One such survey came across my desk today. I'm pretty proud of what it says about our impact - even on a 17 year old girl. We often forget that they are still children and appreciate all that we can do for them. Please read.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Satisfaction
BCAC sees over 1000 people a year. Most of them enter our building scared and unsure what lies ahead. For each family we see we provide a satisfaction survey. For the last 2 years now we've 95% of respondents state their experience at BCAC was either good or very good. We're very proud of these numbers.
One such survey came across my desk today. I'm pretty proud of what it says about our impact - even on a 17 year old girl. We often forget that they are still children and appreciate all that we can do for them. Please read.
One such survey came across my desk today. I'm pretty proud of what it says about our impact - even on a 17 year old girl. We often forget that they are still children and appreciate all that we can do for them. Please read.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
a message to oprah
yes, i admit it. i watch oprah. its on the tivo and the dvr and sometimes i fall asleep to it. i stumbled upon this week's episode. it was a follow up on the mackenzie phillips incest story.
i watched with curiousity and fascination to see if the show would (a) call incest abuse and (b) provide resources. although indirectly done, it did call incest abuse. but no resources were provided. the women (and their books) featured were found through oprah's website and message boards. after the episode ended, rather than going to sleep, i logged in.
this is what i wrote:
I watched with great interest your follow up show on incest. Center for Disease Control states the best way to end sexual child abuse is by public awareness campaigns. Your courage in airing such episodes is commendable.
However, I fear you left an important element out of this show: what viewers can do to stop & report abuse. Your next follow up show should highlight these agencies. At the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, we are one of 600 children’s advocacy centers giving voices to children when abuse is suspected. We work with police, social services, and families to give a voice to end abuse as well as provide treatment and prevention. As this episode aired, 150 of us were meeting in Denver to discuss how to best continue this battle. We make investigations better, we empower families, we even save taxpayer dollars, and we can do more.
The fight against sexual child abuse- which is incest, molestation and "consensual" intercourse within families- and providing help to families who need it continues. We must get word out that we are here working as a team to help. Ample resources are available and I was hoping your episode would provide numbers or web addresses. For those interested, help can be found at www.baltimorechildabusecenter.org and nationalchildrensalliance.org. We are here to help.
- Adam Rosenberg, Executive Director, Baltimore Child Abuse Center
the episode is here http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20091008-tows-incest-survivor-rena watch it. tell me what you think. does this help us, hurt us, make the issue more tangible or more unthinkable. tell me your comments.
oprah links to RAINN which is a great resource - but can we give more? can we and oprah who get millions of viewers (empathetic to the cause and some victims themselves) to understand how we are here to help?
oprah - if you are out there, we want in - we want to be a part of the dialogue and to help end abuse.
i watched with curiousity and fascination to see if the show would (a) call incest abuse and (b) provide resources. although indirectly done, it did call incest abuse. but no resources were provided. the women (and their books) featured were found through oprah's website and message boards. after the episode ended, rather than going to sleep, i logged in.
this is what i wrote:
I watched with great interest your follow up show on incest. Center for Disease Control states the best way to end sexual child abuse is by public awareness campaigns. Your courage in airing such episodes is commendable.
However, I fear you left an important element out of this show: what viewers can do to stop & report abuse. Your next follow up show should highlight these agencies. At the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, we are one of 600 children’s advocacy centers giving voices to children when abuse is suspected. We work with police, social services, and families to give a voice to end abuse as well as provide treatment and prevention. As this episode aired, 150 of us were meeting in Denver to discuss how to best continue this battle. We make investigations better, we empower families, we even save taxpayer dollars, and we can do more.
The fight against sexual child abuse- which is incest, molestation and "consensual" intercourse within families- and providing help to families who need it continues. We must get word out that we are here working as a team to help. Ample resources are available and I was hoping your episode would provide numbers or web addresses. For those interested, help can be found at www.baltimorechildabusecenter.org and nationalchildrensalliance.org. We are here to help.
- Adam Rosenberg, Executive Director, Baltimore Child Abuse Center
the episode is here http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20091008-tows-incest-survivor-rena watch it. tell me what you think. does this help us, hurt us, make the issue more tangible or more unthinkable. tell me your comments.
oprah links to RAINN which is a great resource - but can we give more? can we and oprah who get millions of viewers (empathetic to the cause and some victims themselves) to understand how we are here to help?
oprah - if you are out there, we want in - we want to be a part of the dialogue and to help end abuse.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
what if we advertised the same way?
just saw an excellent ad for the humane society of north america. dozens of grusome pictures of dogs crammed into crate like cages, horses being led to slaughter, cats with maimed legs - all filmed in grainy dim color with dark music. horrific statistics about the number of dogs forced to fight, slaughtered for meat, terrible stuff. and for just $19 a month you can stop it (cut to scene with acress and adorable healthy puppy).
