There are no brown bag lunches or in service trainings currently scheduled. Due to the recent crisis we are working on new ways to provide the same opportunities. Watch for announcements from your CAM or GALP office. Register using
the events calendar under the Pinellas tab
here
.
Register for Pasco
here
.
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January Stars
Bonnie Sullivan
Michele Regan
Pat Grunebach
Tammi Martin
Courtney Irelan
Ruth Dobkin
Suzanne Pileggi
Robert Amon
Sara Dayton
Laura Gould
Sarah Bailie
Thomas Hedger
Deb Ward
Melanie Bradley
Robert Stults
February Stars
Nancy Blount
Patricia Ford
Sandy Amon
Rita Becchetti
Amy Seeks
Elyse Lewis
Doug Harr
Coleen Hill
Pauline Rohrmann
March Stars
Nicolette Love
Barbara Hoffman
Kathy Smith
Greg Taylor
Laura Silverthorn
Caprice Johnson
George Hunt
Charlene Thomas
Bob Hightower
Lee Gandy
Irene Pierpont
Ava Lawrence
Shawna Boals
Haig Pakchanian
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Great Peeps To Tweet
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| Phyllis Vital and Mel Copeland |
Thank you VCA, Phyllis Vitale and the Ladies Group of Seminole Lake County Club Villas Bunco for your generous donation of $300 in gift cards to our children during the holiday season.
Your donation put smile on many faces and for this we are grateful.
Kudos to all the
Volunteer Child Advocates and
GAL staff who are adapting to such difficult circumstances to advocate for children's best interest!
Kudos to Mia Sidlasky and Kermit Thatcher for being there for their teen kiddos!
Kudos to
Kathy Samlick for her diligent efforts in keeping in contact with the child on her case even though she is now in another state!
Thank you
Linda Zolper for being a great mentor!
Kudos to
Charlene Tomas for helping her youth get her phone!
Excellent work
Denise Lipsey on behalf of the family.
Kudos to
Lili Taskin,
who shared her story of her six delightful children! In February 2019, Lili was assigned to five siblings who were placed in four different foster homes. The children occasionally would visit their mother, and would be upset when she did not show up. They also missed their siblings and wanted to be together.
In March 2019, a baby sibling was born and placed in foster care. Fortunately, t
he maternal grandmother was approved as placement and told the Judge at the hearing, "You will not see these children in your court room ever again."
Five of the children were placed with the grandmother and one was reunified with her dad; however, goes to grandmother's house every day after school.
The children are now thriving with their grandmother. She admits that it is not easy but she is determined to succeed. She installed routines. There is a board on the wall in the dining room that says "Chores." with the days of the week, names of the children and their listed chores. The nine year old proudly told Lili about accomplishing his chores. He was behind in reading and his grandmother and Lili worked hard getting him up to speed, by bringing books and helping him read. His little 5 year old sister is learning to read. During one of Lili's final visits the little sister was working on reading and her 9 year old brother joined in to help her with the hard words. They still miss their mother and occasionally visit with her in a park. The older children understand their mother is too ill to care for them. Their case has closed and while they have challenges ahead, they are thriving together as a family with their grandmother!
Kudos to all of our volunteers who continue to check in with their kiddos and families to remind them we are here to support them.
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Welcome New Staff
Kayla Brown is the newest Child Advocate Manager in Pinellas County. She grew up in a military family and spent most of her childhood living in Mystic, Conn. She moved to Florida in 2014 to pursue her undergraduate degree in Criminology at The University of Tampa. Kayla enjoys exploring new places, especially restaurants. She worked for two years as a case manager, first with Directions for Living, and then with Eckerd Connects. She is eager to advocate for the best interest of children through the GALP! Kayla is currently working on her Masters in Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health at the University of South Florida.
