Today would have been our 6th Annual Hope and Healing Breakfast - We need your help!
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"The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC), has helped my family heal from the trauma that we have endured. They have given us hope for our future. From the moment we walked into the CAC, we were welcomed with comforting arms. While waiting we had comfortable seating, and welcoming murals to look at to help ease our minds. As a parent of a child that has come through these doors, it was important for me that my child felt safe and comfortable to tell her story. With this being said, I feel the CAC truly has the training and knowledge to care for children with the uptmost care and abundance of resources for families so they too can heal from their trauma and have hope for their futures." ~parent, speaking on her and her family's experience at the Children's Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin, Inc.
Dear friends and community, Today would have been our 6th annual "Hope and Healing Breakfast". However, with the pandemic we are not able to come together to celebrate the CAC and our partners in this work, to honor the beauty of childhood, and to bring attention to the issue of child abuse in our region. Over the years, the breakfast has grown from 80 in 2013 to over 240 in 2019. Although the breakfast was free, those who attended the breakfast were generous, especially after they heard the stories of children who had been abused, some of whom were helped through the CAC. As a result, the breakfast developed into our major fundraiser: Last year’s breakfast raised over $35,000, money that made it possible for us to continue our work, helping children who have disclosed abuse, training parents and mandatory reporters on recognizing child abuse, and bringing this important issue to the attention of the 27 cities and towns in our region that are served by the CAC. We need your help. The pandemic has changed many things in our lives, but regrettably it has not slowed the incidence of child abuse. Indeed, since 98% of child abusers are individuals in a child’s family circle, the enforced social isolation has very likely increased the amount of abuse in our region. So we are reaching out to you, as someone who has supported the CAC in the past, to ask you to make a contribution, just as you would have had you been able to attend our breakfast. To make a donation, please visit our website; Children's Advocacy Center; and click on "Donate". There are so many worthy causes that are looking for assistance during this crisis. We ask that you consider the important work that we do at the CAC and the children who have needed, continue to need, and will need help to heal from a child’s worst nightmare. Thank you for your support.
And in case you missed this thoughtful and informative conversation on the CAC, strengths of our community, and needs of our children, please follow this link: Diane Syznal, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce interview with Irene Woods, Executive Director of CAC of FCNQ, Inc Sincerely,
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Irene Woods MSW, LICSW 413-475-3401 |