imagine if the child abuse community posted the same ad? images of abused children, kids with horrible bruises, children terrified in beds with adults? the outcry would be deafening.
i think its one of the major stumbling blocks we face as a community to get our message out there that for the same $19 you can stop child abuse.
this is not meant to knock animal abuse - i love my dog, we got him from the SPCA. its a great and important organization. but the fact that substantially more money goes to animal causes versus people causes is mind blowing.
captions such as what did i do wrong? why did they abandon me? will i die today? every day 1000s of animals throughout america are tortured and killed. couldn't we say the same thing about children?
the add concludes with "if these animals could talk they'd tell you they desparately need you to save them right now." couldn't we make the same claim for children - except even worse, they do talk, and we don't listen.
how do we begin to make the sea change and get people to notice, and more importantly, act to keep children safe from abuse?
what are your thoughts on this?
imagine if the child abuse community posted the same ad? images of abused children, kids with horrible bruises, children terrified in beds with adults? the outcry would be deafening.
i think its one of the major stumbling blocks we face as a community to get our message out there that for the same $19 you can stop child abuse.
this is not meant to knock animal abuse - i love my dog, we got him from the SPCA. its a great and important organization. but the fact that substantially more money goes to animal causes versus people causes is mind blowing.
captions such as what did i do wrong? why did they abandon me? will i die today? every day 1000s of animals throughout america are tortured and killed. couldn't we say the same thing about children?
the add concludes with "if these animals could talk they'd tell you they desparately need you to save them right now." couldn't we make the same claim for children - except even worse, they do talk, and we don't listen.
how do we begin to make the sea change and get people to notice, and more importantly, act to keep children safe from abuse?
what are your thoughts on this?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
6 Easy Ways to Keep Kids Safe
The Baltimore Child Abuse Center wants to help you keep kids safe. Below are 6 easy things that you can do. Learn more at our site www.baltimorechildabusecenter.org/prevent_abuse
1. Learn the facts-
Abusers are not always strangers. In fact, in the majority of sexual abuse cases, the perpetrator is very close to the family. Learn how to identify the signs of abuse and abusers.
2. Know the Signs-
Physical signs of sexual abuse are not always present. Know how to identify behavioral and emotional signs of abuse. Does your child fear a specific person? Are they afraid to be left alone? Do they have nightmares? It could be nothing, or together, could be early indicators of abuse. Know what to look for.
3. Talk to Them!
Only 1 in 10 children who have been sexually abused actually report it. Often it is because they do not have an adult they trust. Let your children know it is okay to talk to you about anything, and that you will not get angry or upset if they think they made a mistake.
4. Minimize Opportunity-
Educated children are much harder targets for abuse. Teach your children about their own bodies, and the correct names of their body parts. Teach them what is an inappropriate touch, not a "bad" touch, as this can be confusing for young children. Often times a "bad touch" feels good and is confusing to them. Also teach them to avoid being left alone with an adult they do not trust. Let your child tell you if there is somene they do not trust, and believe them when they tell you they do not want to be alone with that person; there is probably a reason why.
5. Have a Plan-
Talk to your child about people who they can go to at any time if something bad happens. Establish a place where they can go where they feel safe if something bad happens. Let your child tell you who they trust or where they feel comfortable. This way, if something goes wrong, both you and your child have a place and a person where you know they can go and feel safe, and you can easily find them.
6. Take Action-
Don't overreact if your child discloses something bad that has happened to them. Let them know that you are listening and that what they have to say is important. Refrain from asking them too many questions, as they may become confused or think they are in trouble. Report any incident immediately to the proper authorities. 911 or 410-361-2235, are both reporting lines.
Prevention - what can you do?
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
What can you do spread the message and help prevent abuse?
- Wear a ribbon in support of the cause (you can get them from us by emailing info@bcaci.org, or just looping blue or teal ribbon)
- Join our cause on Facebook and make a statement to your online friends that you aren't tolerating abuse. http://tiny.cc/fvVYo
- Learn the 6 easy ways you can keep your kids safe. http://www.baltimorechildabusecenter.org/prevent_abuse
- Invite someone from BCAC to speak to your group about prevention
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Upcoming Events for Baltimore Child Abuse Center
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Baltimore Child Abuse Center Community Block Party
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| Baltimore Child Abuse Center | 2300 N. Charles Street | Baltimore | MD | 21218 | ||
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Emotional Rollercoaster…
Good Day Folks…
(Sighs…) Where do I begin….Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Ok, I’ll give you the good newsJ. I made my very first treatment referral today! I’m talking about the whole shebang…referral form, letter to parent, log book, contact with the agency, etc.... (Thanks for the support Natalie!). I was thrown out into the deep treatment waters and I survived! O yea, O yea! I feel…like I’ve just helped someone and to tell you the truth, it feels good. So, now….the bad news….
