Month: March 2021

Lend a Hand Virtual Event Supports National Child Abuse Prevention Month

ACH raises awareness of child abuse and neglect in Tarrant County

 

FORT WORTH, Texas (March 25, 2021) – During Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, ACH joins other organizations in calling attention to the trauma and long-term impact of child abuse and neglect. Tarrant County has the fourth-highest number of confirmed child abuse and neglect victims of any county in Texas and ACH is committed to bringing about needed change.

To promote awareness of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, ACH is holding a virtual event from 12—1 p.m. on Thursday, April 8. This year’s 11th annual “Lend a Hand” event features a conversation between Tia Magee, Program Manager for ACH’s Pat O’Neal Youth Emergency Shelter program and her son, former NFL linebacker and Boston Red Sox outfielder, Brandon Magee. Their story is a fascinating one, currently being made into a Netflix movie, “Redd Zone,” starring Jada Pinkett-Smith in the role of Tia Magee. Brandon is the Executive Producer and will talk with Tia about what inspired the movie being made and how Tia’s personal mission aligns with ACH’s mission and the work she does today to help children in our community.

Lend a Hand was founded with the idea that organizations dedicated to preventing and treating child abuse and neglect needed an outlet from which to provide information, discuss collaborative ideas and share various ways of communicating the key statistics to the public at large. ACH believes that attacking this issue on a grass-roots level will lead to greater success in getting the public engaged in an issue that truly affects everyone.

To register to attend and learn more about ACH Child and Family Services’ important efforts to battle child abuse and neglect, visit https://achservices.org/lend-a-hand/.

Sponsors for the Lend a Hand event include Modo Networks, The Christenberry Group, Deutser Consultants + Creators, QuikTrip, and Kelly & Robert Keller.

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About ACH

With more than a century of experience, ACH Child and Family Services, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit agency, brings needed resources and skills to children and families struggling with life’s challenges. Some of our 17 programs and services keep children and families together while others provide a healing home for children who can’t live with their families. Through the “Our Community Our Kids” division, ACH is leading the way in Community-Based Care in seven counties of the Texas foster care system. ACH has been accredited every year since 2003 by the Council on Accreditation and in 2018 Our Community Our Kids became nationally accredited. Our vision is for families to thrive and children to experience safety, hope and love. Learn more at achservices.org.

817.335.HOPE (4673)  |  ACHservices.org

Proud Moment: Jayme’s Leadership

Leading in LIFE

This week our proud moment is focused on Jayme*, a passionate young woman in ACH’s LIFE Project who displays leadership and found creative ways to utilize her skills in the program.

Jayme recently took the initiative to create a survey for her peers to find out their favorite colors, candy, types of food, etc. She used the survey results to plan a birthday celebration for her friend in the program to include activities, food, beverages, and decorations. The celebration was a huge success!

“We have watched her become more connected to the LIFE Project and are excited for her as she continues to develop her leadership and event planning skills amongst her peers,” said Cassandra Morgan, Jayme’s LIFE Mentor.

*Client’s name has been changed. 

Do you have a Proud Moment with a client? Tell us all about it!

PROUD MOMENT FORM

ACH Celebrates National Safe Place Week with Facebook Live Events

ACH raises awareness around designated Safe Places for youth in crisis across Tarrant County

 

FORT WORTH, Texas (March 15, 2021) – Every March, ACH Child, and Family Services celebrates National Safe Place Week, March 21-27, to increase awareness around Safe Place, a national program locally administered by ACH. Safe Place designates community spaces like schools, churches, fire stations, and libraries—as well as local QuikTrip locations—as safe spaces for youth in crisis to receive assistance and resources.

The community is invited to join ACH live on Facebook, March 23 and 25 at 5 p.m. where ACH’s Safe Place Coordinator Timothy Wright will discuss the challenges youth are facing today. He will be joined by a panel of experts from ACH, Unbound, and the Keller Public Library to discuss mental health, human trafficking, homelessness, self-harm/suicide, and many other topics. This event is free and open to everyone.


Each of the over 250 Safe Place locations in Tarrant County are marked with a prominent, highly visible yellow “Safe Place” sign. Within 30 minutes of a youth’s arrival to one of these locations, a Safe Place representative appears to evaluate the young person’s crisis and ensure that they are safe from harm. Youth can also text the word SAFE (7233) and their current location to 4HELP (44357) to receive immediate help. If there is no other place for the youth to go, they are moved to ACH’s Youth Emergency Shelter, where they can receive free counseling and skill-building classes.“For youth today, there is increased exposure to risky or harmful behaviors, especially with social media amplifying ordinary feelings of inadequacy or loneliness,” said Wright. “This panel will provide great and important resources for youth of all ages.”

“Spreading the word about these spaces around our communities is critical. We want to reach the ears, eyes, and hearts of the youth who need it most,” said Wright. “Without programs like Safe Place and the ACH Youth Emergency Shelter, most of the youth we serve would have no option but life on the streets, perpetuating a vicious cycle of physical and emotional abuse that stems from chronic homelessness and human trafficking.”

In 2020, ACH helped 37 young adults through Safe Place. The year before, ACH reached 10,392 local youth through school and community presentations. Due to the pandemic, far fewer youth were made aware of Safe Place in the last year, which makes increased awareness imperative.

Information is posted at all Safe Place locations, including the texting instructions and 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929). Calls are confidential and phone lines are monitored 24/7.

To learn more about the National Safe Place initiative and to find the nearest Safe Place location nearest to you, visit www.NationalSafeSpace.org. Learn more about how ACH is helping youth across the Fort Worth region at www.ACHservices.org.

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About ACH

With over a century of experience, ACH Child and Family Services, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit agency, brings needed resources and skills to children and families struggling with life’s challenges. Some of our 17 programs and services keep children and families together while others provide a healing home for children who can’t live with their families. Through the Our Community Our Kids division, ACH is leading the way in Community-Based Care in seven counties of the Texas foster care system. ACH has been accredited every year since 2003 by the Council on Accreditation and in 2018 Our Community Our Kids became nationally accredited. Our vision is for families to thrive and children to experience safety, hope and love. Learn more at ACHservices.org.

817.335.HOPE (4673)  |  ACHservices.org

COVID Heroes

At ACH, we know kids can’t wait, even during a pandemic. We are so proud of our staff who continued to provide the best care for our children and families, despite the many challenges COVID-19 brought our way. We are honoring our employees through a video series, COVID Heroes.

Each week this month they will tell their stories of how they were able to persevere and help those with the most need.

CEO Wayne Carson is kicking off this series in the video below:

Hear how Nick Little and Tia Magee led their teams during the pandemic and provided support to staff in direct care with ACH’s young adults.

Hear how Matthew Day consistently showed up for the youth in ACH’s Youth Emergency Shelter to provide care, safety, and comfort throughout the pandemic.

 

Danny Pectol, Kaitlyn Smith, Valerie May-Brown, and Angela MacLeod from ACH’s Wedgwood Campus share their experiences taking direct care of COVID-19 positive children.

 

Ryker Hampton and Crystal Arvie share their experiences of conducting foster care trainings for parents in their homes.