PROVIDENCE – Sojourner House marked its 50th anniversary at a breakfast on May 29 at the Providence Marriott Downtown, drawing about 350 community members, elected officials and local leaders and raising more than $160,000 for services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Karah Bailey of WJAR-TV NBC 10 served as emcee.
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“A 50-year anniversary for a victim services agency feels rather bittersweet,” said Vanessa Volz, CEO and president of Sojourner House. “On the one hand, 50 years of providing help and support to individuals and families during their darkest moments feels extraordinary. But on the other hand, this anniversary is also deeply sobering because it forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: Sojourner House still exists today because the violence that led to our founding continues to exist, too.”
The event featured a keynote address by Kristen Gibbons Feden, a trial attorney known for representing victims of Bill Cosby and R. Kelly during the #MeToo movement. She spoke about accountability and the difficulty survivors face in coming forward. Founding members of the organization also addressed its early advocacy work.
During the breakfast, Cara Twitchell received the 2026 Sojourner Truth Award, given to a client who uses their lived experience to support others. In her acceptance speech, Twitchell thanked Tara Zorbedian, her therapist at Sojourner House, for the past three years.
“Tara, thank you for listening without judgment. Thank you for helping me find my voice again. But mostly, thank you for teaching me that I’m worthy of a love so gentle and so sweet,” Twitchell said. “Thank you for helping me understand that healing is not linear, and that strength sometimes looks like simply continuing to show up and getting through the day, one breath at a time.”
Sponsors of the event included Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Amica Mutual Insurance Co. Funds raised support survivors in Rhode Island with access to housing, counseling, legal representation and other services.
Founded in 1976, Sojourner House has assisted more than 75,000 people. The agency owns 42 housing units and leases about 150 others, and its education team conducts workshops in schools and professional settings across the state.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor at Providence Business News. He can be reached at Mudambi@PBN.com.
