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2008 National
Family Week Advocacy Award Recipients
Angela
Leonard, Roanoke, VA
Angela is the mother of an autistic child who identified the need for more
services and advocacy to support families of autistic children. Ms. Leonard
founded the Blue Ridge Autism Center, which has grown from serving two to 67
children during the past six years. The Blue Ridge Autism Center is
dedicated to providing families and individuals with autism with a quality
education, meaningful communication, resources, and life skills necessary to
succeed. (Presented by Family Service of Roanoke Valley)
Bea
Lurie, executive director, Girls Inc. of Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
Bea recently led Girls Inc. to
participate in the national She Votes program, which educates
girls about becoming politicians themselves and about taking part in the
electoral process.
Through that program, 100 local girls
registered to cast their first votes in the 2008 presidential election. Bea
is strong, smart, and bold and an inspiration to girls and women in our
community. (Presented by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults)
Corrine Paxton, Roanoke, VA
Having worked in the field as a
foster care supervisor, Ms. Paxton knows of the significant need for quality
foster care parents. She serves as a role model for foster care and as such
has elevated the importance of foster parenting as a vitally important way
to meet the needs of particularly vulnerable children. She is currently the
foster mom for two children, the adoptive mom for three teenage boys, and
has applied to adopt three biological siblings. (Presented by Family Service
of Roanoke Valley)
DeeJay Hellrung,
Gainesville, FL
As public affairs chair for the Florida Chapter of the March of Dimes and
for the Southern Region of the National March of Dimes Foundation, DeeJay
Hellrung worked tirelessly to advocate for public policy and legislative
action, in both Florida and the U.S., to benefit mothers and babies. She was
instrumental in the establishment and expansion of Florida’s Newborn
Screening program, led the southern region drive for passage of the “Preemie
Act” in Congress.(Presented by Partnership for Strong Families)
State Representative
Hannah Pingree, Maine
As House Chair of the Health and
Human Services Committee, Rep. Pingree was a staunch supporter of quality
mental health and family support programs. Rep. Pingree’s more recent work
in House leadership has again shown her to be a consistent advocate and a
key supporter of families. While the state budget has required many painful
decisions, Rep. Pingree’s common-sense approach and compassion have shielded
many family programs from even deeper cuts. Her ability to see through the
complexity of the state budget and identify how people will really be
affected by legislative decisions has been, and will continue to be
extremely valuable in the future. (Presented by Community Counseling Center,
Portland, ME)
Father Henry Mancuso, Lake Charles, LA
Father Henry Mancuso
is the pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, and secretary for the
Ministry of Pastoral Services for the Diocese of Lake Charles. Serving an
inner city African American church in which half of the parishioners live in
poverty, Father Henry is not only a pastor, but also serves as a community
activist and advocate for those who have no voice, speaking out and taking
action on their behalf at the local, state, and national levels.(Presented
by Family & Youth)
GEAR Parent Network-
Gaining Empowerment Allows Results, Ellsworth, ME
The GEAR Parent Network is being
recognized for their efforts to empower parents of children with special
needs to build on their families strengths and to advocate for their
family's needs. GEAR bridges gaps by continually seeking ways to collaborate
and bring families in communities together to raise awareness about needed
support and advocacy. (Presented by KidsPeace New England)
Gene Balloun,
Johnson County, KS
Gene has been an active advocate for children for over two
decades. Gene is an attorney with Shook Hardy & Bacon and is the vice
president of the Kansas Foster and Adoptive Children organization.(Presented
by TLC for Children and Families, Inc.)
George
Timberlake, chief judge, Second Judicial Circuit (retired)
River Forest, IL
Judge Timberlake has
exceeded all expectations of a family court judge by organizing community
leadership Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County, and the 2nd Judicial
Circuit to create and maintain prevention programs and services for youth in
risky situations, and alternatives to detention. Of special note is Judge
Timberlake’s leadership to create the Southern Thirty Adolescent Center in
Mt. Vernon to provide a safe and healthy alternative to detention for youth.
Judge Timberlake’s advocacy has brought statewide policy improvements,
including the creation of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, and
Redeploy Illinois, an innovative state program to encourage counties to
create programs to provide services to youth in their home county and reduce
the frequency of incarceration.
(Presented by Lutheran Child and Family Services)
Gregory Jr. and
Tamika Robinson, Milwaukee, WI
Gregory Jr. is a field supervisor
at LaCasa De Esperanza Inc. His aspiration and dream is to teach young men
carpentry and life skills began in 2007, as “Rising Sons” and soon to be
incorporated. Tamika has been administrator for her family-owned business
“All God’s Kids Child Care & Learning Center," for the past eight years.
