Dear Friends,
Life at All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center has changed considerably over the past couple weeks, as I am sure your life has as well. We wanted to take a moment in this time of upheaval to inform you of some of the measures our agency has implemented to continue serving our community.
In order to adhere to social distancing and to protect clients, staff and volunteers, we have cancelled all in person client meetings and are providing support and therapy services via phone. Offices are closed to visitors and the majority of staff members are working from home.
The Children’s Safehouse, which conducts forensic interviews for young victims of abuse and neglect, has altered its schedule and adheres to social distancing but is still open for now, so that children who need to disclose sexual/physical abuse have a safe and trauma-informed location to do so.
As we implement changes, we understand that the full impact of this pandemic on our community cannot yet be fully imagined. We are guided by our mission – to act as trusted advocates for children and families affected by trauma. Though this virus is foremost in the minds of many Americans, our clients continue to struggle due to issues of divorce, homelessness, child abuse/neglect, family violence and other crises. Those struggles will likely be amplified by the closing of schools, loss of employment and income, and lack of available resources during and after this pandemic.
Throughout our history, All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center has focused on children and families who live in vulnerable circumstances, and we have made sure that our clients are not left alone to weather the darkest hours of their lives. Today our priority remains the same, to provide an anchor for those who might have lost footing in this storm.
We are fortunate to work with a rich community of other non-profits, concerned citizens, governmental and business partners, and friends who have watched out for us, supported us, stepped in for us, and echoed our mission for the past 64 years.
We are glad to have had you with us on this journey, and will work towards keeping you updated about the impact of the Coronavirus on All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center.
Sincerely,
Krisztina Ford, CEO
Sarah Downey, Board Chair