The Strengthening Families Coping Resources group ENDED LAST NIGHT!!!....(sad face). I was so blown because I wasn’t expecting it to end, especially since my group was so excited about coming back. The reason it ended was because one family didn’t come and the 3rd family dropped out. That just goes to show that no matter how great your idea is, sometimes things may not work out as planned but “you gotta work with whatcha got”…and that’s what we did.
The “Doe Family” arrived……Wait, lets rewind <<<<<<<…..Justine (Prevention/Community Outreach Coordinator) and I went to pick up the food for the meeting and let me just say that we were amazed at how much time and attention that was put in the preparation of this meal (there was even a little note in the box). Special shout out goes to Carma’s Café located at 3120 Saint Paul St! All the specialty sandwiches were placed neatly in individual, labeled bags for convenience; we had soup, chips, tea fixings, salad and my favorite….CUPCAKES!!!! I was so tempted to keep them for myself, but I knew that if I were to walk in with frosting on my face, Id be caughtJ. The staff members were really nice too. Oh yea, the good thing about the cupcakes is that I still got to eat most of them because a good number of the BCAC staff members are doing the Ultimate Biggest Loser weight loss competition…so they’re all eating salads, special K bars and lean cuisines. More for me!!
Before the “Doe Family” came, I was saying to myself, “How in the world am I going to interact with them…the kids hardly talked last week.” Thankfully we had a great team and we all worked together to get the job done. They came in and we began our ritual…the ritual NO ONE seemed to want to do…the ritual they agreed to do (sighs). So, the smallest child decided to sing the alphabet song…(short and sweeeeet!). We went on to discuss family moments and they made a poster board together for display. All through out this project the oldest daughter seemed very, very uncomfortable and withdrawn. I was getting aggravated because I just thought she was being difficult; especially when she didn’t want to take a picture with the family beside the poster. The brother was very upset as well because he didn’t understand why his sister was acting that way. He just thought she wanted to be a “Goth” and she was just being complicated.
We moved on to plant the family garden. The garden…was the most nerve wrecking thing for me because the youngest daughter had SO MUCH energy…she was literally all over the place. All I could think about was “dirt shower”. (Mind you, I’m not a big fan of dirt). To my surprise, she did better than I thought, but she did man-handle the flowers though :0). I admire her mother’s patience.
Ok, so …the mother tried to talk to the oldest daughter, but she wouldn’t talk so she asked her if she would write it on paper…she agreed. Come to find out, the daughter was having flashbacks of previous trauma incidents and they were flooding her mind. Can you say CRISIS INTERVENTION? Talk about intense. There were tears and mood changes…the whole nine. I felt kind of bad for being aggravated at her earlier…I didn’t know. This is why it’s not cool to judge a book by its cover. Thanks to Ruby and Kyla…two awesome social workers, the situation was addressed. I’m not sure what happened because I was attempting to entertain the youngest daughter in the other room (didn’t work).
Needless to say, I just didn’t expect all of that to happen, but I can say that BCAC is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get…
Peace & Blessings,
TMP
(Sighs…) Where do I begin….Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Ok, I’ll give you the good newsJ. I made my very first treatment referral today! I’m talking about the whole shebang…referral form, letter to parent, log book, contact with the agency, etc.... (Thanks for the support Natalie!). I was thrown out into the deep treatment waters and I survived! O yea, O yea! I feel…like I’ve just helped someone and to tell you the truth, it feels good. So, now….the bad news….
The Strengthening Families Coping Resources group ENDED LAST NIGHT!!!....(sad face). I was so blown because I wasn’t expecting it to end, especially since my group was so excited about coming back. The reason it ended was because one family didn’t come and the 3rd family dropped out. That just goes to show that no matter how great your idea is, sometimes things may not work out as planned but “you gotta work with whatcha got”…and that’s what we did.
The “Doe Family” arrived……Wait, lets rewind <<<<<<<…..Justine (Prevention/Community Outreach Coordinator) and I went to pick up the food for the meeting and let me just say that we were amazed at how much time and attention that was put in the preparation of this meal (there was even a little note in the box). Special shout out goes to Carma’s Café located at 3120 Saint Paul St! All the specialty sandwiches were placed neatly in individual, labeled bags for convenience; we had soup, chips, tea fixings, salad and my favorite….CUPCAKES!!!! I was so tempted to keep them for myself, but I knew that if I were to walk in with frosting on my face, Id be caughtJ. The staff members were really nice too. Oh yea, the good thing about the cupcakes is that I still got to eat most of them because a good number of the BCAC staff members are doing the Ultimate Biggest Loser weight loss competition…so they’re all eating salads, special K bars and lean cuisines. More for me!!
