Children's Fund-CHANGING FUTURES NEWSLETTER-Summer 2020

Changing Futures

SUMMER 2020

A publication of Children’s Fund

Dr. Amy Young treating a patient at the Children’s Assessment Center

Dr. Amy Young’s Journey to the Children’s Assessment Center Early this year, Children’s Fund increased its support for abused children through a partnership with San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The $333,333 support is for increased medical services at the Children’s Assessment Center (CAC) in San Bernardino, which provides care for the most vulnerable children who have been severely neglected, and physically or sexually abused.

The large grant from the San Manuel Tribe will enable one existing fellow to graduate and fund year two (of a three-year program) for another forensic pediatric fellow.

Nationally, there are not enough board-certified forensic pediatricians in the United States, and over half of them are set to retire within the next ten years. Few medical professionals are entering the field of forensic pediatrics.

“The best way for the CAC to secure more child abuse medical staff is to offer Forensic Pediatric Fellowships, essentially growing and retaining local expertise.” said Dr. Amy Young, the Medical Director at the CAC. Continued on page 3

Message From Our President & CEO

COVID-19 Cannot Stop Computer Camp

Sharing Our Blessings

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Message From the President In the past couple of months, there has been a great deal of civil unrest over the murder of George Floyd and the increasing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have witnessed protest marches across the country, including in San Bernardino County, with many passionate youth participating. In case you missed the email our Board President Gary Ovitt and I sent to our friends and supporters a few weeks ago, the following is an excerpt from that email.

“For 33 years, Children’s Fund has been a voice, an advocate, and a representative for children and youth that have experienced poverty, abuse, and neglect. We must be their voice until they can speak up and out for themselves. When your voice has been silenced and controlled, especially due to systemic racism, you lose your sense of identity and ability to cry for help, to ask for help, and even to accept help.

Children’s Fund serves as a reminder and provider of hope for children and families that are frustrated that their civil liberties and basic human rights have been denied, squashed, or taken away. We help children create future stories and provide them with all of the resources and tools they need to actualize that story.

It is essential to allow children and youth to express themselves. We have an opportunity to learn from them and incorporate them into rebuilding, fixing, and restructuring everything wrong and inappropriate in the systems that affect their communities.

Finally, we are tired.

We are tired that people take advantage of children.

We are tired that children are silenced.

We are tired that children live in poverty.

We are tired that children are abused.

We are tired that children live through neglect.

We are tired that children are left parentless due to killings and violence.

We also acknowledge that while we empathize, our tiredness pales in comparison to how tired people are that actually experience all of this in their lives.

We must encourage our children and youth to see the greatness in themselves, that we see in them. We must show them how to find their voice and be silenced no more. We must allow them to walk with us, side by side, as we rebuild the systems that have historically limited their future stories. Join us as we work together to bring equity, access, and support to those who need it most.”

I commend the County of San Bernardino for adopting a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. The recognition that racism directly affects stability, health and mental wellness, education, employment, economic development, public safety, criminal justice, and housing is a significant step toward changing our communities. I am committed to working with our County partners and all of those who stand behind our efforts to bring Support, Opportunity, and Hope to those children who have and are experiencing the devastating effects of racism and discrimination in their lives that lead to their under-resourced environment.

I sincerely hope that you will join us on this journey.

Thank you, Dr. Ciriaco “Cid” Pinedo

COVID-19 Cannot Stop Computer Camp Despite the challenges that COVID-19 presented to Children’s Fund this year, our 2020 Computer Camp was a success. Under normal circumstances, each year, approximately 125 graduating foster youth receive a full day of in-person computer training on their new laptops and printers provided to them by Children’s Fund. They also receive a full suite of software and training materials.

Even though the live training classes were canceled and had to be delivered online, we were still able to get computer packages to homeless and foster youth who will need them for college or trade school this fall.

