To All Concerned
Adults:
I’m asking for your
support! Every day
a crisis continues
to grow in our
beautiful River
City. While the
number of children
assigned to foster
care statewide
declines, our
community has seen a
33 percent increase
in cases of child
abuse and neglect;
we are mystified by
this startling
reality. On
average, a new child
now enters the
system every hour of
every court day –
over 200 new cases a
month in Sacramento.
You probably became
more aware of child
abuse and neglect
after The
Sacramento Bee
recently reported
several horrific
incidents that
claimed young lives.
For every
unfortunate child
whose name became a
headline, thousands
more live in a state
of fear. Too often,
they wonder: Does
anyone care about
me?
All of these
children are
acknowledged by
Sacramento Child
Advocates (SCA). We
do not represent the
courts, parents, or
foster care system.
SCA uses its
independent,
non-profit status to
focus on one thing –
the best interest of
each child we
represent. We
advocate for the
individual rights of
more than 4,700
children in
Sacramento County,
and we have never
turned a child away.
There is no way to
describe the
gut-wrenching
circumstances under
which we find so
many of our clients
-- unfed, unclothed,
unloved – nor can we
explain precisely
why local incidents
of abuse have
increased so
dramatically. It may
simply be one more
indicator of
unemployment, home
foreclosures, and
hard times in
general.
Government will
provide little more
than half of our
funding this year,
due to the state
budget crisis. As a
non-profit
organization, SCA
depends on donations
to make up the
difference.
Meanwhile, the local
downturn has forced
us to cancel some
fundraising events.
It’s unfortunate and
hardly a surprise
that some people
hesitate to make
charitable gifts
given the current
economy.
But the same hard
times that stress
local families also
make the work of SCA
more important than
ever. As more cases
of neglect and abuse
flood the system,
SCA has fewer
resources to detect
the warning signs
that tell us when a
child needs
immediate
protection.
That child’s future
depends on your
action today. Please
allocate a recurring
monthly
tax-deductible
donation to SCA for
$25, $50, $100, or
more in your monthly
budget. Forego some
small expense – a
latte or two, item
of clothing, or
occasional
restaurant visit –
and you will make a
simple yet powerful
statement to a
neglected child -
someone still
cares. Or, if you
can, make a one time
donation today, I
would be most
grateful.
Please call me to
personally discuss
the work of SCA, my
direct line is
364-2307 and my cell
phone is 798-0888.
My e-mail address is
RWilson@SacChildAdv.org.
Robert M. Wilson,
Executive Director
