Return to flip book view

Perseverance How your support helped Mohammed go from homeless to graduating high school reACH june 2020 issue

Yes we re op e n always WAYNE CA In my 20 years at ACH I have never experienced anything even remotely like the COVID 19 pandemic ACH doesn t have the option to cancel our season like a sports team or close down like a school Instead we sheltered in place provided face masks to all staff and upped our cleaning and sanitation inside and out even our donor provided playgrounds on both of our campuses needed to be cleaned We also made decisions like implementing HIPAA compliant secured video technology that allows our team to continue meeting with clients when face to face meetings cannot occur These are unbudgeted expenses as is a temporary pay raise for our youth care specialists but so necessary to allow us to go on caring for those who need it most My heartfelt thanks go to all our staff who directly serve our children and families as well as all of the generous donors who gave during this pandemic We want our community to know that our kids can t wait for care and love even and especially during a crisis of this proportion Our new brand campaign is designed to let everyone know that we re not only open we re always here for those who need our services We hope to continue this campaign throughout the year because we know issues like child abuse occur even when reports go down due to sheltering in place If you suspect child abuse do not hesitate to call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1 800 252 5400 The pandemic hit just as Our Community Our Kids OCOK entered Stage II of communitybased care We have been planning for more than a year for March 2 the day we welcomed hundreds of former CPS employees to OCOK RSON C EO In assuming conservatorship case management we have the opportunity to bring together the child and family service delivery in a new and innovative way We are the first in Texas to enter Stage II and I m very proud of what Governor Abbott said The next step would not be possible without ACH Child and Family Services who are helping the State usher in this new form of care and are serving on the front lines of child welfare Let me end by stating emphatically that racism is the opposite of everything ACH stands for We stand for safety hope and love for all people James Baldwin said Justice is what love looks like in public We love by striving for justice By helping give voice to those who are not being heard We know that racism and prejudices often add to the trauma many of our youth have endured from abuse and neglect Our mission is driven on empathy for all children who come from hard places and we will continue to work towards this mission with openness and a willingness to listen and learn Thank you to everyone who helps us further our vision of families thriving and children experiencing safety hope and love Board of Directors Anna Alvarado Sarah Bennett Angela Caddell Katie Ciccarino Ted Crofford MD Tom Harris Tim Harvard Brad Hickman Kelly Keller Chair Barry Kromann Cheryl Moore Lynn Newman Mattie Parker Peter Philpott Alan Shipman Dowell Stackpole Kyle Whitaker All Church Home Foundation Board Members Frank Anderson Linda Christie Melinda Johnston Fred Moore Chair Community Ambassador Advisory Council Margaret Augustat Karen Barlow Chair Alysa Dennett Lindy Eubank Missy Johns Cindy Level Suzanne Tucker High school is hard enough as a teenager and even harder if you re experiencing homelessness Through his resilience Mohammed went from sleeping on park benches to creating a new life path with help from you through ACH Child and Family Services Shortly after his mother s death Mohammed became homeless And after months of living on the streets he was brought to ACH s youth shelter with only his backpack and a roll of toilet paper The Pat O Neal Youth Emergency Shelter serves youth in crisis ages 10 17 The only one of its kind in Tarrant County the shelter provides outreach education advocacy counseling and case management services When Mohammed got to the shelter he immediately felt relief Emotionally being homeless hits you because you re left with your thoughts I was super sad But when I came to the shelter I was always surrounded by people and I didn t have those stressors of being homeless Mohammed said I became super happy talkative and joked around a lot With the help of ACH Mohammad had everything he needed when he left A bank account a free ride to college and hope IN HIGH SCHOOL Mohammed then moved to The Morris Program on ACH s Wedgwood Campus This program offers a safe and stable community home to youth ages 14 17 who are unable to live with family Thanks to ACH staff at Morris Mohammed was able to deal with emotions he had from past trauma I do ask them questions about college or different situations that I go through and they can help me and they have helped me Mohammad said According to Danny Pectol Director of Residential Services for the Wedgwood campus Mohammed is one of the most resilient kids he has ever met Even going through the tough stuff he s been through it hasn t stopped him from being a positive person Danny said Mohammed hopes his journey with ACH inspires teens experiencing homelessness or other trauma As long as you keep your head high and keep pushing through being resilient can help you achieve whatever your goals are and whatever your heart desires Mohammed said Being hom eless hits yo u because you re left with your thoughts B ut when I ca me to the shelter I didn t have those stressors of being home less Mohammed graduated from high school in May of 2020 with goals to become an entrepreneur ACH allowed him to plan his future and it gave him a chance to be a kid If it were not for ACH Mohammed believes he would still be homeless You can help youth like Mohammed by giving Visit ACHservices org donate now Signature TO COME Wayne Carson Ph D Chief Executive Officer Editorial Staff page 2 Homeless Rachel Swink Editor Chuck Burton Kristen Victorin Hannah Lathen Hear more about Mohammed s story and his journey with ACH by following Community Conversations A Podcast by ACH Child and Family Services available on the PodBean app and Apple Podcasts or listen online at ACHservices org podcast page 3