Welcome New Certified Volunteers
Christina Arestides
Sherri Authier
Lisa Blacklidge
TraShawna Boals
Kelsey Brissenden
Jacqueline Campbell
Gregory Carr
Juliet Church
Kelly Clark
Caila Comrie
Michael Cook
Janet Conway
Michael Davis
Caitlyn Dollar
Angela Drewnoski
Tamarha Evert
Loretta (Lori ) Gerstein
Susan Johnson
Catriona Kiedrowski
Hannah Lamoureux
Mary Melissa Lane
Jessica Leabu
Karen Levine
Cheryl Massey
Kay McDaniel
Alyssa McDonough
Jane McGrady
Debra Meister
Jennifer Mongelluzzi
LaShica Murray
Vanessa Pantin
Deborah (Deb) Perkins
Lisa Phillips
Jane (Betty) Siebel
Noah Silverman
Tina Spangler
James (Jim) Tuttle
Florence Warnock
Jennifer Watkins
William Whitworth
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Fourteen Years Years
Anna Patton-Hauser
Thirteen Years
Gregory Cardinal
Lester Davis
Twelve Years
Margy Roberts
Carol Conaway
Jeffery Shelton
John (Fred) Thonen
Carol Allen
Joan Spangler
Maria Melissas
Regina Knight
Norm Bungard
Eleven Years
Jan Jameson
Rita Becchetti
Linda Medeiros
Carol Garnett
Pat Klein-Kendall
Ten Years
Steven See
Adam Carozza
Susan Harris
Ray Kulla
Ben Ami Braun
Nine Years
Ana Ruth Cianci
Lynn Romano
Ellakaye Wisdom
Cynthia Neumeier
Selina Santana
Eight Years
Kay Brulo
John Killinger
Russell Gordon
Michelle Bauman, Esq.
Rob Jeans
Patricia Ford
Charis Campbell Esq,
Peg Landers
Seven Years
Lillian McCabe
Kathleen (Kay) Goodwin
Linda Zolper
Rachel Gross
Pamela Young
Baarbara Henderson
Lisa Richards
Christina Strickland
Six Years
Judith Brunner
Celaine Bruner
Elizabeth (Liz) Doheny
Chuck Magee
Regina Tyler
Merrily Jackson
Sheri Johnson
Aurther (Charlie) Kern
Marie Riley
Rev. Pamela O'Brien
Donna Steger
Jean Cooley
Kateka Riggens
Five Years
Margaret Neelan
Robert Neelan
Terri Brown
Jack Sheppard
Terenycia Little
Catherine Henry
Amy Foster
Mariela Tassone
Shari Silk
Lisa Giannone
Loren Dusch
Sean Haskins
Tabitha Haskins
Sharon Sobotik
Patty Brink
Dolly Ferraiuolo
Rachael Curran
Amie Gerodimos
Patricia Haddad
Tracy Hanson
Rebecca Young
Mark Weinkrantz
Kara Rogers
Four Years
Yvonne Flowers
Chelsea Mulvin
Marguerite (Mardee) Harvey
Michelle Arthur
Gordia Jamieson
Marilyn Voreis
Joselyn Dulberg
Patricia Dekok
James Rowe
Joy Lendi
Stephanie Pletcher
Falyn Hahn
Carol Ninteau
Dala Daniels
Stephanie Shermeta Ezq.
Ramita Buckley
Dawn Schwirtz
Mary McMannis
Brittany (Paige) Baker
Michael Chambers
Jennifer Matthews
Suzzette Bernardo
Linda Dobson
Tracey Lawrence
Susan Kristensen
Three Years
Ellen Moore
Noreen Kraebel
Matthew Ceriale
Rebecca Nguyen
Karen Raihill
Josepy Schmittauer
Rita Yezzi
Jona Witherspoon
Kathy Wagner
Agueda Maanao
Rose McVicker
Rebecca Daggett
Paula Timoney
Barbara Janson
Sonja Musiol
Diana Carsey
David Connor
Gaby Gramling
Julie Kaled
Kelly Peterson
Tao Wang
Valerie Yeakel
Alvercy Love
Gina Logan
Stacie Haggerty
Richard Huff Jr.