Before the “Doe Family” came, I was saying to myself, “How in the world am I going to interact with them…the kids hardly talked last week.” Thankfully we had a great team and we all worked together to get the job done. They came in and we began our ritual…the ritual NO ONE seemed to want to do…the ritual they agreed to do (sighs). So, the smallest child decided to sing the alphabet song…(short and sweeeeet!). We went on to discuss family moments and they made a poster board together for display. All through out this project the oldest daughter seemed very, very uncomfortable and withdrawn. I was getting aggravated because I just thought she was being difficult; especially when she didn’t want to take a picture with the family beside the poster. The brother was very upset as well because he didn’t understand why his sister was acting that way. He just thought she wanted to be a “Goth” and she was just being complicated.
We moved on to plant the family garden. The garden…was the most nerve wrecking thing for me because the youngest daughter had SO MUCH energy…she was literally all over the place. All I could think about was “dirt shower”. (Mind you, I’m not a big fan of dirt). To my surprise, she did better than I thought, but she did man-handle the flowers though :0). I admire her mother’s patience.
Ok, so …the mother tried to talk to the oldest daughter, but she wouldn’t talk so she asked her if she would write it on paper…she agreed. Come to find out, the daughter was having flashbacks of previous trauma incidents and they were flooding her mind. Can you say CRISIS INTERVENTION? Talk about intense. There were tears and mood changes…the whole nine. I felt kind of bad for being aggravated at her earlier…I didn’t know. This is why it’s not cool to judge a book by its cover. Thanks to Ruby and Kyla…two awesome social workers, the situation was addressed. I’m not sure what happened because I was attempting to entertain the youngest daughter in the other room (didn’t work).
Needless to say, I just didn’t expect all of that to happen, but I can say that BCAC is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get…
Peace & Blessings,
TMP
Thursday, February 19, 2009
We are Fam-i-ly!
Hello Friends:
I’m back and I have some exciting news! Here at BCAC we have teamed up with The University of Maryland, Baltimore-Center for Infant Studies Department to implement their research project called, “Strengthening Families Coping Resources” (SFCR). SFCR is an exciting 15 week program that offers a family dinner, fun, strength and communication building exercises for families who have experienced some form of trauma. Our first group was supposed to begin on January 27th, but we didn’t have enough families to participate (bummer). We finally were able to begin on this past Tuesday, February 17. It’s very difficult to get families to commit, so when not one, but TWO families showed up after being “no-shows” last week (a huge bummer), we were absolutely thrilled. I was sure hoping they would come because they were being served lasagna for dinner and who would want to miss such an awesome meal right?
The group was supposed to begin at 5:30pm, but we were about 20-25 minutes late starting. I was getting nervous because a lot of effort was put into the preparation and the research project all together and it would be a disappointment to have no one come. So this is how it went down on Tuesday:
The families were TOTALLY different. One family was calm and reserved and the other was not so calm and….not so reserved, but both were manageable and cooperative. They came in and sat at their dinner tables, all nicely set with name cards and a nice center piece. They took about 30 minutes to eat (yes, the food is free for them. Here’s a big SHOUT OUT!! to Sp'getti Eddie's of Roland Park and Chuck Ritz for taking care of our meals so far. We appreciate your donation! ). Just a small note, we are always looking for restaurants, delis and shops to donate a meal so if you are interested or know someone who is interested, contact Justine Wilson at 410-396-6147. So….back to the story: After they ate, we broke out into our group sessions (ranging from 5 yr olds to adults) where we worked on a common themed activity about “ Family Traditions”, next we all came back together for an activity and to also develop some rules, opening and closing rituals and the homework assignment for the next week.
Although I was uneasy about the group, mainly because it seemed like it was going to be overwhelming, everything worked out and I absolutely LOVE my group. My partner and I had the 7-9 year olds. These girls were amazing. They had a lot of energy and even named themselves, “The Super Dooper Dooper Stars”. Ill never forget when one of the girls came in, she immediately walked over to me and said, “Hi, I’m “Jane”…nice to meet you” and she gave the biggest hug. If you must know, I’m part “germaphobe” so I had to catch my breath on that one, but it was cool. She had the biggest smile on her face and from that point all my fears and apprehensions vanished. I was looking for a sign to let me know that things were going to be cool, and there it came. While we were on our way to our break out sessions, she said, “I think you’re nice and…um, I think your hair is kinda cool too”. I thought that was sweet.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and for the most part, they were interested in coming back next week. Ill keep you posted and let you know how it goes. Until next time…
Peace & Blessings,
TMP
I’m back and I have some exciting news! Here at BCAC we have teamed up with The University of Maryland, Baltimore-Center for Infant Studies Department to implement their research project called, “Strengthening Families Coping Resources” (SFCR). SFCR is an exciting 15 week program that offers a family dinner, fun, strength and communication building exercises for families who have experienced some form of trauma. Our first group was supposed to begin on January 27th, but we didn’t have enough families to participate (bummer). We finally were able to begin on this past Tuesday, February 17. It’s very difficult to get families to commit, so when not one, but TWO families showed up after being “no-shows” last week (a huge bummer), we were absolutely thrilled. I was sure hoping they would come because they were being served lasagna for dinner and who would want to miss such an awesome meal right?
