Non-Profit of the Year – Advocacy
Meet the 2012 Nominees
Forever Family
Some children only dream of what it feels like to be part of a loving family. But through the nationally-recognized, award-winning Forever Family program, hundreds of children featured have been helped or placed in permanent, loving homes.
The Forever Family program utilizes a unique multi-faceted media approach in which the stories, faces, and plights of these children are exposed and rises new individuals up to care for them. Forever Family produces mini documentaries about children in foster care and negotiates free media time on major broadcast stations. These stories are crafted to engage the public and elected officials and to mobilize local media talent both on-air and in community-wide promotions.
Forever Family has changed perceptions about foster children and those aging out of foster care, and brings issues surrounding juvenile dependency to the minds and hearts of millions of viewers and to our legislators and community leaders. Celebrating its 10 year anniversary in May, 2012, Forever Family has formed several successful partnerships with national, state, and local child advocacy groups, including: Florida's Office of Adoption and Child Protection, Florida Department of Children and Families, United States Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, The Heart Gallery of America and Florida Guardian Ad Litem. For more information, please visit www.foreverfamily.org.
Lauren’s Kids
It’s no wonder that Lauren’s Kids was nominated for the Wasie Foundation Non-Profit Organization of the Year in Advocacy Award. Just 5 short years after formation, under the leadership of Lauren Book, this organization is responsible for the advocacy efforts that led to the successful passage of the Lauren Book Protection Act. This Act makes it a felony for convicted predators, pedophiles and offenders to contact their victims or the families of victims upon conviction.
In addition, Lauren’s Kids is largely credited for the passage of legislation that eliminated the statute of limitations for sexual assault crimes against children under the age of 16, both civilly and criminally. In 2012, the result of advocacy efforts resulted in an appropriation from the Florida Legislature funding the Lauren’s Kids Education Curriculum called “Safer, Smarter Kids”, which will be provided to all the Kindergarten classes in the state. There are close to 11,000 Kindergarten classes in Florida.
When asked what the organizations vision is for the next five years, “it is our intention to continue to grow and expand the organization’s impact by providing a curriculum throughout all grades in our school system,” says Lauren Book. This year, Lauren expanded her statewide “Walk in My Shoes” walk by over 500 additional miles going from last year’s 1,000 mile walk to 1,500 miles this year over 39 days. She commenced the walk on January 14, 2012 in Key West, and finished on February 22nd on the steps of the historic State Capital. The statewide “Walk In My Shoes” walk has had a significant impact in raising awareness. To learn more about Lauren’s Kids, visit www.laurenskids.org.
Lighthouse of Broward
Advocacy has been a fundamental element of the Lighthouse of Broward's strategic plan for years. It is an essential outgrowth of our mission, since independence and quality of life for people who are blind must be achieved not only through individual acquisition of specific blindness skills but also through the creation of a society that is able to recognize the capability, productivity, and achievement of individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
Lighthouse of Broward believes that advocacy must impel everyone to consider the effects of decisions, large and small, on the message that people who are blind or visually impaired can contribute as full partners in their families, school, work and community. The advocacy plan includes activities ranging from public addresses or in-service presentations in the community to individual discussions with partners or stakeholders, to marketing and public relations messages.
One advocacy initiative that Lighthouse of Broward launched about 18 months ago was to reach out to the various faith communities represented in Broward County. The two main purposes of the project were to 1. include blind/visually impaired persons in exploring their needs and desires for inclusion in a faith community and barriers to meeting those goals and 2.to introduce the idea that blind/visually impaired people wanted inclusion in all the roles held by other congregants (religious education, choir, various interest groups, board membership, etc.).
The ultimate goal was to open access to the natural networking among members that would lead to job opportunities. So far, over sixty individuals have attended groups, become confirmed or members in chosen faiths, have made contacts, and have extended themselves outside of their relatively secluded lives. Faith communities have begun, slowly, to explore in what ways they can be more inclusive and respectful of visually impaired members. Learn more about Lighthouse of Broward at www.lhob.org.