(Presented by Word of Hope Ministries, Inc.)
Hilde Kellogg, Coeur
d'Alene, ID
(Presented by Children's Village)
The Hon. Jane P. Maroney, Wilmington, DE
(Presented by Children & Families
First)
Jay Bloom, Portland, OR
Mr. Bloom is the former CEO of Morrison Child and Family Services. He
promoted the concept of "Vital Aging" in Multnomah
County. Mr. Bloom has harnessed the interest and commitment of county
government and key community leaders to develop new ways to engage the
talents of older people in meaningful and important paid and volunteer roles
so that the community can benefit from experience and expertise, while
supporting the concept of community engagement throughout the life span.
(Presented by Metropolitan Family Service)
John Dickerson, Indianapolis, IN
(Presented by Family Service of
Central Indiana, Inc.)
Lisa Naito,
Portland, OR
Commissioner Lisa Naito currently
advocates for children and has served as Multnomah County’s representative
to the Children’s Investment Fund’s allocation committee. In addition, she
served on NACo’s Early Childhood Development Task Force and led the effort
to overhaul the children’s mental health system as chair of the Child and
Family System of Care Workgroup. Commissioner Naito spearheaded a group that
developed the Early Childhood Framework, a plan for services focused on the
years from prenatal until kindergarten. In addition, Commissioner Naito was
part of the process in Multnomah County to revamp the homeless youth system
to create a continuum of care. (Presented
by Portland Impact, Inc.)
Maria Rojo de
Steffey, Portland, OR
Maria was elected as Multnomah
County Commissioner and then re-elected to office and began her four-year
term in January 2005. Maria advocates for social
service programs that benefit thousands of Multnomah County residents in the
areas of health and welfare, emergency housing, poverty related programs,
teen pregnancy, senior citizens, early childhood, school-based services as
well as services to domestic violence survivors and services for families.
(Presented by Portland Impact, Inc, OR.)
May Wallace, Portland, OR
May embodies the word “advocate” from her early work as a minister to her
current passion for helping fellow seniors in her community. Her
enthusiasm, advocacy, and support are appreciated by all those she touches.
(Presented by Volunteers of America Oregon.)
Michael Corrigan,
Jacksonville, FL
Michael has a long history of
commitment to public work and community service. His volunteer efforts
include leadership positions with organizations such as Big Brothers and Big
Sisters, Riverside Avondale Preservation and Rotary Club of West
Jacksonville. Michael is the chairman of the 1000 in 1000 Steering Committee
as well as the 1000 in 1000 Working Committee. He works as liaison between
the two committees. Michael is an advocate for the less fortunate with a
vision of making sure that every resident of Jacksonville has a fair chance
at a secure future and the equal opportunity to get there. (Presented by
Family Foundations)
The Hon. Ralph M.
Ramirez, Waukesha, WI
The Honorable Ralph M. Ramirez is Waukesha
County Circuit Court Judge. (Presented by La Casa de
Esperanza, Inc.)
Rebecca
Pryor, Indianapolis, IN
(Presented by Family Service of
Central Indiana, Inc.)
Sheila Klinker, Indiana State
Representative, Lafayette, IN
Sheila began her professional
career as an elementary schoolteacher in the Lafayette School Corporation
and has served as a State Representative since 1982. A member of the
numerous community organizations, Sheila has received many awards and
recognitions for her legislative and civic efforts—particularly on behalf of
children and families, as well as individuals who are mentally ill or
developmentally challenged—and for her successful work in promoting job
growth and economic development in Indiana. (Presented by Family Service,
Inc.)
Travis Burrell, High Point, NC
Travis was a former foster child
and founder of I Am Now, Inc., providing transitional housing while
equipping the individuals with support services and life skills training
geared towards self-sufficiency. He opened Crossroads home in High
Point for youth transitioning from foster care to independent living in
hopes of preventing them from becoming homeless. Travis also serves on the
High Point Children’s Cabinet and is actively involved in other community
boards and committees to advocate for children and families. (Presented by
Family Service of the Piedmont, Inc.)
Vaneta Becker, Evansville, IN
Vaneta is being honored for her role in the local government of Evansville.
(Presented by Lampion Center)
William R. Southrey,
Atlantic City, NJ
William began his career at the
Atlantic City Rescue Mission as a volunteer and accepted a paid position
with the Mission in 1981. William worked his way through the mission over
the last 25+ years, holding the positions of director of Operations,
chaplain, director of Transient Ministries, and vice president of Community
and Government Relations. (Present by Atlantic City Rescue Mission) |