Ruth Fletcher
Beth Galic
Ariel Kelly
Jason Kurrack
Dorthy Pryor
Thomas Seriani
Verona Bowen
Gerald Dost
Sandra Weller
Herbert Youngblood
Andrea Conte
Monique Williams
Kewa Wright
Antoni Gerodimos
Karen Wingert
Kathleen Beckman
Trishana Lopez
Two Years
Alexandria Midthun
Annette Payne
Bianca Lopez
Kaylene Squitieri
Judy Hallstrom
Brandon Sartor
Sara Dayton
Raymond Landes
Nikki Estep
Nancy Fritz-Williams
Tracy
McManus
Margaret Bennett
Chuck Blumenkamp
Gabriella Moser
Daniel Pearch
Pamela Pearch
Davina Eads
John Brass
Elizabeth Clerk
Cheryl Falzone
Melin Faza
Sara Milanese
Susan Murphy
Taylor Scribner
Scully, Judith OP
Elizabeth Steele
Vicki Williams
Rebecca Melton
Erika Johnson
Glen DePasse
Jennifer Bravick
Mia Sidlasky
Robert
Mahler
Mark
Peebles
Deborah
York
Tracy Barwick
Patrice MacLauchlan
Steven MacLauchlan
E. Fontanes
Laura Knox
Ann Howley
Lucia Jaramillo
Vincene Evans
Jayne Hollerbaugh
Jennifer
Van Hofwegen
Nancy
Zoufaly
Jonathan Friedman
Regina
Hubany
Constance Starks
Kathy Mary Mercade
Alvaro Mercade
One Year
Robert Hord
Rosemary Nickel
Christa Landi
Tiffany Rosado
Julian Rayburn
Melissa McKenzie
Karen Mitchell
Christine Marine
Brittany Schrader
Gail Cox
Brianna Jordan
Wendy Leben
Andrea Reilly
Nyree Epperson
Alonzo Petty
Kathy Horsley
Dawn Jolly
Antoinette Soares
Stephen Bennett
Beth Crosa
Read Wineland
Deborah Conflenti
Cary Heath
Courtney Irelan
Jeanne Million
Calvina Olivieri
James (Bob) Ross
Michele Vosotas
Ashley Butler
David Deviese
Mary Albrighton
Susan Ferraro
Marie Ziegler
Sandra Hazners
Alan Braunstein
Nicole Bernard-Silvera
Maria Martinez
Michael Ott
Gayle Curtiss
Shirley Copperman
Debra Fuxan
Edward Mara
Chandra Kasakevich
Tory England
Lakeisha Hutton
Daniel Burnstein
Brooke Tanner
Shannon Waites
Pauline Gerardi
Katie Phelps
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Core Values
Commitment to Children- The children for whom we advocate are our most important priority.
Communication Built on Trust- The Program has a culture of open communication, active listening, teamwork, and regard for the views of others. This includes being honest and straightforward with the children we represent in keeping with their level of age and maturity.
Collective Empowerment- Each circuit has the authority and responsibility to make and implement the best decisions to meet the children's needs. This empowerment must be passed on to volunteers, staff and attorneys.
Collaboration- The Program proactively seeks to develop relationships that promote the well-being of the whole child.
Courtesy- The Program values all who engage in this challenging work and ensures they are treated with respect and dignity.
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Circuit Director
Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen.
Keep in the sunlight.
Benjamin Franklin
Our daily lives have changed dramatically since our last newsletter. Like many of you, we are also trying to adjust to these difficult times. I know that many of you have had questions and several of you have reached out to me or your GAL team and that is great. Keep doing just that! Although the way we do things has changed right now, our advocacy remains the same and we continue to be here to support you, our volunteers, and the kids we serve. During this crisis, we need more patience than ever and to remember to support one another. Everyone, our own families, foster families, biological families, custodial and noncustodial families, and our foster care kids are experiencing the same nervousness and concerns too.
April is both Volunteer Appreciation Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. You will see throughout this month, social media posts raising awareness and creating opportunities to learn about the signs of child abuse and how to prevent it. It's fitting that this month is also Volunteer Appreciation Month. There is so much sadness in the world right now but it is also a time when you see kindness and generosity. You see people volunteering to help make a difference in difficult situations. Here at the Guardian ad Litem Program we all know how amazing our volunteers are and the difference they make in the lives of our kids. Thank you for giving so much of yourself every single day. You all are amazing!!
May you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy.
St. Pete Civitans presents Mariela Ollsen with the Four Chaplains Award
Thank you to the St. Petersburg Civitan Club for the honor of receiving the Four Chaplains Award this past February. The Four Chaplains Award honors four chaplains who gave up their life vests to save soldiers. A priest, a rabbi and two ministers stood hand in hand praying to the God they served for the safety of the men on the ship. They perished so others may live. Thank you for the incredible work you all do for individuals with developmental disabilities!