Students like Whitney, who says, “I am just starting out my second year of community college and I 2

am training to become a Children’s Speech Therapist and earning my Master’s degree. I need a reliable source that I can work on and this laptop so happens to be it.” She continues to say that by accomplishing her goal, she can be a resource to “many families and children by bettering their future education so that they may be successful as well.”

Each year, Children Fund puts out a call to our supporters to help us raise $75,000 to implement Computer Camp ($600 per foster youth) for 125 deserving students. This year, two foundations answered the call. The John P. Previti Memorial Foundation provided support for 100 youth, and the In-N-Out Burger Foundation provided the computer package to 25 youth. Because of their generosity and the insight to see how the computer packages can set these young adults on a positive trajectory, our students have a bright Jane, one of the recipients of a computer package, picked up her items at Children’s Fund and removed future ahead, indeed.

her mask so she could share her happy smile with us.

Dr. Amy Young’s Journey to the Children’s Assessment Center Continued from page 1

Dr. Young herself, is that local expertise she speaks of. As a young child, she watched her maternal grandmother and mother work at the Kaiser Hospital in Fontana. Although neither attended college, through hard work, both women moved up the ranks. When she was little, her mother would walk her through the hospital halls.

“I would see all these older men in white coats, and my mom would say, ‘See them, you know, you’re going to be one of them… you’ll be a doctor,’” said Dr. Young. “I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what I want!’”

Education was always the dialogue in Dr. Young’s family. As her parents struggled because they didn’t attend college, the conversation was always, ‘You’re going to college and we’ll figure out how to afford it.’ Dr. Young vividly remembers driving to Redlands every weekend with her family when she was very young. They would start at one end of Sunset St. and drive the length of the street. Her mom would say, “If you’re a doctor one day, you could live here.”

Dr.Young was in high school when she learned that her grandfather had a drinking problem, and was abusive to his family. He eventually left his family, leaving her grandmother (a waitress) to raise seven children on her own, including her father. Based on stories she was told by her grandmother, she knows that her dad witnessed violence and likely was abused himself. That realization made an impact on her.

As time passed, Dr. Young found herself on a path to college and medical school. In her first year of college, she and her brother started a summer camp for children who were homeless or living in domestic violence shelters. She always loved summer camp, which was a splurge for her parents, so 3

Left: Dr. Laura Jacobson, Pediatrician, 3rd year Fellow; Center: Dr. Amy Young, Medical Director at the Children’s Assessment Center; Right: Dr. Jennie Daly, Pediatrician, First Graduate of the Fellow Program

she wanted to pass on those memorable experiences to these children. Dr. Young had no money but found a Loma Linda Adventist camp that offered to host them for the summer. Together with their college friends, they brought up their first group of kids for a week-long camp.

“It was an eyeopener. A lot of children came without any belongings, just a throw pillow from a couch and some clothes in a grocery bag. No sleeping bag, or bathing suits,” she said. But that is not all they brought.

Once they got to camp, they found that

“I needed to figure out how I could help women and children who had been victims of domestic violence.” most of the children had head lice. They had trouble contacting the families to take care of the lice, and ended up treating the children themselves. Dr. Young says she had underestimated the instability that existed in their homes. Many of the children disclosed physical and sexual abuse. The camp counselors learned how to write child abuse reports and what to do to make sure the kids were safe. The following year, they were more prepared for the summer camp and received funding from Loma Linda Children’s

Hospital Foundation and Erin Lastinger, the daughter of A. Gary Anderson, a co-founder of Children’s Fund.

After several summers, and when their camp ended, they were really attached to the children. They missed them and wanted to see them again. One of the domestic violence shelters invited them to an event at the beach where the children would be.

The shelter also invited the men who were making progress with anger management and domestic violence programs to the event to spend time with their kids.

