Marjaree Mason Center gets $850K for new resource center
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Marjaree Mason Center has been granted $850,000 to fund their capital camping project aimed at building a new resource center for all non-residential services for survivors of domestic violence in Fresno County.
The new resource center is named the Isnardi Foundation Community Resource Center.
The funds come from the Community Project Funding (CPF), an initiative that officials say started in the fiscal year 2022 to allow Members of Congress to request direct funding for projects that benefit the communities they represent.
The budget funds a wide variety of public projects and activities, including the construction and renovation of facilities, the expansion of existing programs, and the planning and design of future initiatives.
Officials say Congressman Jim Costa submitted a request to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for support of a number of local projects, including the grant for the new center. In March, President Biden signed the bill and approved included recommended funding.
Officials with the Marjaree Mason Center say that, with the support of Congressman Jim Costa, the center has raised $16.5 million of the $21 million campaign goal, which includes costs for both the property acquisition and the necessary remodeling.
“This major gift through the support of Congressman Costa is nothing short of incredible and gets us so much closer to our fundraising goal,” said Nicole Linder, CEO of the Marjaree Mason Center.
The property for the Community Resource Center was purchased by the Marjaree Mason Center in December 2022.
The nearly 60-year-old building has historic roots, and officials say it needs significant upgrades to modernize the site, meet all applicable building codes, and meet the needs to serve survivors of domestic violence and operate as a 24/7 trauma-informed facility that’s physically and emotionally safe.
Officials say the 37,680 square-foot building will double the current physical service capacity for all non-residential services for survivors of domestic violence in Fresno County, including a 24/7 crisis response hotline and drop-in center, mental health services for adults and children, a dedicated children’s enrichment center, art therapy room, housing and job support and more.
The center is set to open in December of 2024.
