know is in need of help, call: 1-877-854-3594

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