news > article

Voices for Children Seeks Community Support

Sep 01, 2009

The nationally-acclaimed Forgotten Children Campaign, endorsed by Dr. Phil and Cold Case’s Danny Pino, will come to life in Miami on September 12, 2009 at BayfrontPark. This impactful campaign will feature 850 life-sized cut-outs bearing actual messages from foster children, all gathered from a recent national study commissioned by the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association. The life-sized cut-outs represent the 850 children who enter the foster care system daily in the United States.
 
This fundraising campaign is being held by Voices For Children Foundation, the fundraising arm of the 11th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) Program. The funds provided by Voices allow the GAL Program to recruit and train the volunteers who serve as the “voice” for abused, abandoned, and neglected children. Voices is also there to help children going through the court system who need medical care, clothing, and other basic necessities. Residents, businesses and community organizations can become sponsors of one of these “forgotten children” represented in the life-sized cut-outs for $250. Each sponsor will be invited to participate in a symbolic march ending at BayfrontPark.
 
Bginning at 11:00A.M., on Saturday, September 12th, supporters are invited to a public march alongside Biscayne Boulevard towards BayfrontPark carrying these cut-outs. The 850 cut-outs will be planted and remain until Monday for the downtown business community to see, in an effort to raise awareness and support of the hundreds of children who are placed in foster care each day.As many as 19 other community organizations have partnered with Voices and been given the opportunity to raise funds for their own organizations while raising awareness of these forgotten children.
 
Following this public march and rally, guests are invited to stay and enjoy A Children’s Celebration, a fun-filled event designed to increase awareness about the lives and experiences of abused, abandoned, and neglected children through their own creative works such as art, photography, hot glass, and baking. The showcase of diverse works, by the children in foster care, will be produced in a series of workshops with mentoring artists including: Terje Lundaas, Carlos Rodriguez and David Taggart. These workshops take place prior to the event and are designed to allow these kids to channel their frustration and despair in a positive manner.
 
The art created by the children at the workshops will be auctioned off during the event, with 100% of the proceeds going to the child artists. This event will take place at Bayside Marketplace and is comprised of various performances, featuring entertainment by Radio Disney AM990, Hip Hop Kidz and a myriad of fun activities for the entire family. The Forgotten Children Campaign march begins at BayfrontPark, located at 301 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132 and will be followed by A Children’s Celebration at Bayside Marketplace.
 
“We are honored to host such a momentous event and to speak up for the abused, abandoned, and neglected children who go unheard every day in an overburdened foster care system,” said Nelson F. Hincapie, President & CEO, Voices For Children Foundation. “Let’s stand up for our foster children, so they can stand a chance for the future.”
 
With a network of more than 950 programs nationwide, CASA recruits, trains and supervises volunteer adult advocates from the 11th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program who help get foster children into safe, permanent homes. When a GAL volunteer is involved, a child is less likely to move from home to home and they are 95-percent less likely to re-enter the foster care system. By joining forces with the entire Miami-DadeCounty community, Voices seeks to raise awareness with a day-filled with visually-breathtaking images, activities for the whole family and the unique opportunity to Be A Voice for our forgotten children at this groundbreaking event.
 
This event will not be possible without the help and support from our sponsors: Platinum Sponsors Bilzin SumbergBaena Price & AxelrodLLP; The Children’s Trust; Bayside Marketplace;Gold Sponsors Flagler Development Group; Leon Medical Centers; MiccosukeeResort & Gaming; Publix Super Markets Charities; Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.; Mayor Carlos Alvarez’s V initiative; Media Sponsors Univision 23 / Telefutura 69; CBS4; Fuel Outdoor; The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald; Diario Las Americas; WLRN Official Diamond Voice: Comcast; Official Silver Voice: Parrot Fish Studio.
 
In 2009, Voices For Children celebrates its 25th Anniversary of being the one, big difference in the lives of abused, abandoned, and neglected children. Be a part of it.
 
Voices For Children Foundation is a not for profit organization that raises funds to ensure that every abused, abandoned, and neglected childin Miami-Dade County has a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem and that financial assistance and other resources are available for theiraccompanying health, educational, and social needs. Guardians Ad Litem are trained, court-appointed adults who serve as the representativevoice for abused,abandoned, and neglected children involved in dependency court proceedings. Be a Voice, visit www.voices4.org.

 

 
 
 


For more information or to sponsor a child, visit www.voices4.org or call 305-324-5678.

Return to News