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Sixth Circuit Vital Statistics:
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Of those without a GAL
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Case Volunteers
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Transportation Approved Volunteers
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Volunteer Child Advocate Best Practices
Covid-19 school updates, school services and resources:
- Pinellas County School System, click here
- Pinellas School free lunch informaion is here
- Pasco County School information click here
- Pasco School free lunch information is here
- Hillsborough County School information click here
For Volunteer Child Advocates needing in service hours, or for training on specific issues to enhance your knowledge and skills, use the Florida Guardian ad Litem, I am for the Child Academy, a free collection of trainings and resources located
here
. Conferences and other trainings are located here.
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Tips for Advocacy during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
In the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, many aspects of daily life have changed. With those changes, the way in which we advocate for children will need to adapt to the current circumstances. The following are some tips for advocacy during COVID-19.
Contact. During COVID-19, social distancing is required. You should maintain contact with the child, the child's caregiver, the case manager and the parents preferably through electric means such as Skype, Face Time, Duo, or Zoom. If that is not possible, then telephonic contact. Remember that state travel has been suspended; however, if the best interest of the child necessitate that a face to face visit occur in order to advocate for the child's best interest, please reach out to your Child Advocate Manager so we can discuss first. If you need assistance with these applications, please reach out to your Child Advocate Manager (CAM) for assistance.
Contact with the child. Establish and maintain contact with the child through means listed above. Assess their needs. Among the many topics you may discuss with the child, always ask if they want to attend court (via phone) and what are their wishes. We are required to provide this information to the court. Also, do not make promises you are unable to follow through and do not promise to keep "in confidence" a communication made to you.
As public conversations around COVID-19 increase, children may worry about themselves, their family, and friends getting ill with COVID-19. Volunteer Child Advocates (VCAs) can play an important role in helping children make sense of what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear. When talking to children please remember to:
- Remain calm and reassuring. Remember that children will react to both what you say and how you say it. They will pick up cues from the conversations you have with them and with others.
- Provide information that is honest and accurate. Give children information that is truthful and appropriate for the age and developmental level of the child.
Contact with the case manager. Tell the case manager that you want to be contacted about any issues that arise regarding the child. Generally, you will be able to work with the case manager in a cooperative manner. However, remember that the case manager may have a different opinion regarding recommendations to the court. Even in cases with differing recommendations, we must always continue to be professional and respectful.
Contact with the child's caregiver. The caregivers can be a source of information regarding the child's needs. They will also usually know when visitation (via phone, skype etc.) is scheduled and may have information regarding the child before and after visitation with the parents. Additionally, the caregiver may need help with an issue or service. We can assist the caregiver by bringing that issue to the case manager or the court's attention. By assisting the caregiver in addressing any needs of the child and/or the caregiver, we can help maintain the placement and stability for the child until permanency can be achieved.
Contact with the parents. Contact the parents individually. Contact them at the beginning of the case and throughout the case. The parents can be a source of information regarding the child and potential caregivers. If they need help with an issue or service, we can bring this to the case manager or court's attention. By assisting the parents, we can increase the likelihood of a successful reunification. Do not promise to keep "in confidence" a communication made to you by a parent. If the parent is incarcerated a parent questionnaire can be mailed to them with postage paid return envelope provided by the office. (Contact your CAM to coordinate this while staff is remotely working.
Visits. Currently, there is an administrative order from the Florida's Chief Justice that mandates child and family visitation under circuit court orders entered under chapter 39 of the Florida Statutes to be conducted by video or other electronic means unless all parties agree that in-person visitation does not pose a health threat. If video visitation is not possible, telephone visitation will be used. The order applies to parent-child visitation, sibling visitation, and visitation between children and other family members and non-relatives. Your ability to observe visits during COVID-19 may be limited, but please do your best to try to observe visits electronically.
Visitation between the child and their parents. Note how the child reacts to the parents. It is important not to immediately draw conclusions one way or another regarding your observations. Many factors contribute to the nature of the visit including the age of the child and duration of the visit as well as how visit is taking place, i.e. phone, skype, etc.)