The group was supposed to begin at 5:30pm, but we were about 20-25 minutes late starting. I was getting nervous because a lot of effort was put into the preparation and the research project all together and it would be a disappointment to have no one come. So this is how it went down on Tuesday:
The families were TOTALLY different. One family was calm and reserved and the other was not so calm and….not so reserved, but both were manageable and cooperative. They came in and sat at their dinner tables, all nicely set with name cards and a nice center piece. They took about 30 minutes to eat (yes, the food is free for them. Here’s a big SHOUT OUT!! to Sp'getti Eddie's of Roland Park and Chuck Ritz for taking care of our meals so far. We appreciate your donation! ). Just a small note, we are always looking for restaurants, delis and shops to donate a meal so if you are interested or know someone who is interested, contact Justine Wilson at 410-396-6147. So….back to the story: After they ate, we broke out into our group sessions (ranging from 5 yr olds to adults) where we worked on a common themed activity about “ Family Traditions”, next we all came back together for an activity and to also develop some rules, opening and closing rituals and the homework assignment for the next week.
Although I was uneasy about the group, mainly because it seemed like it was going to be overwhelming, everything worked out and I absolutely LOVE my group. My partner and I had the 7-9 year olds. These girls were amazing. They had a lot of energy and even named themselves, “The Super Dooper Dooper Stars”. Ill never forget when one of the girls came in, she immediately walked over to me and said, “Hi, I’m “Jane”…nice to meet you” and she gave the biggest hug. If you must know, I’m part “germaphobe” so I had to catch my breath on that one, but it was cool. She had the biggest smile on her face and from that point all my fears and apprehensions vanished. I was looking for a sign to let me know that things were going to be cool, and there it came. While we were on our way to our break out sessions, she said, “I think you’re nice and…um, I think your hair is kinda cool too”. I thought that was sweet.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and for the most part, they were interested in coming back next week. Ill keep you posted and let you know how it goes. Until next time…
Peace & Blessings,
TMP
The World of an Intern...
Hello Friends!
My name is Tierra and I am a second year, Masters of Social Work, intern here at the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC). I am pursuing my degree at The University of Maryland, Baltimore (only a few months left and I graduate…yay!!!!). I am a North Carolina native, “Go Tarheels!” and I moved up here all alone so that I could develop some “survival skills”. Trust me, everyday hasn’t been great and some days I have been truly tested to my limit, but only the strong survive and I’m a warrior.
My search for an internship landed me here at BCAC and I would like to believe that my experience has evolved from a small seed into a beautiful flower. When I first began my internship, I had no clue what was going to happen. All I knew was that BCAC helped children who had been sexually abused, but I didn’t know exactly how it happened. To be honest, I was nervous about a whole lot of things, “What are the staff members like? Will I get along with everyone? Will I be able to handle some things that I might hear during an interview? Will the bathroom be clean? (For the record…it isJ). Now it’s February 2009 and I can say that all of my worries were just ….worries. Things are cool here. I glad that I have more responsibilities now because it makes you feel like you are helping and making meaningful contributions to the agency. I have also enjoyed connecting with families & children and have built some long lasting friendships among the “Intern Crew”. A few days ago I told Natalie, the treatment coordinator, that I’m sort of like an oyster. I may have seemed closed at first, but I do have a pearl inside that I show once I’ve opened up a little. It doesn’t pay to “stay to yourself” here, because we all need each other and it takes team work to get this job done.
Just an aside: between you and me, I am still a little antsy when it comes to facilitation…note taking may seem like a small deal to you, but here it’s a big deal. As soon as I see that yellow legal pad and that black pen…I break out in a sweat and run for cover! (If you ever want to test your skills…this is a great place to startJ).
From September 2008 until now, I have come to realize that BCAC does a “whole lot” for the children they serve. Everything that is needed to assist the children and their family is here and I find that simply amazing. I have developed a sense of pride for BCAC…almost to the point of wanting to wear a t-shirt (if anyone is listening…royal blue fabric with Crayola color prints ;)).
I kind of think I’ll miss the place when this is over, but I’ll just live in the moment and cherish the time I’m here now. Until next time…
Peace & Blessings
TMP
My name is Tierra and I am a second year, Masters of Social Work, intern here at the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC). I am pursuing my degree at The University of Maryland, Baltimore (only a few months left and I graduate…yay!!!!). I am a North Carolina native, “Go Tarheels!” and I moved up here all alone so that I could develop some “survival skills”. Trust me, everyday hasn’t been great and some days I have been truly tested to my limit, but only the strong survive and I’m a warrior.
