The community service club's donation of $25,000 will enable Interface Children, Family Services to purchase a condominium over a month that will be converted into a transitional home for battered spouses, said Chris Rutter, spokeswoman for Interface.

We will use an initial $5,000 to make the down payment, and the remaining S20,000 will help pay the mortgage over the next four years. The agency hopes to develop several transitional homes with assistance from other community groups.

We're hoping that this will serve as a model for other groups to get involved with us," Rutter said. Interface, a nonprofit agency in Camarillo, has provided emergency shelter, counseling and other assistance to battered spouses and their children since 1978.

Representative from Zonta said the gift indeed is intended to spur greater support for Interface and agency's efforts to combat domestic violence.

The Zonta Club chose this project as our long-range plan because of our awareness and interest in doing something to stop the increase in domestic violence." Said Betty Norton, Zonta president. "We will direct our fund raising efforts the next few years to achieve our pledge."

The emergency shelter that Interface opened in 1978 offers accommodations for as many as four women and 14 children for an average of 30 days.

"The transitional home will help spouses avoid having to return to an abusive relationship. "Rutter said "women and their children would be able to live in the home for a minimum of 6 months so they can save money, get counseling and behind an independent life, if that is what they ultimately want."

"Whats happening now is that they feel afraid that they're going to be out there on their own, and they've never been independent before." Rutter explained.

"We're encouraging women who are battered to increase their self-esteem and seek help." She said. "It's also a period for the husband and wife to get counseling, some kind of other intervention to change the dynamics in the family."

The executive director of Interface said the transitional home, planned for more than two years, would offer more hope to battered spouses.

"We are very excited about this partnership (with Zonta)" said Charles Watson, the Interface executive.