Visitation between the child and their siblings. Are there siblings? Is there a court order addressing sibling visitation? It is also important to inquire if the sibling visitation is occurring as ordered by the court.
Read case documents. The initial documents that are filed in the case will have very useful information. These documents should include the shelter petition and order, dependency petition, family functioning assessment (FFA) and/or the pre-disposition study (PDS). By reading these documents, you will have a better understanding of the issues in the case. It is important to continue to review the documents as they are received.
Documentation, records and releases. Document the date, time, and means of contact with the children, parents, case managers and other providers. Documenting unsuccessful attempts at contact is also important. Request records directly from the providers or school. Work with your CAM to coordinate requests if you need assistance with records request, especially while we are remotely working. Check periodically with anyone that may have useful information. This could include the child's daycare provider, teachers, relatives, and counselor/therapist. If you do not already have signed releases from the parents, discuss this with the GAL team to address getting parents' records.
Independently verify the parents' progress with case plan tasks. Ask the parents to sign releases in order to obtain information directly from their service providers. If you do not already have signed releases from the parents, discuss this with the GAL team to address getting parents' records while social distancing and travel is limited.
Court Attendance. Hearings are taking place telephonically. For any upcoming hearing that you have, the BIA and CAM will contact you to discuss the upcoming hearing. There must be a discussion prior to the hearing regarding your position and/or concerns in the case. If you appear telephonically, you will be provided call in information for the hearing. During the hearing, please allow the attorney to lead the hearing for the team. The attorneys will defer to the VCAs in the hearing when appropriate. Due to the number of people on each call, it can be very difficult to hear; and therefore, it is crucial that the GAL team has discussed the case prior to appearing telephonically. Some courtrooms have limited phone lines and not everyone can be included on the call.
Jepera Hvidberg, Esq.
Senior Child's Best Interest Attorney
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Recruitment Corner
COVID-19...Novel Coronavirus...it has stealthily crept in and taken over the consciousness of countries all over the globe. Health professionals are advising measures such as social distancing, washing hands, staying at home, etc. Friends, acquaintances and loved ones are falling prey to the virus. And in the midst of this unsettling times, abused, neglected and abandoned children still need a voice. They still need a consistent, stable adult to objectively monitor the goings on in their lives and to ensure their best interests are served. The Guardian ad Litem Program continues to rise to the challenge. Volunteers and staff alike are finding creative, alternative ways to continue this critically important work on behalf of the children we represent.
Amazingly enough, even in this time of flux, there are still individuals who are submitting inquiries on how to become a volunteer advocate. Therefore, in the world of recruitment, we too are utilizing alternative methodologies to continue to solicit, secure and onboard potential volunteer advocates. We are now:
- Facilitating all Information Sessions via online platforms (i.e. Go To Meeting, Zoom, etc.)
- Conducting pre-screen interviews via telephone
- Utilizing the courses on the I Am For The Child Academy to facilitate Initial Training
There are still hundreds of children in our circuit who need a volunteer advocate. Until each one has one, Recruitment will continue to forge ahead in promoting the need for volunteers and raising the overall awareness of the Guardian ad Litem Program in a safe and productive manner. Coronavirus or no Coronavirus...Our children need us!
Larnelle Scott,
Pasco Community Outreach Coordinator
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If you have an idea on places to recruit, a contact who might be a great Volunteer Child Advocate, or if you are part of a club, organization or group looking for a guest speaker, please be sure to reach out to us. In Pinellas, contact Karen Malo at 727-464-6147,
[email protected] or in Pasco contact Larnelle Scott at 727-834-3493,
[email protected].
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January Pinellas Volunteer Child Advocate
Arlyne Vrochidis
Arlyne Vrochidis is an exemplary Volunteer Child Advocate! She started the program with a very difficult case involving siblings placed in Polk County and has committed herself to working for their best interests. She has worked diligently with the caregivers and the children, including visiting their school on multiple occasions. She visits more than the monthly requirement in order to ensure a smooth path to permanency for the children. She volunteered to accept a second case that required a bilingual speaker. Arlyne is once again committing herself fully to work the case through to the end. She has observed parental visits on multiple occasions and has kept in frequent contact with the parents, the relative caregiver, the foster parent and case management. Due to her dedication, I am confident that all the children in both cases will receive the best advocacy possible.
