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Founder Karen Arakelian at the Taste of Italy 2017 event. Gloria Foundation. The consignment shop sells furniture, home accessories, artwork, lighting, and also high-end apparel, handbags, shoes, and jewelry. Arakelian herself is also the owner of White House Designs, which serves as the umbrella company for White House Luxe and Living, Design Consign and The Gloria Foundation. "I want people to know that if they buy something from us we can pick up their old stuff. A lot of our furniture comes from clients of ours. Its really nice. We need people to donate furniture and know that this service is available when people are buying new furniture," she explained. Through these businesses and the foundation, she is able to assist other organizations with a similar mission to her own. "The two of the organizations that we support are Jersey Battered Women's Service and Partners for Women and Justice, which was whom the proceeds for our 4th Annual Taste of Italy event went to," Arakelian said. The venue was at Gloria Foundation's consignment shop, Design Consign. The venue was turned into a Tuscan courtyard with a beautiful fountain in the middle; guests enjoyed a live band, a silent auction, and lots of wine and food. "All the neighbors help out. Mercedes-Benz of Caldwell next door lets us use their parking lot, they were our sponsor, and neighboring restaurants all donate the food. It was a true community effort." The Gloria Foundation usually hosts two events a year in effort to bring awareness to the cause and raise money for programs and organizations that help provide resources to those affected by domestic violence. Next May, the Partners for Women and Justice will host an event to honor Arakelian and The Gloria Foundation at their annual spring benefit, Celebrate Hope. The Gloria Foundation also supports and has committed to fundraising $100,000 for the Morris Family Justice Center in Morris County, a comprehensive center (and Division of Jersey Battered Women's Service) where women can obtain services such as counseling, protection and assistance for domestic violence, dating abuse, and sexual assault survivors. Arakelian is continuously growing the foundation and is working with Robin Wilson CEO of Robin Wilson Home by starting Designers Against Domestic Violence. "That's going to be interior designers, fashion designers, landscape designers—any designer, really. Designers Against Domestic Violence is basically designers helping us fundraise for the different programs," Arakelian said. The Gloria Foundation will also be working with the Rachel Coalition, which is the domestic violence division of Jewish Family Services. Above: Robin Wilson, CEO of Robin Wilson Home Below: Emily Michalak of Montville, NJ VUE ON GIVING V U E N J . C O M 76

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