Fresno, CA — (December 19, 2024) — The Marjaree Mason Center, Fresno County’s only dedicated domestic violence shelter and supportive services agency, is proud to announce that it has received a generous $1 million donation from the Otis Booth Foundation and Booth Ranches towards the completion of its new Community Resource Center, named its Isnardi Foundation Building.
This transformative gift is an investment beyond a physical space or construction project. It is an investment in transforming the lives of thousands of adults and children who are empowered to move from fear and abuse to safety and stability.
A project that began in 2018, the Marjaree Mason Center’s new Isnardi Foundation Building will house their 24/7 trauma-informed crisis drop-in center, as well as all of their non-residential survivor services including 24/7 hotline, individual counseling and group therapy, legal advocacy and children’s services, as well as all prevention and early intervention efforts.
“We are proud to support the Marjaree Mason Center and think the work they do and services they provide are incredible, said Loren Booth, President of Booth Ranches. “To my knowledge, this is the largest gift the Otis Booth Foundation has made in Fresno County where Booth Ranches employees live and work and I couldn’t be more proud to invest in this amazing new facility.”
While construction continues to modernize the 60 year-old building to meet today’s building and operational standards – transforming it into a physically and emotionally safe space, the Booth Ranches donation comes at a critical time. Construction set to be complete at the end of this month and the Center hopes to fully transition all services by early February, with all project funding identified. Including both building acquisition and remodel, the total cost of the project is $21 million.
Just last month, long-time supporter of the Marjaree Mason Center, the Isnardi Foundation, whose previous donation is being honored by naming the new building the Isnardi Foundation Building, committed an additional $1 million in matching funds in order to inspire a public fundraising campaign to finish fundraising for this project. Just over $1 million was raised during the two-week campaign putting the total raised just over $20 million.
Through Booth Ranches’ generous donation, the total $21 million goal has now been met.
“We are deeply grateful for the incredible generosity of Booth Ranches towards this critical community resource,” said Nicole Linder, CEO of the Marjaree Mason Center. “This substantial gift strengthens our ability to provide the comfort, courage, hope, confidence, dignity and respect that all survivors deserve.”
Though the fundraising goal has been met for the campaign, additional support is still needed. Costs that were cut from the original construction budget, including the completion of an outdoor children’s play structure and architect fees for future site development, are now being revisited with the goal of now being able to complete earlier than expected.
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
About Marjaree Mason Center
For over 45 years, the Marjaree Mason Center has offered safe housing and support services to adults and their children affected by domestic violence in Fresno County. As the only comprehensive domestic violence agency in Fresno County, which has the highest per capita calls to law enforcement in the State of California, the Marjaree Mason Center provides safe housing, legal services, counseling and education to survivors and youth.
The Center was founded in 1979 after the murder of Marjaree Mason, a native of Easton, at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, a Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy. A graduate of Washington High School and Reedley College, Marjaree lived in Fresno for 31 years and was well known in the community.
To contact the Marjaree Mason Center, call the business center at 559.237.4706, or the 24-hour confidential emergency helpline at 559.233.HELP (4357) or help@mmcenter.org. To learn more, visit www.mmcenter.org.
