Saturday, May 17th turned out to be a spectacular morning for a race at Memorial Hall. More than a thousand runners gathered to participate in the 5K and 1-Miler. 

Thank you to our amazing sponsors, volunteers and race participants. Your support will benefit many children and youth! 

Click HERE or on the picture above to read Bar Run Chair Manny Pokotilow's recap of this year's 5K Run/Walk.

For pictures from the race, please click HERE!

Earlier this Spring, we announced that Child Advocates was the winner of the IKEA Life Improvement Challenge. Nominated by our friends at IKEA Conshohocken, and supported by our readers and followers who voted online every day, we won! The grand prize was more than $10,000 worth of furniture and household goods to benefit our clients and their families.

 

The deliveries have begun! IKEA Conshohocken staff filled their van twice and Moira Mulroney, our Director of Development and Communications joined IKEA's Marketing Specialist Angie Dixon making stops throughout the city. Beds, dressers, couches, desks, chairs, coffee tables, bedding, toys ... you name it! "I think we must have delivered 18 MALM dressers that day," said Moira. "They are heavier than they look! But the smiles from the families made it worth it."

 

Thanks to the IKEA Life Improvement Challenge, we provided 12 families with much-needed furniture and other items, allowing us just one more way to change the story for our children and youth!

 

With the school year drawing to a close, we would like to thank all of those who helped us deliver better educational outcomes to our children by supporting Project Youth Educational Success (YES!). Led by our Education Law Attorney, Megan Rok, Project YES! provides additional oversight and advocacy to clients who have serious and intractable academic problems -- a common issue for children and youth in the child welfare system. These children are frequently moved from home to home and school to school, which often leads to prolonged absences, delays in enrollment, inappropriate placements, missing records, lost credits, repeated grades, and deficient special education services. Through Project YES!, we seek to correct these problems and give voice to our children's educational needs by  providing our staff and volunteers with an Education Law Attorney who serves as "crisis interventionist" and "consultant."

 

For supporting our work in this vital initiative, we would like to acknowledge the following foundations: Abington Foundation, Connelly Foundation, The Honickman Foundation, Hoxie Harrison Smith Foundation, The Huron Foundation, The Lindback Foundation, and The Nelson Foundation. We thank you all!

To learn more about the Project YES please click HERE.

You don't have to be an expert in child welfare law to help a child. What you do need is a desire to add meaning to your life, to grow in your profession, to leave a permanent imprint on society.

As a Child Advocates Volunteer Attorney, you can change the story.

Attend our Volunteer Training Workshop. "How to Handle a Child Abuse Case" 

8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Hosted by Blank Rome LLP

One Logan Square, 18th & Cherry Streets

Continuing Legal Education Credit: 6.5 (4.5 Substantive, 2.0 Ethics) Cost: $75.00. Click HERE to register.

Matthew Siegel, a Partner at Cozen O'Connor, has been a Volunteer Attorney with Child Advocates for more than 15 years. He received a Distinguished Advocate for Children Award in 2006. Joining the Board in 2010, Matt showed impressive leadership from the start and served as the Annual Benefit Reception & Auction (ABR) Firm Committee Chair, as well as the Chair of the Membership Committee and, ultimately, Vice President of the Board.

 

In 2009, Beth Hanssens joined the Board and was immediately assigned to the Finance Committee to provide her expertise in financial management and auditing to our books. She took on the role of Treasurer in 2013, leading Child Advocates through some exciting financial times. She has served as the ABR Corporate Committee Chair and Secretary of the Board.

 

We said good-by to Nicole Friant in January when she resigned from the Board, left her job at Duane Morris, and moved to Northern California to become an organic farmer! She had been a Child Advocate Volunteer Attorney for 15 years, representing more than 25 children. She joined the Board in 2009 and was honored as a Distinguished Advocate for Children that same year. Nicole served as the Event Chair of our annual Golf Classic.

 

Jill Porter joined the Board in 2009. As a retired columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, she chaired the PR Committee (now known as the Development & Communications Committee) and contributed her vast expertise in press relations and brand awareness.

 

Suzanne Root is a long-time Volunteer Attorney who joined to Board in 2009. She immediately became a leader in events planning and donor cultivation, most recently serving as Auction Co-Chair for the ABR, exceeding a record fundraising goal to bring in more than $100,000 on the auction in 2015!

 

Joe Tucker, Jr. is the founder of Tucker Law Group, and joined the Child Advocates Board in 2009. He served on both the Policy and HR Committees, providing much-needed leadership on delicate issues in the child welfare system and within the agency. Joe has been a long-time sponsor of our events. 

 

To all of the Board Members who are leaving us, thank you for your service and dedication. We could not have done without you.

 

Next month we'll introduce you to the newest members of our Board, so stay tuned!