Kimberly Auito
Child Advocacy Manager
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February Pinellas Volunteer Child Advocates
Nathalie Gordon
Nathalie has been a VCA since May of 2018. Since then she has excelled into an extremely effective child advocate. Nathalie has been paired with some difficult cases, some of them started out tough, and others, we never dreamed they would become so challenging. Nathalie goes with the flow of the case and rolls with the punches, but has no problem standing up and advocating for her child needs.
Nathalie has an amazing gift for working with parents. She is very empathetic to their situations; however, is also honest and forthright. She is professional and very good at dealing with upset caregivers and family by continually stressing her focus is to ensure the best interest of the children.
Nathalie is always helping out the Program in one way or another, whether it is picking up an extra visit that is needed in Zephyrhills or coming in and helping out with Christmas and making sure her kids all received gifts. Nathalie is a priceless asset to this Program and to my team. I am extremely excited to continue working, learning, and growing with her through the years.
Rebecca Dilley
Child Advocacy Manager
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February Pasco Volunteer Child Advocates
Doug and Nancy Dupuis
The Volunteer Child Advocates for the month are Doug and Nancy Dupuis. Doug and Nancy serve the GALP as a couple and work each case that they are assigned to as a team. Although all cases are complicated in some respect, Doug and Nancy accept some of the most difficult cases and expertly address issues that directly involve our children and their families. Doug and Nancy are excellent advocates and will work diligently with the children they are assigned to, to ensure that the children and families have the tools they need to be successful.
Recently, Doug and Nancy advocated for a mother and her children to acquire a monthly membership to a local facility so the family could swim and exercise together. In addition, they have advocated for children to have mentors through Big Brother/Big Sister. Doug and Nancy also have cases that are not in Pasco County. These advocates voluntarily travel, sometimes long distances, to visit the children assigned to them. Doug and Nancy create bonds with the children so that no child they are assigned to feels alone. Recently, Doug and Nancy advocated for a forever home for a child that had changed placements multiple times. At this time, the child is now placed in his forever home and is patiently waiting adoption. This could not have been accomplished without the unwavering advocacy of these dedicated volunteers. In addition, Doug and Nancy are master mentors and share their time and talent, unselfishly, with new volunteers with the goal of teaching and partnering with them for the best outcomes for our children
Thank you Doug and Nancy Dupuis for your unwavering advocacy and dedication to the children that you serve. It is a sincere pleasure to work with you and watch your advocacy in action.
Debra Towasnicki
Child Advocacy Manager
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March Pinellas Volunteer Child Advocate
Elizabeth Ehrhard
Elizabeth Ehrhard is a native of Connecticut, a mother of four and grandmother of eight. Elizabeth retired from farming after 11 years of being the owner of her own farm in Maine. Since retiring and moving to Florida, Elizabeth enjoys traveling to visit her children and grandchildren. There was a new addition to the family in 2019. Elizabeth has been a volunteer since July 2017 and currently has two cases. Elizabeth has a very calming nature, which has been a great asset in handling her first case, which continues to have many challenges. Elizabeth uses her calming nature to help redirect family members and parents to the fact that the focus is about the child.
Paulette White
Child Advocacy Manager Two
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March Pasco Volunteer Child Advocate
Greg Lauren
Greg Lauren was born and raised in Chicago and enlisted in the Army after his high school graduation. During the Vietnam War, Greg was trained as a medical corpsman and after his stint in the Army, Greg was honorably discharged and went on to earn his bachelor's degree. Greg found his better half in Deb and they were married in the 1970's and remain married to this day. Together Greg and Deb have three beautiful and successful girls. In addition to his beautiful girls, Greg is a grandfather to three grandchildren and the fourth due on his birthday. After all of this, Greg was accepted and attended the Officer Training School in Rhode Island, (like in the movie "Officer and a Gentleman". Greg was commissioned as a Naval Officer and earned a Master's degree at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. He then retired after 20+ years of service and continued to work at MacDill in Special Operations as a civilian contractor for many years. Greg's hobby is playing and collecting guitars, in which he currently has five. He is taking the time to learn Spanish along with his toddler grandson, and he loves BBQ!
