December 2025 Newsletter

InterAct’s Holiday Bazaar tradition would not happen without the hard work and generous spirit of our supporters. Holiday Bazaar provides a chance to celebrate the season and ends with each survivor receiving gift cards to use for holiday shopping.

A gift card offers the power of choice to survivors who have likely been stripped of that right, and it provides survivors the opportunity to exercise autonomy, build dignity, and participate in holiday preparations alongside their community.

Many donors come forward with gift card donations but two longstanding corporate supporters--PPM and Circle K--make a special visit to InterAct with Holiday Bazaar supplies and LOTS and LOTS of gift cards.

Circle K employees Latifa Chavis and Chris Riley (above) stopped by InterAct for Giving Tuesday with gift cards and supplies for Holiday Bazaar.

PPM and friends continued their tradition of supporting Holiday Bazaar with $7500 of gift cards collected at their annual Thanksgiving celebration. We are so grateful to Tammy Sanderford (pictured at left) and Brooke Baker for organizing. 

Watch for a complete listing of gift card/Holiday Bazaar donors and volunteers along with full coverage of Holiday Bazaar in our January newsletter!

InterAct's Jeff Whitson was featured in a CBS-17 news report about navigating the process of moving forward following domestic or sexual violence. As associate director of survivor services at InterAct, Jeff and his team follow the lead of the client.  "The choices are all theirs--what they want to see happen," he said.

It can take time for victims to fully understand what happened and become ready to process the event.

InterAct staff offers therapeutic services, court navigation services, and safety planning to survivors on their timetable.

Watch the full news report and interview by clicking here.

Your generosity fuels InterAct's impact. Over the nearly 50 years of its history, InterAct has come to understand how domestic and sexual violence is inextricably linked with physical and mental health, shelter and housing insecurity, income and employment. Crisis intervention--saving lives--is the foundation of what we do. After the moment of crisis, the rebuilding begins. InterAct walks with clients into a safe, sustainable future where the survivor is in control. Your gifts are what make it all possible.

As part of our end of year campaign, The Time Is Now, we’re excited to introduce new tax-smart ways to give that may benefit both you and the people we serve—without giving cash. Through our new smart giving tool, you can make your year-end gift with an IRA contribution, a stock gift, a DAF donation, or a cryptocurrency gift.

If you are 70.5 or older, you are eligible to make a tax-free donation from your IRA, and if you are over 73.5 you can also meet your RMD using this method.

If you have a donor advised fund, congratulations on having money already set aside.  You can recommend a grant directly from our smart giving page.

If you own appreciated stock, you can save on two types of taxes and complete the paperwork on our donor page.

If you own appreciated cryptocurrency, it can be up to 20% more valuable than donating cash.

Each of these giving avenues is available on our donation page (along with opportunities to give with credit or debit cards, PayPal, Venmo, or ACH transfer).

Thank you for standing with survivors and being a force for healing and prevention.

Carl Escriva and Max Dorin met while working in the hospitality industry as students at NCSU. With a combined 30 years in the food industry and 40 years of competitive athletic training experience, they saw a need and a market for clean, healthy, portioned meals for delivery or pick-up. And so Coalition Kitchen came into being.

As Carl explains it, Coalition Kitchen combines a rotating menu with consistent portions and gourmet techniques to create a reliable personal chef experience with a taste of the world’s cuisine.

The Kitchen prepares meals with 40+ grams of protein, muscle-building and low carb options, 25 grams of fat or less, and three ounces or more of vegetables. The team is committed to using real fats, clean ingredients, and precise portions. Meals are packaged in BPA-free, reusable containers; a robust pre-ordering systems reduces food waste; and meals are delivered in eco-friendly refrigerated vans.

Meals are available for pick-up at nine drop-off points or at self-service vending fridges.  Coalition Kitchen also offers home delivery through a subscription program.

"The hardest part of getting in shape is eating right," said Carl. "Our customers know the portions are right, the ingredients are good for them, and the food tastes great."

Many people do not realize that InterAct's building houses a professional kitchen.  Moving in has been a great experience, according to Carl. "I could not have asked for a better, more transparent process," he said.

A Tradition of Giving: The Annual Ornament Party

On December 6, more than 60 women gathered for the Annual Ornament Party, a beloved holiday tradition hosted by the Taunya Alexander family. What began nearly 20 years ago—started by Taunya’s mom—has grown into a vibrant celebration of community, generosity, and connection. For the past decade, this gathering has also been a heartfelt show of support for InterAct.

This year marked a special milestone, as the event welcomed its first-ever InterAct speaker. Guests enjoyed a festive ornament exchange, incredible food and drinks, and time spent honoring survivors of cancer while also championing the support of survivors served by InterAct. Attendees brought thoughtful in-kind donations, which will be delivered to InterAct in time for the holidays.

We are deeply grateful for this long-standing tradition and the strong community of women who make it such a meaningful annual moment of giving.

Knightdale Student Leaders Make a Big Impact

Members and leaders from Knightdale High School’s Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy stopped by InterAct to deliver the proceeds of their recent donation drive—carefully curated to meet our most urgent needs. These community leaders in training didn’t stop at dropping off the items; they rolled up their sleeves and stayed to unpack, date, organize, and shelve everything in our pantry. We’re grateful for their generosity, hard work, and commitment to supporting survivors in our community.

Thank You, Cisco Volunteers!
We were thrilled to welcome a group of volunteers from Cisco. They jumped right in to sort and store donations, helping us prepare for the busy holiday season. They also assembled and beautifully decorated two Christmas trees that made Holiday Bazaar feel extra festive and welcoming for the families we serve. We’re so grateful for their time, energy, and generosity!

HDR handles Holiday Bazaar logistics

The Raleigh office of HDR is a regular presence in the lead-up to Holiday Bazaar.  HDR volunteers handle logistics and operations for the bazaar--setting up dozens of tables, designing signage, and planning out traffic flow for several hundred participants and volunteers. We so appreciate their collaborative spirit.

• BPO Does Raleigh
• Central Dermatology Management Group
• Christ the King Lutheran Church
• Ella Ann and Frank B. Holding Foundation
• Rhoton & Co.
• The Seby B. Jones Foundation

• Triangle Community Foundation
• United Methodist Women of UMC at Six Forks
• United Way of the Greater Triangle
• United Way of Maryland
• The Warner Fund, Inc.
• William C. Ethridge Foundation
• Yardi Systems, Inc.

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