Happy October!
Thank you to all our volunteers who made our 10th annual Voices For Children Breakfast a smashing success! Themed “Transforming Lives”, this was a special morning filled with love and caring for all who have experienced abuse and a recognition of the critically important need for Child Advocates of Fort Bend in our community. A huge thank you to our Voices For Children Committee members and a shout out to our Ambassadors and Table Captains who hosted tours throughout the year showcasing our CAC and CASA programs and on September 26th filled the Marriott with community leaders who support CAFB’s work helping children who have been abused and neglected. Thank you to Lois Gremminger, Dexter McCoy, the Jones brothers and their wonderful grandmother for sharing their personal stories of heartbreak and resiliency.
September was a busy month with weekly Break The Cycle presentations in schools, TBRI trauma training for our volunteers, Child Builders curriculum instruction for staff to give them another tool in their toolkit for speaking with children, and many, many hours in court for our volunteers and staff. Construction on our building is moving along at a rapid pace. It is so exciting to see our “new” building taking shape. Framing is complete, interior walls are going up, restrooms are in, electrical and data lines are being dropped, concrete is being poured and furniture has been ordered. We are looking forward to completing the project by the end of the year and moving back into the building in late January! We are planning a big Grand Opening in early March to toast our new Davis George Campus! More details to follow.
For all you do to “transform lives” of children in our community who have been abused or neglected, thank you. Whether you are a volunteer, advocate, donor, partner or friend, you are everyday heroes to these children. You bring hope and support so our community’s most vulnerable children can move beyond their abuse and find safety, healing and permanency.
For the Children’s Sake,
Ruthanne Mefford
CEO, Child Advocates of Fort Bend
Progress Meter: The Campaign For The Children’s Sake
Late last year, CAFB, the board and a group of dedicated Capital Campaign Committee volunteers chaired by Nancy Olson launched the agency’s most ambitious capital campaign to date: For the Children’s Sake. With an overall goal of $8M, we envisioned a new, dramatically expanded campus for CAFB that would build our capacity to offer therapy and forensic interviews for more children, train more volunteers, and add more experienced and excellent team members. And not a moment too soon – over the last five years, CAFB has experienced a 53% increase in clients served, meaning many children and their families have been forced to wait months for the services they desperately need. We have committed to ensure no child falls through the cracks in our community, and the successful completion of that campaign is essential to that goal.
Since October 2018, we are deeply grateful for our community’s extraordinary generosity, and we celebrate that we have raised over $6.5M to date! We look forward to opening our new campus in early 2020.
We invite every member of the CAFB family to consider making a gift to help us achieve the dream of the For the Children’s Sake Campaign. If you are interested in learning more about making a gift, including available naming opportunities for our new campus, please contact Jessica Jubin, Development Officer – Campaign Manager at jjubin@cafb.org or 346-327-3606.
Thank you to everyone whose generosity has helped us transform the lives of our neighbors and community.
Thank You to the Astros Foundation
We love our home town teams. They always give us something to cheer about but this year, the Astros have really given us something to cheer about. The same day that they clinched the AL West, the Astros Foundation presented Child Advocates of Fort Bend with a $25,000 grant and we couldn’t be more thrilled! This generous grant will allow CAFB to continue providing a voice, building self-confidence and establishing positive permanency for children ages 6 to 18+ through our N.E.S.T. and WINGS programs, as we strive to break the cycle of abuse and neglect for Fort Bend’s children in foster care and build an overall stronger, thriving community.
Thank You Minute Maid
THANK YOU to Minute Maid for sharing their goodies from a recent partnership with Disney. Whether the children come to the CAC for an interview, therapy, are celebrating a birthday or just getting a gift from their CASA Advocate, there is sure to be big smiles for these one-of-a-kind gifts.
Welcoming New Staff!
Please join us in welcoming new staff member Susan Richardson and new interns Andria Soderquist, Matthew Detwiler and Kate Morris Born to our CAFB family! Susan has been a volunteer in our Children’s Advocacy Center for about 8 years but has joined our staff as a part-time Administrative Assistant in the CAC.
We are thrilled to have three interns this year from the University of Houston School of Social Work. First year intern Andria Soderquist will be working as a Children’s Service Coordinator. Matthew and Kate will be taking therapy clients.
We are looking forward to working with all of them and are thrilled to have the on our team!
Faith Leaders Brunch
Let’s do brunch! Child Advocates of Fort Bend is hosting a Faith Leaders Brunch at Sugar Creek Baptist Church on October 8th, 2019 at 10:00 AM. We will discuss ways to get the staff and congregation involved in responding to the issue of child abuse in Fort Bend County. Participants will learn about the need for support of children in our community and practical ways to get started!
If you are interested in participating or if you have staff members in your church whom you would like to bring, please contact Lindsey Castellanos at lcastellanos@cafb.org. We are very excited to share our information with your faith community!
Training Our Staff
Ten members of the CAFB staff were trained on the Stand Strong, Stay Safe Curriculum from Child Builders on September 10th. It was a great opportunity to learn new ways to engage children during our Break the Cycle school presentations. We learned new skills and tools to teach children how to be assertive and how to use their voice to stand up for themselves and others.
