Volume 3, No. 1 - Summer 2000
Our mission is to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court. We promote quality volunteer representation for children so that they may have the safe, permanent, nurturing home all children deserve.
What's Inside
Getting the Word Out About Voices for Children
Voices for Children Corridor Changes Coming
Getting the Word Out About Voices for Children
Many people simply do not know about Voices for Children or why it is needed. To remedy that, the Voices for Children staff has been holding information sessions for the public at the courthouse on Wednesday mornings—at the very early hour of 7:30 a.m. At this time, we walk people through the process of a child’s coming to court and what happens before and after; we tell kids’ stories, and we give some facts about our needs. Several Voices for Children volunteers have come to talk about what they do and why they do it. You can help, too, by inviting and bringing your friends, family and neighbors. Remaining dates on our calendar are September 13, 20, 27 and October 4. Please come! You, our volunteers, are our best publicists. We not only desire your presence, but also would like your feedback on these sessions.
From the Executive Director
Dear Voices for Children Friends,
Voices for Children means change for children. Change for the better. Change that brings safety, permanency and hope. As an organization change has been our theme for quite a while now, for the children and ourselves. We are grateful for additional staff, all of whom joined us the first week in September. The halls are buzzing with good Voices for Children work:
Debra Klopert has joined us as a Staff Attorney/Supervisor. Debra is a graduate of SLU School of Law and has been a trained Voices for Children Guardian for nearly two years. She did her second year summer internship with us with a grant from the Public Interest Law Group at SLU. She will be supervising a full complement of Voices for Children Guardians. We are very fortunate to have her with us. You can reach Debra at 552-2378.
Mary Murawski joins us and ends our six month search for a Development Director. She comes to us most recently from Children’s Hospital Foundation. She brings experience especially in the major gifts area and an enthusiasm about working for children that impressed the search committee greatly. Mary’s number is 552-2356.
Sarah Jost is our law student from SLU. She will be working on research projects, trial preparation and developing our volunteer library of tapes, books and articles in addition to observing in court. Sarah is here three days a week for the first semester.
As you can see, change is the theme. We are now becoming accustomed to representing children on a continuous basis through the Court Improvement Project. We are grateful, as well for the patience shown us by the court, DFS, our Board as we make these changes. Most of all, the Voices for Children Guardians have listened, learned and advocated for the children often standing on shifting sands, with court policies and procedures changing rapidly. They are the heroes of this story.
The relationships built through this representational model, both with the other team members, but especially with the children, are truly amazing. The volunteer stories are a privilege to hear. Strong advocates and brave children abound at Juvenile Court.
In the book Evensong by Gail Godwin, the main character examines why she does what she does (she’s an Episcopal priest in a small town church). When asking her superior whether she’s in the right place, doing the right thing, he answers: "Something’s your vocation if it keeps making more of you…." We are often asked "Why are you a Voices for Children? Or "How can you keep doing this sad work? Isn’t it hard"? Godwin’s priest answers: "Probably because it will always be too big for me and I can count on it to keep surprising me." We echo this. This work with these children keeps making more of me, and more of you who help, too, I suspect. It will always be too big, surprising, heart-wrenching and joyful.
Thank you for being along on the journey with us,
With thanks,
Our Voices for Children hallways are changing. As other offices relocate, we’ll be taking over more cells, er, offices for Voices for Children work. We plan to have a children’s waiting room and volunteer work station, and more room for new Voices for Children staff. We want to brighten up the hallway itself. (Remember our wish list for church pews to paint?) We invite you to share your creative ideas and your design expertise to make the Voices for Children Corridor child-friendly, volunteer-friendly, work-friendly. Interested? Have ideas? Call Shirley at 552-2121 or Sherri at 552-2352.
From time to time, we enjoy the help of office volunteers who put together information packets, Xerox pages of information, stick mailing labels on letters, put bookplates in children’s books, straighten the children’s area of the waiting room, and so on. Johnnie Ware of the March Voices for Children class helped us in the early spring. Jennifer Jones, a senior at John Burroughs, spent the month of May working here. Jennifer is off to Smith College this month, where she will not only study but also play field hockey and run track. Cory Cooper was our Friday morning volunteer all summer. Many thanks to these volunteers for their help and their steady presence. We miss all of you!
As you know, last summer the Hand Hope to a Child project got off to a great start at Left Bank Books. The holidays also were a good time for people to buy books for our programs. Since then, though, things have slowed down. Will you help by organizing a mini-book-drive or mini-fundraiser (or even a mega-book drive or mega-fundraiser)? You could do this at your workplace, church or synagogue; in your neighborhood about Hand Hope to a Child. We have flyers and other information, and we’ll help you help the children.
Christine Lutz, a Voices for Children with a generous heart and a discerning eye, will be selling Voices for Children pins at Wild Oats Market on Ladue Road on the following dates: Friday, September 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturday 23, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. The pins are limited editions created by an artist who designs pins only for Voices for Children. They are colorful depictions of children, and each month Christine orders new ones. They sell for $10 each and will benefit St. Louis Voices for Children. They make great gifts! Please stop by Wild Oats on one of those days and support Christine’s efforts for the benefit of Voices for Children – and tell your friends, too.
This was one of those evenings when you wanted to go straight home and recuperate after a day at work, but you’re glad you didn’t. Two Voices for Childrens, three Voices for Children staff and one Voices for Children board member sat together at this year’s Foster Parent Appreciation dinner, held at the Radisson in Clayton on Tuesday evening, May 23. The evening was at the same time festive and relaxed, dignified and emotional.