DHS Reconizes Workers and Agencies Helping to End Child Abuse in Philadelphia
Sixth Annual Children's Crusader Awards to be presented during Child Abuse Prevention Month Press Conference
April 26, 2005
Philadelphia, PA — The Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS), the agency charged with protecting children from abuse and neglect, today recognized its staff and service provider agencies who work to protect Philadelphia's children from harm during the Sixth Annual Children's Crusader Awards at City Hall. Two DHS staff members and two service provider agencies were recognized for continually rising above challenges to provide Philadelphia families and youth with caring, compassionate service.
"The Children's Crusader Awards ceremony provides DHS with an annual opportunity to recognize our dedicated, committed, and hardworking staff and service agencies. This can be grueling, emotionally draining work. The awards allow us to publicly demonstate how much we appreciate their efforts to protect the city's children and keep families together," said DHS Commissioner Cheryl Ransom-Garner.
In addition to announcing the winners, Commissioner Ranson-Garner discussed the Department's ongoing efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect in Philadelphia and to strengthen families in the city's most vulnerable neighborhoods.
DHS touches the lives of thousnds of children each year and, as part of April's designation as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, DHS created the Crusader Awards in the year 2000 to draw attention to the issue and publicly applaud those whose exemplary work in making a difference in the lives of the city's children and families.
The 2005 winners of the Children's Crusader Awards are: John C. Gblah, Social Worker II; Amy Parylak, Social Worker I; Lutheran Children and Family Services; and Community Advocates' Association for Children.
Community Advocates' Association for Children and Youth, Inc. (CAACY) is a non-profit social service agency founded in 1979 by a group of community activists who realized a dire need for family-support services that featured effective early intervention, parent education, and coordination of diverse public programs for adolescent parents and youth in North Philadelphia. CAACY is a multi-faceted family life support agency that provides social services. Over the years, CAACY has empowered thousands of children, teens, parents, and grandparents to overcome a host of overwhelming problems such as poverty, unemployment, child abuse, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and school drop-outs.
"We are blessed to receive the Children's Crusader Award. It is wonderful to be recognized after 26 years of service to the community and we are humbled by the honor," said Gary Hall, Executive Director of CAACY. "We share this award with the staff of CAACY because it is their dedication to helping families overcome the obstacles they face that makes all of this possible."