Yes we re op e n always WAYNE CA In my 20 years at ACH I have never experienced anything even remotely like the COVID 19 pandemic ACH doesn t have the option to cancel our season like a sports team or close down like a school Instead we sheltered in place provided face masks to all staff and upped our cleaning and sanitation inside and out even our donor provided playgrounds on both of our campuses needed to be cleaned We also made decisions like implementing HIPAA compliant secured video technology that allows our team to continue meeting with clients when face to face meetings cannot occur These are unbudgeted expenses as is a temporary pay raise for our youth care specialists but so necessary to allow us to go on caring for those who need it most My heartfelt thanks go to all our staff who directly serve our children and families as well as all of the generous donors who gave during this pandemic We want our community to know that our kids can t wait for care and love even and especially during a crisis of this proportion Our new brand campaign is designed to let everyone know that we re not only open we re always here for those who need our services We hope to continue this campaign throughout the year because we know issues like child abuse occur even when reports go down due to sheltering in place If you suspect child abuse do not hesitate to call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1 800 252 5400 The pandemic hit just as Our Community Our Kids OCOK entered Stage II of communitybased care We have been planning for more than a year for March 2 the day we welcomed hundreds of former CPS employees to OCOK RSON C EO In assuming conservatorship case management we have the opportunity to bring together the child and family service delivery in a new and innovative way We are the first in Texas to enter Stage II and I m very proud of what Governor Abbott said The next step would not be possible without ACH Child and Family Services who are helping the State usher in this new form of care and are serving on the front lines of child welfare Let me end by stating emphatically that racism is the opposite of everything ACH stands for We stand for safety hope and love for all people James Baldwin said Justice is what love looks like in public We love by striving for justice By helping give voice to those who are not being heard We know that racism and prejudices often add to the trauma many of our youth have endured from abuse and neglect Our mission is driven on empathy for all children who come from hard places and we will continue to work towards this mission with openness and a willingness to listen and learn Thank you to everyone who helps us further our vision of families thriving and children experiencing safety hope and love Board of Directors Anna Alvarado Sarah Bennett Angela Caddell Katie Ciccarino Ted Crofford MD Tom Harris Tim Harvard Brad Hickman Kelly Keller Chair Barry Kromann Cheryl Moore Lynn Newman Mattie Parker Peter Philpott Alan Shipman Dowell Stackpole Kyle Whitaker All Church Home Foundation Board Members Frank Anderson Linda Christie Melinda Johnston Fred Moore Chair Community Ambassador Advisory Council Margaret Augustat Karen Barlow Chair Alysa Dennett Lindy Eubank Missy Johns Cindy Level Suzanne Tucker High school is hard enough as a teenager and even harder if you re experiencing homelessness Through his resilience Mohammed went from sleeping on park benches to creating a new life path with help from you through ACH Child and Family Services Shortly after his mother s death Mohammed became homeless And after months of living on the streets he was brought to ACH s youth shelter with only his backpack and a roll of toilet paper The Pat O Neal Youth Emergency Shelter serves youth in crisis ages 10 17 The only one of its kind in Tarrant County the shelter provides outreach education advocacy counseling and case management services When Mohammed got to the shelter he immediately felt relief Emotionally being homeless hits you because you re left with your thoughts I was super sad But when I came to the shelter I was always surrounded by people and I didn t have those stressors of being homeless Mohammed said I became super happy talkative and joked around a lot With the help of ACH Mohammad had everything he needed when he left A bank account a free ride to college and hope IN HIGH SCHOOL Mohammed then moved to The Morris Program on ACH s Wedgwood Campus This program offers a safe and stable community home to youth ages 14 17 who are unable to live with family Thanks to ACH staff at Morris Mohammed was able to deal with emotions he had from past trauma I do ask them questions about college or different situations that I go through and they can help me and they have helped me Mohammad said According to Danny Pectol Director of Residential Services for the Wedgwood campus Mohammed is one of the most resilient kids he has ever met Even going through the tough stuff he s been through it hasn t stopped him from being a positive person Danny said Mohammed hopes his journey with ACH inspires teens experiencing homelessness or other trauma As long as you keep your head high and keep pushing through being resilient can help you achieve whatever your goals are and whatever your heart desires Mohammed said Being hom eless hits yo u because you re left with your thoughts B ut when I ca me to the shelter I didn t have those stressors of being home less Mohammed graduated from high school in May of 2020 with goals to become an entrepreneur ACH allowed him to plan his future and it gave him a chance to be a kid If it were not for ACH Mohammed believes he would still be homeless You can help youth like Mohammed by giving Visit ACHservices org donate now Signature TO COME Wayne Carson Ph D Chief Executive Officer Editorial Staff page 2 Homeless Rachel Swink Editor Chuck Burton Kristen Victorin Hannah Lathen Hear more about Mohammed s story and his journey with ACH by following Community Conversations A Podcast by ACH Child and Family Services available on the PodBean app and Apple Podcasts or listen online at ACHservices org podcast page 3

