CYS CHILD ADVOCACY AWARDS LUNCHEON
L-R: Donna Taylor, Laura Tanner-McBrien, Diane Mazzoni, Jim Aldredge, Kathleen Garabed
Each April, during National Child Abuse Month, Comprehensive Youth Services honors several outstanding individuals from our community who have championed the rights of all children in our community to grow up in safe and loving homes. Child advocates are nominated by their peers to receive this honor. Funds raised through the event provide counseling and other supportive services at CYS to help children who have experienced abuse and neglect heal from past traumas and lead happier, healthier lives.
This year, our 9th Annual Child Advocacy Luncheon was held on April 17th, 2012 at Pardini’s. More than 220 people dedicated to supporting our community’s children joined us to honor the following individuals:
2012 CYS CHILD ADVOCATES:
JAMES ALDREDGE, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, California State University, Fresno
DIANE MAZZONI, NCSP, LEP
LCI Coordinator, Special Education, Central Unified School District
LAURA TANNER-MC BRIEN, Ed.D
Coordinator, Project ACCESS (Homeless Education & Foster Care), Fresno Unified School District
DONNA TAYLOR, R.N.
Director of Mental Health, Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health
2012 CYS FLOYD POORE MEMORIAL AWARD RECIPIENT*
KATHLEEN GARABED
Stone Soup Fresno, Retired Executive Director
Fresno County Mental Health Board Member
*The Floyd Poore Memorial Award is presented each year at Comprehensive Youth Services Annual Child Advocacy Awards Luncheon to an individual in the community who has demonstrated extraordinary devotion to our community’s children. The award was named in recognition of one of the agency’s founders, Floyd Poore. Mr. Poore sat on the Board of Directors at CYS for more than 20 years. As a Deputy Sheriff with the Fresno Sheriff’s Department for 28 years — as a devoted father of his own children and numerous foster children — Mr. Poore lived the agency’s mission, embodying its values, keeping the faith and inspiring all who served with him.