Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell speaks at a Marjaree Mason press conference in November 2023. Photo by Ben Hensley

Fresno’s Marjaree Mason Center in 2018 announced a $20 million capital campaign – Courage Takes Root – aimed at building a new community resource center aimed at expanding the reach and capacity of the nonprofit.

Starting Wednesday, the Marjaree Mason Center is taking that capital campaign to the community, opening a Community Challenge pledge drive seeking to raise funds for the new resource center. At 255 W. Bullard Ave. in Fresno, the center is located at the site of the former Milan Institute, which moved to Clovis in 2021.

Marjaree Mason Center officials hope the drive encourages local businesses to step up and support the nonprofit. Starting at $2,500, donor businesses will receive a branded QR code to use in marketing to help Marjaree Mason Center reach its goal.

The company that raises the most during the timeframe will receive additional benefits including a private meeting room named in their honor.

Several donations were made on the spot by speakers representing various organizations. Assemblyman Jim Patterson originally intended to donate $1,000 to the organization.

After a $2,500 donation from City Council President Tyler Maxwell, Patterson ripped up his original check, pledging to donate $2,501 to the fundraiser.

“Imagine what would happen when someone who has been broken hearted – has been broken physically finds out that there’s a place like this and they go through that front door and they’re going to be welcomed, cared for, loved, stood by and made whole,” said Patterson. “I can’t think of a better reason to tear up my old check.”

In addition to commitments from Patterson, Maxwell and several other donors, Lynda and Stewart Resnick will match up to $1 million donated through Nov. 15.

Fresno County also allocated $4.7 million of Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, an amount that Fresno County District 2 Supervisor Steve Brandau said was the largest donation of such funds to date.

During Wednesday morning’s press conference, several speakers mentioned the domestic violence rates in Fresno, with Maxwell citing rates that are more than 60% higher than those throughout the rest of the state. Several speakers also addressed the issue of space at the current resource center – a converted house that has functioned as the main center for the nonprofit since the nonprofit’s opening in 1979.

“This will essentially double their footprint which is important,” Maxwell said. “We have a domestic violence average here locally that’s 63% higher than the state average and the last thing that we want to do is tell somebody that we don’t have any beds to take them in when their life could be in danger.”

Donations can be made to the Marjaree Mason Center by visiting their website and clicking the “donate” link. Donations can also be made by calling (559) 237-4706.