Realtor Association of Southwestern Illinois donates to Violence Prevention Center

SHILOH — The Realtor Association held the Toni Hannon Golf Classic this month at Tamarack Golf Club in Shiloh. At the event, the Realtor Association presented Pat Mayberry Vecchio, the director of development of the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois, with a $2,000 donation from some of the proceeds of the event.

During fiscal year 2018, the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois anticipates providing services to 1,800 victims of domestic violence and their children, including 5,800 nights of safe shelter for 275 women and children, and responding to 11,000 hotline calls. The Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois is a non-for-profit agency that provides free comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence in St. Clair, Monroe and Randolph Counties in Illinois including a 24-hour crisis hotline, a 35-bed emergency shelter, individual and group counseling, art therapy, police and court advocacy services, medical services, and prevention and education in the community. It also runs a resale shop called the Shelter Shop in Belleville.

“Community outreach and service are a very important part of our jobs as Realtors,” remarks Mike Gross, President of the Realtor Association of Southwestern Illinois. “We, as Realtors and business men and women involved in the real estate industry, not only work in the Metro-East, but we live here, too, so we strive to help make our communities a better place for all. Being able to partner with the Violence Prevention Center is a perfect way to honor one of our late Realtor members, Toni Hannon. We feel that the Violence Prevention Center is an amazing organization that helps so many in unfortunate circumstances, and we are proud to be able to help provide for those in need.”

Hannon was a member of the Realtor Association of Southwestern Illinois for more than 10 years. In the short number of years on this world, she was able to make a huge difference through her commitment to community service.

Because of her commitment to community service and the association, the Realtor Association Golf Outing Task Force decided to honor her legacy with changing the name of the Golf Outing. Each year, part of the proceeds of the event will go to a charity, and this year’s charity of choice was the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois.

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, call VPC’s 24-hour crisis hotline at (618) 235-0892.

PHOTO: From left: Deb Frazier, chief executive officer of the Realtor Association of Southwestern Illinois; Angie Zahn, president-elect of RASI; Pat Mayberry Vecchio, director of development for the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois; and Mike Gross, RASI president.