At one point, a little boy kept splashing his dad with water. Dr. Young could tell that the father was beginning to get angry so she went into the water to tell the boy that he should probably stop doing that. But before she could get to him, the father picked the boy up by his neck and started dragging him out into the ocean and was dunking him under the water and holding him down. She ran to him and began hitting the father on his back and doing everything she could to get him to let go of the little boy.

“The police came and the little boy survived.

But that left a big traumatic memory in my mind. I had never seen abuse much at that point,” says Dr. Young. “That was the turning point for me. I needed to figure out how I could help women and children who had been victims of domestic violence.”

Dr. Young finished college and went to medical school at Loma Linda University. She knew she wanted to practice medicine in a way that would help children who had been victims of abuse.

She was in her fourth year of medical school when she met a severely-abused baby girl while doing her rotation in the ICU unit.

Initially, she tried to change her rotation to something else, but was unable to. She believes it was fate that kept her there because she and her husband eventually adopted that baby girl.

Dr. Young was assigned to care for her, never really leaving her bedside. She grew attached to her over the months, and when she realized the baby would eventually be entering foster care, she decided she wanted to be her foster care mother. Her new husband agreed after meeting the baby and bonding immediately with her. The couple brought her home just days before Dr. Young graduated from medical school.

It was these life experiences, plus a lecture from a child abuse doctor, that make Dr. Young realize she was meant to be a child abuse doctor. Loma Linda Children’s Hospital

has been her home since then. She attended medical school and did her residency there.

As soon as she got her license in her second year of residency, she began doing child abuse consultations. “As soon as I was done with my residency, I started as a child abuse doctor and did rotations at the CAC,” she explains. “That’s pretty much where I’ve done most of my work from the very beginning.”

Dr. Young became the CAC’s associate medical director in 2014 and then the Medical Director in 2017.

Her vision is to create a “medical home for children in foster care” where treatment is trauma-informed and holistic, looking at everything from medical needs to educational needs, to advocacy issues and mental health. But she acknowledges that we need to train more child abuse doctors to accomplish that goal.

Dr. Young explains, “Fellowships in general can be difficult to pay for. They are more subspecialized than residencies, and you have to secure funding for three years, which is the length of a residency, before you can bring a fellow on.”

Having the funding from San Manuel has allowed the CAC to hire fellows. The first fellow is fully trained and now works full time at the CAC. The second fellow has about 18 months left of the program and has signed a commitment to stay when she’s done. Dr. Young says they are starting to build the workforce up to the level they need to accomplish the county-wide healthcare system she is hoping to develop.

The Children’s Assessment Center was cofounded by Children’s Fund and continues to be our partner in providing HOPE to children experiencing abuse and neglect.

Auxiliaries Continue Their Commitment The spirit of our mission is brought to life through the overflowing hearts of our two auxiliaries, Bonnes Meres and the West End Auxiliary.

Their commitment to advocacy, volunteerism, and fundraising is a driving force behind our ability to be a consistent source of Support, Opportunity, and Hope to the vulnerable children who count on us.

In June, Children’s Fund CEO, Dr. Ciriaco “Cid” Pinedo (below, far left) and Board Chair, Gary Ovitt (below, far right) were presented two donation checks, for a total of $85,000, by Bonnes Meres Auxiliary members, Nikyah Thomas-Pfeiffer, Auxiliary President Kerry Roush, and Louise Soterin (below, center, from left to right.) $15,000 of the donation is earmarked for the Children’s Fund COVID-19 Relief Fund.

The West End Auxiliary presented Cid Pinedo and Gary Ovitt with a check for $50,000 to support Children’s Fund. These funds are a result of their dedication to children and their extraordinary ability 4

to adapt, despite a need to postpone their annual Gala.

We are grateful and honored to have these volunteers in the corner of the children we serve. In the midst of this pandemic, they have served as a reminder that no matter how things change, there is no restriction on how much love and support we can give to those who need it.