FBISD and CAFB
Child Advocates of Fort Bend is excited to partner with Fort Bend ISD through their Student Leadership Program, Leadership 102. Students from 6 Fort Bend high schools will work with CAFB, supporting our mission and bringing awareness about the agency’s work and child abuse prevention to their respective campuses and in their communities. We look forward to an exciting year with the students and we welcome them to the CAFB family!
What is Student Leadership at FBISD?
Developing the leadership potential in all students through character education, various leadership development experiences, and community service.
Through a series of seven monthly seminars, students explore their personal roles in community and school leadership, as well as volunteer service. Students interact with leaders from various fields to gain insight about leadership. School Board members sponsor and attend the student seminars focused on topics such as personal leadership skills, youth advocacy, service and volunteerism, local government in action, business, and health care. Students are taken into the community to see leadership in action.
NEST Education Committee Announcements
If you are advocating for school-aged children, October is the perfect time to reach out to teachers and caregivers for six-week progress reports. These reports are a good indicator of how the child is doing in their classes and gives insight on subjects where the child might be struggling. Our N.E.S.T. Incentive Celebration will be mid-December. We will honor our school-aged children who maintained good grades or who made progress behaviorally or academically! Please check with your families to see if they received their N.E.S.T. Incentive Party Fliers!
The Impact of a Trauma Informed Court
If you missed Judge Carole Clark last April at our training, she will be back in Montgomery County on October 11 at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott from 7:30am until 4:30pm.
The Honorable Judge Carole Clark used innovative trauma informed strategies to transform her court. These strategies lead to a significant decrease in terminations and an increase in reunification within her court. This is your chance to hear learn from Judge Clark and her legal team. RSVP by October 1st.
Thanking Our Partners
We will be hosting Partner Appreciation on October 24, 2019 at the Dry Creek Social Club to honor all of our CASA and CAC partners. If you would like to donate items to be raffled to partners please contact Sasha Soileau at ssoileau@cafb.org or Joe Driver at jdriver@cafb.org.
SAFVIC Sexual Assault and Family Violence Training
Our Children’s Advocacy Center will be hosting the SAFVIC Sexual Assault and Family Violence training for law enforcement partners on November 7, 2019 from 8am until 5pm. The SAFVIC – Human Trafficking Course is designed to provide law enforcement officers around the state with the tools they need to effectively recognize, respond to, and investigate human trafficking. Texas Peace Officers who successfully complete this course will receive 8 hours of TCLOE credit. For more information or to register contact ssoileau@cafb.org.
SAVE THE DATE – Human Trafficking 101
Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s Children’s Advocacy Center invites all community members to join us for an informational session to learn about this problem which is impacting our community. The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, Traffick911, The Governor’s Office and others will present on their roles in the battle against human trafficking.
Thursday, October 17
9am – 4pm
Rosenberg Civic Center
3825 TX-36, Rosenberg, TX 77471
We will break at lunch time so bring your lunch or plan to get something nearby.
This training is free and open to the public. CEU hours pending.
Christmas Home Tour and Annual Wreath Raffle
The Christmas Home Tour is scheduled for December 13th and 14th. The two-day Home Tour hosts visitors from all over Fort Bend County and surrounding areas. Over 3,000 guests will tour the homes, including the 1,000 volunteers that take their time to participate. If would like to discuss showcasing your home and Christmas décor or you are interested in volunteering on the Home Tour committee – contact Lisa at LMoore@cafb.org.
We are also planning for our 6th annual Wreath Raffle! Everyone will have an opportunity to purchase a raffle ticket and choose the wreath they hope to win.
Won’t you please help support us by donating a wreath or swag with a retail value of $150 – $500?
We would like to receive your gorgeous creation by Friday, October 4th.
Please bring a friend and join the FRIENDS Council for their annual membership coffee on Tuesday, October 1st 10am-11:30am. You will learn about FRIENDS and the many ways they support children in our community who have been abused and neglected. Annual membership dues are $40 and support the school backpacks and special need requests throughout the year.
Guest are encouraged to bring VISA, Walmart, Target, Amazon or Kroger gift cards for gifts, incentives and overall needs for the children served by Child Advocates of Fort Bend.
Unable to attend, but you’d like to join?
Mark your calendar!
October 1, 2019 FRIENDS Coffee, Mission & Mimosas
10am – 11:30am
For details, contact Kristin Stiles Janossy at Kristin.janossy@gmail.com
October 8, 2019 Faith Leaders Brunch
10am – 11:30am
For details or to participate contact Lindsey Castellanos at lcastellanos@cafb.org
October 17, 2019 Human Trafficking 101
9am – 4pm
Rosenberg Civic Center
November 22, 2019 National Adoption Day
8am – noon
Fort Bend County Justice Center, 3rd Floor
1422 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, TX 77469
RSVP to Metoyer at mellis@cafb.org
December 13 + 14, 2019 Christmas Home Tour
Friday 10am – 4pm and 6pm – 9pm; Saturday 10am – 4pm
Mark your calendar and watch for details. . .