ACH ACH Tours ACH welcomed the public for a tour of the Wichita campus on March 5 We were excited to provide a history of the campus as well as show the community where we work Celebrating a Graduate IN ACTION Love and support filled the room as family and ACH staff gathered for Lavontay s graduation from the Tarrant Area Food Bank Community Kitchen program We are always so proud of the accomplishments of our young adults in our LIFE Project program who find their passion like Lavontay His perseverance in the program earned him perfect attendance and a new knife set Before COVID 19 yACH Scavenger Hunt IN ACTION After COVID 19 Our young professionals group yACH had a blast at a scavenger hunt on Magnolia Street in Fort Worth They searched and answered questions pertaining to the history of ACH as well as local Fort Worth trivia GM Financial Safe Place Visits page 4 ACH We are so thankful for GM Financial donating their time to make 30 Safe Place visits in under 6 hours The group divided up into teams as they helped check in with local establishments registered with Safe Place making sure signs were clearly displayed for youth and the public to easily spot Sprouts Gardening Committee Bear Brigade It s a bird It s a plane Nope it s a teddy bear Our kids from tots to teens were on the lookout April 14 to spot all the stuffed animals hidden in windows on our Wichita campus ACH staff hid the stuffed animals as part of a social distancing game called Can you find us Wedgwood Stories Who says quarantine has to be dull Our kids and staff over at our Wedgwood campus got creative with activities Here s a snapshot from their photoshoot of the fight against COVID 19 Young adults from our LIFE Project made the most of quarantine by forming a gardening club sprouting from the Wichita campus This committee s mission is to spruce up the community garden which will continue to grow beautiful flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables for all clients who live on campus page 5

ACH ACH Tours ACH welcomed the public for a tour of the Wichita campus on March 5 We were excited to provide a history of the campus as well as show the community where we work Celebrating a Graduate IN ACTION Love and support filled the room as family and ACH staff gathered for Lavontay s graduation from the Tarrant Area Food Bank Community Kitchen program We are always so proud of the accomplishments of our young adults in our LIFE Project program who find their passion like Lavontay His perseverance in the program earned him perfect attendance and a new knife set Before COVID 19 yACH Scavenger Hunt IN ACTION After COVID 19 Our young professionals group yACH had a blast at a scavenger hunt on Magnolia Street in Fort Worth They searched and answered questions pertaining to the history of ACH as well as local Fort Worth trivia GM Financial Safe Place Visits page 4 ACH We are so thankful for GM Financial donating their time to make 30 Safe Place visits in under 6 hours The group divided up into teams as they helped check in with local establishments registered with Safe Place making sure signs were clearly displayed for youth and the public to easily spot Sprouts Gardening Committee Bear Brigade It s a bird It s a plane Nope it s a teddy bear Our kids from tots to teens were on the lookout April 14 to spot all the stuffed animals hidden in windows on our Wichita campus ACH staff hid the stuffed animals as part of a social distancing game called Can you find us Wedgwood Stories Who says quarantine has to be dull Our kids and staff over at our Wedgwood campus got creative with activities Here s a snapshot from their photoshoot of the fight against COVID 19 Young adults from our LIFE Project made the most of quarantine by forming a gardening club sprouting from the Wichita campus This committee s mission is to spruce up the community garden which will continue to grow beautiful flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables for all clients who live on campus page 5

ACH adjusts care during COVID 19 During Covid 19 ACH has continued to bring light positivity and security to the families and children of Tarrant County For ACH Kids can t wait is the mantra that drives our staff to adapt to every challenge We re always here to respond to a crisis says ACH CEO Wayne Carson This is just the one we re responding to right now Foster Care and Adoption Our staff is doing their best to maintain social distancing including working with therapists to have more teleconferencing sessions with families However ACH follows the law and is still doing home visits for biological family visits as does the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Real Help for Real Life All family counseling and classes have transitioned to a virtual experience to protect families and children during the shelter inplace orders Family Assistance Fund In order to respond to some of the unique challenges families are facing as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic ACH created a Family