News from Children’s Friend
November 2012
For the second year in a row, our Adoption and Family Services program has brought home the highest recognition for a Massachusetts adoption agency. The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange awarded Children’s Friend the 2012 MARE Excellence Award for Outstanding Collaboration in the Recruitment of Permanent Families for Waiting Children. The award’s nickname is “The Woody,” because a brass plate goes on a wooden plaque.
But wait, there’s more – Our Case Manager Katie Kenbeek was recognized for “Outstanding Dedication and Commitment to Waiting Children and Families.” That’s also an impressive recognition.
And as if that weren’t enough, our staff was also honored for “Outstanding Use of MARE Registration and Photo Listing.”
Congratulations to Veronica Listerud, Chris O’Shea, and our entire adoption staff. They continue to do us proud while they do great work for our kids and families.
May 2012 – Sue Uryasz, Adoption Social Worker at Children’s Friend and Realtor at ERA Key Realty Services, presents Karen Ludington, President and CEO, with a $1,000 check for Children’s Friend from the charitable trust of ERA.
April 2012 – On April 24th, we held our 162nd Annual Meeting in the historic Great Room of Children’s Friend. After a brief business meeting, awards were presented. Each year we seek to recognize individuals or businesses that have made outstanding contributions to the Agency.
The Children’s Friend Award was presented to Joseph C. O’Brien for his longtime support, but especially because last year, as Worcester’s Mayor, Joe led the effort to fund school buses to transport the young mothers with children in our Early Learning Center to school.
The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Byron M. Deane, III, for outstanding service over the last four years at the Big Dipper Ice Cream Festival as the organizer and manager of a very large group of runners who accomplish many tasks at the festival.
The Employee of the Year Award was presented to Kim Hager, LCSW. Kim was nominated by her peers because she always goes above and beyond what is expected of her, and particularly because she created the Young Clinicians Group at the clinic at her own expense and on her own time.
The H. Waite Hurlburt Award was presented by Karen Ludington to Richard T. Leahy, President and CEO of Webster Five Cents Savings Bank and Karen Kempskie-Aquino, Vice President and head of the Webster Five Foundation. Webster Five has supported the mission of Children’s Friend for fifteen years, including, in the last few years, a series of grants to our Carriage House Grief Support Center.
Ms. Kempskie-Aquino, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Ludington
March 2012 – Miles-Lincoln Award Gala and Auction
On March 24th, we honored Michael J. Mulrain, COO of Polar Beverages, with the Miles-Lincoln award. We shattered all previous goals, bringing in a net revenue of $141,000 to benefit the programs of Children’s Friend. The Miles-Lincoln Award Gala and Auction is our largest fundraiser. The award is named after two of the founders of the Agency, Mrs. Jonas M. Miles, and Colonel John Waldo Lincoln. Mrs. Miles had seen the inadequacy of the system for caring for abandoned and neglected children, and in 1849, she replaced that harsh system with a caring home for children. The founders of Children’s Friend were visionaries. The award in their name is special. Congratulations to Mike on his outstanding achievements in the community and for helping us bring in the most money ever for our auction!
School Age Mothers News – March 2011
Check out the awesome poster our Moms in the School Age Mothers Program created for Teen Lobby Day 2011 in Boston. This year’s Lobby Day theme was “The Untold Story of Teen Parents: Listen. Invest. Expect Success.” Everyone had a great day talking with State Rep. Vincent Pedone, listening to speeches, and touring the State House. Seven teen parents attended with staff. We’re proud of them!
