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Petito's family created the Gabby Petito Foundation both to honor the late 22-year-old and to make a difference in the lives of others.
"We want to honor Gabby's memory and life by ensuring that no one ever has to experience what she did," Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt said in a statement. "We want survivors to know that they aren't alone and that there are amazing organizations ready to help."
Petito went missing in late August during a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, 23-year-old Brian Laundrie. Her remains were found on Sept. 19 in a Wyoming national park. The Teton County coroner determined that she was strangled to death.
Laundrie, the sole person of interest authorities named in her death, was reported missing on Friday, Sept. 17, and found dead in a Florida nature reserve in October. His family's attorney reported that his manner of death was suicide.
According to an announcement from the National Domestic Violence Hotline on Monday, Dec. 20, the Gabby Petito Foundation made significant donations in the month of December to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, SafeSpace and The AWARE Foundation.
"These three organizations are doing incredible work on the front lines of missing persons and responding to those impacted by abuse," said Petito's father Joe Petito. "Our foundation is honored to present them with this support."
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