My search for an internship landed me here at BCAC and I would like to believe that my experience has evolved from a small seed into a beautiful flower. When I first began my internship, I had no clue what was going to happen. All I knew was that BCAC helped children who had been sexually abused, but I didn’t know exactly how it happened. To be honest, I was nervous about a whole lot of things, “What are the staff members like? Will I get along with everyone? Will I be able to handle some things that I might hear during an interview? Will the bathroom be clean? (For the record…it isJ). Now it’s February 2009 and I can say that all of my worries were just ….worries. Things are cool here. I glad that I have more responsibilities now because it makes you feel like you are helping and making meaningful contributions to the agency. I have also enjoyed connecting with families & children and have built some long lasting friendships among the “Intern Crew”. A few days ago I told Natalie, the treatment coordinator, that I’m sort of like an oyster. I may have seemed closed at first, but I do have a pearl inside that I show once I’ve opened up a little. It doesn’t pay to “stay to yourself” here, because we all need each other and it takes team work to get this job done.
Just an aside: between you and me, I am still a little antsy when it comes to facilitation…note taking may seem like a small deal to you, but here it’s a big deal. As soon as I see that yellow legal pad and that black pen…I break out in a sweat and run for cover! (If you ever want to test your skills…this is a great place to startJ).
From September 2008 until now, I have come to realize that BCAC does a “whole lot” for the children they serve. Everything that is needed to assist the children and their family is here and I find that simply amazing. I have developed a sense of pride for BCAC…almost to the point of wanting to wear a t-shirt (if anyone is listening…royal blue fabric with Crayola color prints ;)).
I kind of think I’ll miss the place when this is over, but I’ll just live in the moment and cherish the time I’m here now. Until next time…
Peace & Blessings
TMP
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Building a Dream
Monday starts our long awaited renovation project - Built Upon a Dream. WMAR ABC2 news selected us to get a mini extreme makeover. With some great partners on board (CAM construction, GBA Architects and a host of others - websites coming soon) we will transform our building and our look.
Our lobby and conference room will receive some much needed love - new paint, floors, repaired marble, improved lighting, lots of furniture, new bathrooms - it will enable us to greet the families we serve with the same level of dignity and cheerfulness our 4th floor offices provide.
up on our floor, we are getting new furniture, paint, new HVACs, new kitchenettes, cabinets, flooring - it will look great.
frankly - i can't wait to see it come real. stay posted for pictures. and stay tuned for some great announcements as to how you can help!
Our lobby and conference room will receive some much needed love - new paint, floors, repaired marble, improved lighting, lots of furniture, new bathrooms - it will enable us to greet the families we serve with the same level of dignity and cheerfulness our 4th floor offices provide.
up on our floor, we are getting new furniture, paint, new HVACs, new kitchenettes, cabinets, flooring - it will look great.
frankly - i can't wait to see it come real. stay posted for pictures. and stay tuned for some great announcements as to how you can help!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Dealing with tough economic times
The news shouldn't surprise anyone. It's tough out there. 76,000 jobs were cut nationwide yesterday and those are just the ones that make the newspaper. I hear of countless other people losing jobs, getting furloughed, and preparing for the worst which most people say is still to come.
BCAC is no different. Cases are up, interest in what we do is high, but everyone from donors, to the State, to corporations, to foundations are watching their bottom line as well. A perfect storm isn't the right word for it, but its a bad confluence of events that just hurt small not for profits like us.
What to do? The BCAC Board of Directors agreed last Thursday to initiate a Task Force to deal with these issues - they intend over the next 2 months to meet and look at the organization top to bottom. How can we economize, how can we re-organize, and where else should we look for funding? Additionally, the board agreed its time to step up the ask - we plan on calling our past supporters and people who have been interested in BCAC to invite them to help us once again.
Every dollar matters - every gift counts. $230 provides a new beginning for a sexually abused child. $18 pays for to transport one family to BCAC.
What else are we doing? BoardSource just put up a list of 10 smart things a board can do NOW to prepare for financial crisis. Read it here: http://www.boardsource.org/Spotlight.asp?ID=14.412
We'll keep you posted on our plan as it develops - share with us your thoughts as well as how to make it through these tough times. But rest assured, the lights are on, and we're here to protect children, now more than ever.
BCAC is no different. Cases are up, interest in what we do is high, but everyone from donors, to the State, to corporations, to foundations are watching their bottom line as well. A perfect storm isn't the right word for it, but its a bad confluence of events that just hurt small not for profits like us.
What to do? The BCAC Board of Directors agreed last Thursday to initiate a Task Force to deal with these issues - they intend over the next 2 months to meet and look at the organization top to bottom. How can we economize, how can we re-organize, and where else should we look for funding? Additionally, the board agreed its time to step up the ask - we plan on calling our past supporters and people who have been interested in BCAC to invite them to help us once again.
Every dollar matters - every gift counts. $230 provides a new beginning for a sexually abused child. $18 pays for to transport one family to BCAC.
What else are we doing? BoardSource just put up a list of 10 smart things a board can do NOW to prepare for financial crisis. Read it here: http://www.boardsource.org/Spotlight.asp?ID=14.412
We'll keep you posted on our plan as it develops - share with us your thoughts as well as how to make it through these tough times. But rest assured, the lights are on, and we're here to protect children, now more than ever.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Talking about the center on WYPR
BCAC was featured this morning on public radio 88.1 WYPR.