Assistance Fund to serve as an immediate source of help These funds target families served through ACH who are experiencing hardships buying food paying rent or bills etc that could lead to family separation or a foster placement breakdown Youth Emergency Shelter Screening and preventive measures help keep youth and staff safe from COVID 19 The Youth Emergency Shelter the only one in Tarrant County is an immediate safe haven for youth ages 10 17 e r e h s y a w l We re a o a crisis t to respond t the one This is jus nding to o we re resp ow right n ON CEO AR S WAYNE C AIRS Our Assessment Intake and Referral Services continue to answer and assist families through crisis situations and provide referral sources to help meet their needs Our bilingual professionals are ready to help 24 7 at 817 335 4673 or email Help ACHservices org Residential Programs Our team is committed to sheltering in place helping our clients stay connected to their families through virtual visits and meeting all emergent needs Generosity shines during a time of uncertainty Sandra Brodnicki shares why it s important to give a voice to the voiceless Sandra and her husband John first learned about ACH many years ago when it was still called All Church Home for Children because her sister in law was involved as a volunteer It wasn t until several years later when Sandra served as a communications consultant to ACH that she realized how important the agency is to the community Sandra shares I got an upfront view of ACH Child and Family Services in 2014 when my business partner and I helped with the communications of the agency s 100th anniversary efforts We also helped ACH introduce the foster care redesign program Our Community Our Kids As part of that work I got a chance to observe ACH up close and understand the groundbreaking work they are doing to improve our state s foster care services for the benefit of the children At that time she felt compelled to support ACH personally and has been an important advocate ever since I clearly remember how impressed we were with the passion and commitment from everyone involved from the top leadership to everyday volunteers From that time on my husband and I made a personal commitment to support ACH through volunteerism and financial contributions Sandra and John joined the Hands on Hero program a special way to support ACH children youth and families through monthly donations The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these children is why we support ACH I am truly inspired by the leadership and vision of Dr Wayne Carson and his team It has been extraordinary to watch this agency lead the rest of the state in caring for our must vulnerable Texans During the COVID 19 pandemic Sandra and John made the generous decision to increase their giving Many organizations are suffering right now with fundraising events cancelled and fewer opportunities for donors to visit and see the great work that is happening in our community It s more critical than ever for us to support the nonprofit partners that hold our community together They haven t let anyone down they are still doing critical life changing work every single day That s why our family chooses to make additional donations to local organizations along with ongoing financial pledges Sandra shares an important call to action for community members who may be searching for a way to help local children If you are looking to support an organization that truly lives its vision and is dedicated to changing the future for the most vulnerable among us ACH is the place for you In addition to providing day to day service and recruiting and supporting foster parents ACH serves as an advocate for children statewide ACH is a voice for the voiceless and has had an incalculable impact on the lives of children throughout our state Sandra Brodnicki APR is a partner in The S G Group an Arlington Texas based strategic planning and communication firm page 6 Learn more about how monthly donations can impact your community today by visiting ACHservices org monthly giving We need your help While our staff has been amazing at persevering through this crisis help from our community is always appreciated and makes a big difference in the lives of our clients ACH is currently in need of the following in kind items to help keep our families and children safe hand sanitizer all purpose cleaner Lysol Clorox wipes We also need puzzles board games card games craft supplies meal donations For the safety of our clients all donations must be new and unopened and through appointment only If you would like to help email Bayleigh LaBarr ACHservices org to schedule a drop off time Online donations are also welcomed and can be made at ACHservices org donate now page 7

ACH adjusts care during COVID 19 During Covid 19 ACH has continued to bring light positivity and security to the families and children of Tarrant County For ACH Kids can t wait is the mantra that drives our staff to adapt to every challenge We re always here to respond to a crisis says ACH CEO Wayne Carson This is just the one we re responding to right now Foster Care and Adoption Our staff is doing their best to maintain social distancing including working with therapists to have more teleconferencing sessions with families However ACH follows the law and is still doing home visits for biological family visits as does the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Real Help for Real Life All family counseling and classes have transitioned to a virtual experience to protect families and children during the shelter inplace orders Family Assistance Fund In order to respond to some of the unique challenges families are facing as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic ACH created a Family Assistance Fund to serve as an