Volunteers from the FISH Fund and team members at Breaking The Chains gather in Fresno Monday for a $100,000 check presentation. Photo by Gabriel Dillard

A group of area professionals have kicked their support for women and children into high gear with a $100,000 gift Tuesday to Fresno-based nonprofit Breaking The Chains.

Founded in 2013, Breaking The Chains provides services to help juvenile and adult victims of human trafficking rebuild their lives, including shelter, educational resources, trauma counseling, childcare and more.

Debra Rush, Breaking the Chains CEO, said each dollar donated from the FISH Fund — currently housed under the Central Valley Community Foundation — would have four times the impact under her organization’s stewardship.

“The heartbeat of everything we do comes from supporters like you guys,” Rush said Monday during a check exchange at the Central Valley Community Foundation office in Downtown Fresno.

The donation represents the proceeds from the annual FISH Gala 2023 hosted in Fresno in September 2023. It is the fourth such gala hosted by FISH (Fund for Indian Subcontinent Heritage), an initiative started in 2017 by local residents of South Asian heritage to positively impact the Central Valley. The organization’s motto is “we give where we live.”

The first FISH Gala raised $20,000, and the amount has grown ever since, said Annu Bezwada, president of FISH and a Fresno attorney. As one of FISH’s major philanthropic priorities is supporting victims of domestic violence, the first three galas raised a total of $85,000 for the Marjaree Mason Center and hopes to continue assisting other local organizations.

Dr. Vinod Balasa, a founding member of FISH, said the organization supports other local causes on an as-needed basis, such as providing masks during the pandemic. Poverello House, a local homeless shelter, is also a beneficiary.

FISH will soon be taking applications from organizations seeking to be a beneficiary from the 2024 gala. See the fishfund.org website for more information.

Bezwada said more than 400 people attended the 2023 FISH Gala. It was no staid event, featuring aerialists, dancing, cuisine and culture from the Indian subcontinent.

“It’s fun, Bezwada said. “It’s not your typical gala.”

As an organization with no paid staff, FISH relies on its volunteer board, comprised of local professionals and business sponsors to host its gala. Gold-level sponsors from last year’s event include Bindya Nagrani Luxury Real Estate, Valley Health Team, CA Event Guru, Paul Singh Real Estate Consultant, FFB Bank, Littler and more.