“Our auxiliaries are dedicated and care deeply about the children in our community,” said Gary Ovitt. Cid Pinedo added, “we are excited about the upcoming events and fundraisers our auxiliaries have planned and want to thank them for their devoted and unwavering support.”

Sharing Our Blessings “ Even when you have a glass that feels empty,” shares Gizel Aguirre, “drop by drop, you can fill that glass.”

Growing up in a third world Country, Gizel witnessed poverty first-hand and realized that other people didn’t have what she had always taken for granted. She saw her place in the world at an early age as someone who can fill the glass for others, if even by just one drop. Today, as a mother of two and Associate Director of Logistics for e.l.f. Cosmetics, she has collected over 10,000 gifts for children over her years of commitment to the community and shows no signs of slowing down.

Knowing how hard it can be for a child to understand that their parents or caregivers have limited resources for gifts on a holiday or special occasion, Gizel is determined to remind children that they are just as valuable as any other child. Rallying a team of supporters throughout the year, between her e.l.f. Cosmetics family, the Fire Department, and her family at home, she has one volunteer that she especially credits to keeping her motivated—her 4-year old daughter. “We don’t touch those gifts,” her daughter tells her friends, “because those are for kids who need them. We are blessed so we are sharing our blessings.”

Motivated by the model her mother has set, Gizel’s daughter heard about a job opening with Santa to be one of his elves since he “sometimes needs help getting gifts to children who don’t get any,” and has taken her job seriously ever since. While her mother creates Amazon registries for the family to donate, hosts yard sales, and even gives up her favorite over-priced coffee for 6 months to add to the toy fund, Gizel’s daughter accepts only one gift from each family member and adds the rest to the pile for kids who need them.

Gizel tells family and friends that it doesn’t have to be a major act to make a major difference. “Change starts with each of us giving what we can because everything that you do counts,” she explains. As a volunteer and donor, she shares that her work is about more than a moment of support—it’s a lifetime commitment.

Seeing the increased need in the items for youth over the age of 10, she already has her thinking cap on around how to get more headphones, gift cards, and recreational items to older youth that are often forgotten.

No matter what shape it takes, her hope is that everyone is inspired to find the champion for children inside of them, so that we can continue filling the glass for the children who need us most.

Last year, thanks to donors like you and Gizel, Children’s Fund provided 43,081 gifts to children ages 1-18 during the Celebration of Giving toy drive.

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G ol f Cla s s i c & F ounders’ Awa r d Ba n qu e t

Thursday, September 17, 2020 Children’s Fund Golf Classic at Red Hill Country Club Virtual Founders’ Award Banquet Visit www.childrensfund.org/golf for details.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Suzanne Browning It all started with the desire to continue helping children when she retired from her preschool teaching job with San Bernardino City Unified School District. Suzanne Browning was looking for a project that would engage minds and spark creativity in our youngest children. The idea of creating “art bags” came to her and the Purple Flamingo Art Project was born.

chartable with her.” Her granddaughter, who was 13 at the time, helped name the project and designed the logo and materials that accompany the art bags that they donate.

The name, Purple Flamingo, represents the idea that art is subjective and flamingos can be any color, and are only limited by one’s imagination. She developed the project with her granddaughter who lives in Colorado. “I wanted her to see what giving back was like,” says Suzanne, “and to do something

The project is self-funded but Suzanne says, “the beauty of the program is that friends help by donating paper and supplies” and the rest she purchases at discount stores and shops sales.

The Purple Flamingo Art Project has donated 900 art bags to Children’s Fund and our partner agency, the Children’s Assessment Center, in the past year.

Each bag includes coloring pages and writing pages that help children practice their colors, shapes, and alphabet. They also contain construction paper, scissors, glue sticks, and crayons. “I want the children to have the things they need to be creative, since many children might not have had the chance yet to cut and glue and color.”

Even in retirement, Suzanne Browning is helping children learn and tap into their creativity. Thank you for including Children’s Fund in the Purple Flamingo Art Project.