HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0193.006 1996-1998
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r''riendso, eChi/dren'sf~dvocacyCenterof~ :~stHawaii
Chair, Committee on Human Services and Public Works
Hawaii County Council
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TESTIMONY Dare t_..:=__~__.__~._.Y
County Council,/~`'~
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Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of the Council. My name is
Stew Hussey, and I am president of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the
Children's Advocacy Center of East Hawaii. The Friends is an all-volunteer, non-
profit organization formed to support the Judiciary's Children's Advocacy Center
of East Hawaii. Our mission is to help a victim to become a child again.
We have no paid staff-so your financial support goes directly to the
children we are committed to helping. Our delivery system consists solely of
volunteers.
Our case load has increased sharply in the past year or so. As with other
agencies attempting to meet social needs in East Hawaii, underlying economic
challenges are having a significant impact on both workload and the availability of
funds to meet the need.
Our Client Special Needs fund is used to meet the needs of children
between the ages of infancy to 17 who have been physically or sexually abused
or seriously neglected. Our services meet needs not addressed by other
agencies, and provide assistance to families when existing agencies are unable
to provide for these needs. Agency workers from Child Protective Services,
Sexual Assault Support Services, Child & Family Service, and the Hawaii Police
Department and the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney refer
requests for our assistance on behalf of the children. We evaluate these
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13/19/9) p\INFO\SERVICE\GAC\Clyles2) ~'F 1~0.-.-_T-~V1 ,
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`MAR 1 9 1997
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Friends o, .ee Children's Advocacy Center of ~ ast Hawaii
requests to insure that other available funding sources have not been overlooked.
If there happens to be an emergency situation, or if we determine that a request
does not meet other agency regulations, we fill the request. Whenever possible,
we search for donations of goods or services from the business community
before items are purchased, thus stretching every dollar to insure that we help as
many kids as possible.
We are distributing copies of several thank you letters we have received
from children and agencies who were beneficiaries of these services from our
Client Special Needs fund during the past year-as well as a case history that
illustrates the nature of the support our organization gives to children. Our
client's needs are constantly changing and vary from child to child. Meeting the
needs of children who are victims of child abuse is absolutely crucial to the
healing process. Our Client Special Needs Fund assists in the following types of
situations:
• We continue to provide transportation assistance in the form of discounted gas
coupons to families living in rural areas who must travel to Hilo for counseling
and treatment. It is critical for children to be able to get to therapy.
• We will also provide funds for treatment if a child's family or other agencies no
longer have access to funds.
• Educational support is another aspect of the Client Special Needs Fund. We
continue to provide school supplies, school pictures, or a prom dress as
necessary for abused children who view the lack of these things as indicators
that they are different. For victims of abuse, especially sexual abuse, not being
different at school is very critical to self esteem.
~3H 9/9] D4NPo\SERViCE\CAC\C~ytasl2) -2~
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r'riends c, re Chi/dren'sf~dvocacy CenteroJ_ -astHawaii
• Providing meals for children who spend all day in protective custody during an
investigation is a gap the Friends fill several times a month.
• Restoring self esteem is an important aspect of therapy. It comes about in
many ways such as receiving gifts and recognition on special occasions.
Participation in team sports is one step in the self esteem building process.
The Friends are committed to making a victim feel like a child again. We help
by providing the registration fee to play sports, as well as uniforms and
equipment necessary to be part of the team. Hula lessons, special personal
development classes, Upward Bound training, tutoring, correspondence
courses to help a child graduate on time are examples of self esteem building
activities that we have provided.
The Friends continue to raise money through various activities such as this
month's Exchange Club golf tournament, our annual Copacabana charity ball,
and our state-wide Phantom fund-raiser. That money is used to maintain the
Center, supplement the Client Special Needs Fund, and fund other activities such
as helping professionals obtain the specialized training needed to handle sexual
abuse cases. Without assistance from the Friends, some of these professionals
would not be able to get that training. The Friends require these recipients to
give workshops when they return, thus further disseminating the newly acquired
knowledge throughout the professional community.
The Friends of the Children's Advocacy Center of East Hawaii is requesting
the County's financial assistance to help meet the type of needs we have
reported. As we work with the community agencies that are involved in child
(JI1919] p\INF0ISERVIGE\GAC\Cty~est2~ -3-
Friends o, :e C/ri/dren's f~dvocacy Center of _ _ ast Hawaii
abuse cases, we know that this assistance is making a difference. We can see
it; we hear about it from the judges, the attorneys, the kids, and the social
workers. 100% of the County allocation that we are requesting will be
appropriated for client services. By working to fill gaps and by being careful not
to duplicate existing services, we have been able to strengthen our community's
response system in cases of child abuse.
The Friends of the Children's Advocacy Center of East Hawaii thank you
for your sincere consideration of our request to continue providing the funds for
these vital services to abused children.
(3/1919 D\INFO\SERVIGEICAC1GIytesQ) -y-
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