immediate source of help These funds target families served through ACH who are experiencing hardships buying food paying rent or bills etc that could lead to family separation or a foster placement breakdown Youth Emergency Shelter Screening and preventive measures help keep youth and staff safe from COVID 19 The Youth Emergency Shelter the only one in Tarrant County is an immediate safe haven for youth ages 10 17 e r e h s y a w l We re a o a crisis t to respond t the one This is jus nding to o we re resp ow right n ON CEO AR S WAYNE C AIRS Our Assessment Intake and Referral Services continue to answer and assist families through crisis situations and provide referral sources to help meet their needs Our bilingual professionals are ready to help 24 7 at 817 335 4673 or email Help ACHservices org Residential Programs Our team is committed to sheltering in place helping our clients stay connected to their families through virtual visits and meeting all emergent needs Generosity shines during a time of uncertainty Sandra Brodnicki shares why it s important to give a voice to the voiceless Sandra and her husband John first learned about ACH many years ago when it was still called All Church Home for Children because her sister in law was involved as a volunteer It wasn t until several years later when Sandra served as a communications consultant to ACH that she realized how important the agency is to the community Sandra shares I got an upfront view of ACH Child and Family Services in 2014 when my business partner and I helped with the communications of the agency s 100th anniversary efforts We also helped ACH introduce the foster care redesign program Our Community Our Kids As part of that work I got a chance to observe ACH up close and understand the groundbreaking work they are doing to improve our state s foster care services for the benefit of the children At that time she felt compelled to support ACH personally and has been an important advocate ever since I clearly remember how impressed we were with the passion and commitment from everyone involved from the top leadership to everyday volunteers From that time on my husband and I made a personal commitment to support ACH through volunteerism and financial contributions Sandra and John joined the Hands on Hero program a special way to support ACH children youth and families through monthly donations The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these children is why we support ACH I am truly inspired by the leadership and vision of Dr Wayne Carson and his team It has been extraordinary to watch this agency lead the rest of the state in caring for our must vulnerable Texans During the COVID 19 pandemic Sandra and John made the generous decision to increase their giving Many organizations are suffering right now with fundraising events cancelled and fewer opportunities for donors to visit and see the great work that is happening in our community It s more critical than ever for us to support the nonprofit partners that hold our community together They haven t let anyone down they are still doing critical life changing work every single day That s why our family chooses to make additional donations to local organizations along with ongoing financial pledges Sandra shares an important call to action for community members who may be searching for a way to help local children If you are looking to support an organization that truly lives its vision and is dedicated to changing the future for the most vulnerable among us ACH is the place for you In addition to providing day to day service and recruiting and supporting foster parents ACH serves as an advocate for children statewide ACH is a voice for the voiceless and has had an incalculable impact on the lives of children throughout our state Sandra Brodnicki APR is a partner in The S G Group an Arlington Texas based strategic planning and communication firm page 6 Learn more about how monthly donations can impact your community today by visiting ACHservices org monthly giving We need your help While our staff has been amazing at persevering through this crisis help from our community is always appreciated and makes a big difference in the lives of our clients ACH is currently in need of the following in kind items to help keep our families and children safe hand sanitizer all purpose cleaner Lysol Clorox wipes We also need puzzles board games card games craft supplies meal donations For the safety of our clients all donations must be new and unopened and through appointment only If you would like to help email Bayleigh LaBarr ACHservices org to schedule a drop off time Online donations are also welcomed and can be made at ACHservices org donate now page 7

NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID 3712 Witchita Street Fort Worth TX 76119 ACHchildandfamily FORT WORTH TX PERMIT NO 156 ACHchildfamily achchildandfamily ACHservices org Thank you to everyone who helped make Lend a Hand possible SPECIAL GUEST TEXAS FIRST LADY Cecilia Abbott KEYNOTE SPEAKER TCU s Daren Jones LMSW Lend a Hand launched a community wide campaign kicking off Child Abuse Prevention Month in April In response to COVID 19 Lend a Hand became a virtual event with special guest Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott and keynote speaker TCU s Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development Daren Jones Daren teaches Trust Based Relational Intervention TBRI around the world This method of trust transforms and heals kids from hard places like many of the youth served by ACH All of ACH s youth care staff is trained in TBRI Watch the full presentation at ACHservices org lend a hand Thank You to Our Hero Sponsors The Christenberry Group Real Estate Kelly Hart Hallman LLP Alan and Sarah Bennett Upbring CK Family Services