You can listen and read the story here http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wypr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1454289
You can listen and read the story here http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wypr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1454289
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Mitzvah Day
Just a brief note to tell all of you what a fantastic afternoon we had for Mitzvah Day! We had about 25 people here at BCAC helping us make this place look great. Volunteers painted our logo on the wall, assembled art kits for the kids who come through here, painted mural plaques to be continued by our children here, and really cleaned out and organized our huge collection of books and blankets that we give away. During that time balloon animals and new friends were made.
Thank you to Jewish Volunteer Connection for making us a stop on Community Mitzvah Day – we were thrilled to have the help and expect that it will begin a monthly series of volunteer opportunities for people to help BCAC. A special thank you to our incredible core of volunteers who gave us their all – you are welcome to come back anytime.
Photos are posted on our website http://www.bcaci.org/support_us/community_events/community_mitzvah_day
Thank you to Jewish Volunteer Connection for making us a stop on Community Mitzvah Day – we were thrilled to have the help and expect that it will begin a monthly series of volunteer opportunities for people to help BCAC. A special thank you to our incredible core of volunteers who gave us their all – you are welcome to come back anytime.
Photos are posted on our website http://www.bcaci.org/support_us/community_events/community_mitzvah_day
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and a safe and healthy new year to all.
Warmest wishes,
Adam
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Audacious Idea - Let's End Sexual Child Abuse
Here's a post that I submitted to OSI's Audacious Ideas Blog in the fall. I'm reposting it here for your review and comment. (Click here for the original post) Over the coming months, BCAC plans to unveil an ambitious, audacious, and attainable plan to educate ALL of Baltimore City over the 6 years in preventing sexual child abuse.
What if I told you that as a city we could reduce the incidents of sexual child abuse by 48%?
Consider the fact that last year, the Baltimore Child Abuse Center interviewed 793 children about allegations of sexual child abuse; now consider national estimates that only one in 10 children report the abuse.
Baltimore City statistics show that 82% of children who reported abuse knew their abuser. A significant proportion of abusers who these children know are young men who have grown up in a culture that tells them it’s acceptable to have sex with a 12 year old – which is in fact rape, regardless of consent.
We need to start talking frankly and publically about child sexual abuse in Baltimore. Teaching our kids “good touch/bad touch” is insufficient. It inappropriately puts the burden on the child victim to stand up and say what happened – adults must take responsibility for the safety and healthy development of children. We must go from a fear based approach to one that confronts these issues head on in an open dialogue. We must also educate parents and teachers through outreach to schools, religious institutions and community groups. Adults need to know what to look out for as well as what to say and do to stop abuse. They also need to believe children who talk about alleged abuse rather than doubting their words simply because they are children.
It’s essential we confront boys and young men ages 15 to 21. They are not necessarily predatory sex offenders but opportunistic sex offenders, whose behavior can be most easily and least expensively influenced. Through candid discussions in classrooms, youth centers, and religious institutions with potential victims, potential perpetrators and even bystanders about the rules, ramifications and criminal penalties of their actions, we can begin to change the culture, prevent abuse and salvage many lives. By helping all possibly affected impressionable youths identify the factors that put them at risk of being hurt themselves or hurting others and empowering them to develop their own protections, we can begin to dramatically reduce the incidents of future sexual abuse.
Nationally, child sexual abuse costs taxpayers an estimated $24.4 billion a year for health care, social services, and law enforcement. Sexually abused/assaulted children are 74 percent more likely to commit a crime against another person and 24 times more likely to become abusers themselves.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has declared child sexual maltreatment a preventable public health problem and recommended adoption of an ongoing and coordinated community prevention response. What are we waiting for?
It’s been done. By confronting this issue, the State of Vermont – whose socio-economic and offender data is similar to Baltimore’s – reduced its rate of reported child sexual abuse by 48 percent over 10 years. They implemented the above programs and curriculum in their schools and communities and committed to changing the dialogue about how they address sexual abuse. Educators, parents, and youth workers as well as teenage children have for years participated in comprehensive health education and violence prevention programs which resulted in promoting healthy relationships, safe lines of communication, and empowered adults to dramatically reduce sexual child abuse. It’s time we take similar action in Baltimore and focus on aggressively fighting sexual child abuse in our city.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
So, where do we go from here?
Today concluded our fact finding mission. A diverse multi disciplinary team composed of health, education, government, religious, family leadership met for the last time in israel as a group. We met with colleagues from JDC to see the evaluations about PACT and then ask ourselves the tough question - what's next?
As for pact - again, the results begin to speak for themselves. It has enabled significant changes in 6 year educational development scores, significant increased employment - especially among women, lower poverty. "It" works - now, how do we implement?
