Kristi House, Inc., the Children’s Advocacy Center for all of Miami-Dade County, held its annual gala on Saturday, April 9 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Brickell. The intimate, upscale affair raised $616,856 to provide the specialized assistance needed for victims and families of child abuse and sex trafficking.

Upon arriving at the tropical chic affair, attendees enjoyed an elegant cocktail reception with wine spirits from the Republic National Distributing Company. Aptly themed ‘A Night in the Tropics,’ donors and guests were invited to experience a formal seated dinner and place dibs on silent and live auctions, which boasted high-end items including five-star vacations, designer handbags and gourmet celebrity chef dinner events. The event was made possible by Goya Cares, with generous support by Trish & Dan Bell, Commissioner Sally A. Heyman, Commissioner Joe A. Martinez, and Dr. Brigitt and Alan Potamkin.

Distinguished guests included Commissioner Sally A. Heyman, District; School Board Rep Lubby Narvarro, several judges and municipal elected officials. On-site, Co-Chairs Cristina Mas Adler and Mary (Mimi) Bradley Shafey reflected on the importance of the nonprofit’s mission in providing a healing environment for child victims of abuse and their families.

Kristi House has provided services for more than 22,900 victims of child abuse and their families to help them recover from the trauma of abuse and exploitation. This approach includes coordinating client families’ involvement with legal, medical and mental health systems, limiting the number of interviews to reduce the trauma associated with each retelling of the story, and ensuring that no child falls through the gaps. Kristi House directly provides a full continuum of wrap-around services and care for victims and their families free of charge, including therapy, which is critical for recovery from the trauma of abuse for most survivors.

“Every year, we are humbled by the tremendous support received from our donors, partners and volunteers, but this year we were truly blown away,” said CEO Amanda Altman. “Our supporters know the importance of having a Kristi House in our community.”

“Not only did we exceed our fundraising goals, but we also were able to educate more community members of the horrid realities of child abuse and sex trafficking, some of which happens right here in our backyard,” said Cristina Mas Adler, Kristi House Gala Chair. “These funds impact thousands of children, and we couldn’t be happier to be able to provide these families with the financial resources and sources they desperately deserve.”

About Kristi House

Founded in 1995 as a private, not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, Kristi House provides an integrated solution for families navigating the complex systems involved in cases by working with seven partner agencies to heal the hurt and hold the perpetrators responsible. The Center is nationally recognized for its evidence-based, therapeutic expertise in treating child trauma. Kristi House is responsible for coordinating child-victims’ legal medical, and social services needs and providing evidence-based interventions to enable children to overcome the trauma of abuse.