The first steps were placed today - who will "our" program benefit? How big is the group? What is the structure? Who funds it and who runs it? How do we tell the story? And perhaps most importantly, how do we involve the community itself?
We all agreed to start talking and meeting quickly so as not to lose momentum. Perhaps its an anticlimatic posting after such an emotional week, but stay tuned for details and reflections.
Now - to enjoy a day in jerusalem. Tomorrow, I'm touring Jerusalem's Beit Lyn which is their CAC.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
As for pact - again, the results begin to speak for themselves. It has enabled significant changes in 6 year educational development scores, significant increased employment - especially among women, lower poverty. "It" works - now, how do we implement?
The first steps were placed today - who will "our" program benefit? How big is the group? What is the structure? Who funds it and who runs it? How do we tell the story? And perhaps most importantly, how do we involve the community itself?
We all agreed to start talking and meeting quickly so as not to lose momentum. Perhaps its an anticlimatic posting after such an emotional week, but stay tuned for details and reflections.
Now - to enjoy a day in jerusalem. Tomorrow, I'm touring Jerusalem's Beit Lyn which is their CAC.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
My Moment
I saw a pre-school today where I got to join 30 four year olds who sang Hatikvah - nothing has quite hit me about being in a Jewish homeland with "old" israelis as well as new israeli olim from ethiopia, russia, eastern europe, and even a kid from chicago than getting to experience and participate in such a moment. It was quite beautiful.
So was the school - again, influenced and augmented by PACT. It's an amazing overlay to the existing excellent infrastructure with Ashkelon, Israel seems to have. the girl in purple above is also a new immigrant to israel - by way of chicago. she got to wave the flag for hatikvah. she was a part of a class of all jews - ethiopian, russian, morrocan, native israeli, and more - who were all one jewish people.
Ashkelon in itself proved to be an incredible experience for the group. if yesterday was the ah ha moment for all in understanding world jewry, today proved to be the power of how the people in program are affected by the work PACT does, JDC does and in turn we all do.
We truly experienced their experiences today. After gan and pre-gan this AM, we had an open discussion with social service leaders from Ashkelon to ask them how they do what they do - it led us to determine we need to begin to ask our own questions of what we want to accomplish. Then we went on home visits - we actually were invited in the homes of olim and in their words told us their experiences. my visit consisted of a father and his family of 5. the wife was out working and she told him to make us feel at home. he was a true olim success. he emigrated in 1984 at the age of 18 and now has a nice home and a job. he proudly showed us his certificate of excellence from the hospital where he works, and his scrapnel souvineer from when he served in the israeli army. he made us all feel quite at home.
some aren't so lucky, yet. one group saw a 24 year old single mother in an apartment without heat and a 6 month old baby. that group was stunned - but even moreso by JDC's response of that they will make sure the woman receives the services she needs. just like that. she potentially goes from despair to salvation thru JDC and PACT. just imagine what such a response can do at home?
we ended the evening with a chanukah show by the neighborhood kids - pact and locals alike. it was full of enthusiasm, parental involvement and of course cute songs. i saw how our reactions, our support, and our involvement makes a true difference. our group was quite moved - so much so, that blogging truly doesn't do it justice, but professional lives were changed today.
sure, sounds a bit dramatic, but i saw it with my eyes and its witnessed by a delegation of 16 professionals from baltimore looking to make a difference, but learning a whole lot in the process that they didn't bargain for.
keep reading - as i process this and share pictures and stories, maybe a part of it will begin to translate and make sense to you the reader.
Kindergarten in Ashkelon
Shal chevit kindergartners always share the best story and food. Had sufiganot (donuts) for chanukah. PACT once again provides the program enhancement iin the classroom - 3 olim required literacy and language enhancement taught by a pact instructor, but the whole class benefits because a 4th student - non ethiopian israeli olim - needed it as well and is able to improve her language and literacy due to pact's presence.
Its wonderful to see the partnership and ancillary benefits derived from having a pact partnership with a community.
Being in shal chevit's class was just like being in my own twins' class. Parental involvement was key - today the father of one of the boys was invited to cut the dabbah (bread) and share with the class. He was given the honor (and of course, like our kindergarteners, his little boy was equally embarrassed and clingy in his presence). The father, a proud olim, was very happy to be a part of the activity
Nissim, one of the boys, gave me some art to take home, which will hang proudly in my office next to my kids' art.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Its wonderful to see the partnership and ancillary benefits derived from having a pact partnership with a community.
Being in shal chevit's class was just like being in my own twins' class. Parental involvement was key - today the father of one of the boys was invited to cut the dabbah (bread) and share with the class. He was given the honor (and of course, like our kindergarteners, his little boy was equally embarrassed and clingy in his presence). The father, a proud olim, was very happy to be a part of the activity
Nissim, one of the boys, gave me some art to take home, which will hang proudly in my office next to my kids' art.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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