Greg is an amazing Volunteer Child Advocate who always "steps up" when needed and Greg is a strong advocate on all of his cases. He is one of the first volunteers to offer help when visits are needed and has managed to find a runaway child through diligence and perseverance. Greg has joined our Assessment Team and will do courtesy visits when asked. Greg is not only a mentor, but a master Volunteer Child Advocate. It is Greg's intuitiveness, which when combined with his integrity, makes him a "one of a kind" Child Advocate Volunteer! In addition to his amazing attributes, Greg also carries multiple cases under several different Child Advocacy Managers, in which all compliment Greg on his thoroughness and diligence. It is an honor to be Greg's Child Advocacy Manager!
Wendy Kelly
Child Advocacy Manager
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For the Children
A Message from Amy Foster, GALF Executive Director
Although our physical office is closed, the Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay will remain open remotely during this time and we will continue to be there for the children and families we serve. We stand ready to assist families by providing for their basic needs as they struggle to deal with the ramifications of COVID-19 and the social distancing necessary to prevent the spread of this virus.
In order to be available to deal with crisis situations that may arise for our families and to follow the recommended social distancing practices, we will be placing any summer camp, normalcy, or tutoring requests on hold until further notice. If you had a previously approved request, payment for your request should not be affected. Here are other changes we are making to help you assist your families remotely:
Have a basic need request, like clothing, that in the past has been handled through taking your GAL child shopping with a gift card? We can still help! Please complete the request form with child size information, favorite colors, or even weblinks from Target or Walmart, and we can still fulfill your request by ordering the clothing and shipping directly to the caregiver. Don't forget to provide the caregiver's address for shipping purposes!
Worried about your GAL child falling behind in school? While we won't approve tutoring until folks can sit closer than 6 feet apart, we can still assist in other ways! We can provide a laptop (for children 11 and older) or a tablet to help your family with homeschooling or other programming if needed. Or maybe there are books that can help your family fill free time? We can ship those too!
Have a GAL child that really needs to expend their energy? Current recommendations do not allow for play dates but outdoor play alone or with siblings is still ok. You can request balls or other sports items that are easily shipped to help meet this need!
Our mail is processed at the Pinellas Criminal Justice Center and will continue to be processed if they remain open, but you may experience a delay in our correspondence during this time.
If you have a question about a request, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] or [email protected] and we will happily discuss your family's need and determine how we can help.
Please stay healthy, safe, and stay in touch. We are here to support you during this challenging time.
Foster to Foster is a resource room located at Heritage United Methodist Church, 2680 Landmark Dr, Clearwater, FL 33761. The free items are for children who are in the system, who are in foster care,
parental care, relative, or non relative placement. The resource room includes
school supplies, back packs, school uniforms, new and gently used clothing,toys, books and hygiene items. Hours are
Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM. Foster Parents, Case
Managers, Child Protective Investigators and GAL Volunteers or Staff can stop in and pick up needed items for the families they serve. To confirm hours of operation, contact Kristin at 727-210-5227 or email [email protected]
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Street Beat
Welcome January Pinellas Class!
Welcome January Pasco Class!
Welcome February Pinellas Class!
Welcome February Pasco Class!
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Self Care Tips
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Self-care has become increasingly popular in today's hustle and bustle society. Now with the Coronavirus pandemic, our daily lives have shifted almost overnight and the hustle and bustle has shifted too. Activities such as going to the grocery store is requiring more planning and preparation than ever! Stay at home orders are forcing people to re-examine everything we thought to be normal. Perhaps we can consider using this time to help us begin a new self-care routine. The stress we are all under is going to test everyone and self-care may be of more value than ever to help us cope with our new normal and what is to come.
In January at our Volunteer Director's Association meeting the topic was Self Care and our speaker encouraged us to develop a daily self-care routine. She shared a few things to consider incorporating into our day so I thought I would share these with you.
- Wake at 6 AM when there are not so many distractions to start your day. Use this time to journal, meditate, exercise or stretch. Try to resist the urge to check social media or news too early especially right now.
- She also recommended getting a dry brush with natural bristles to brush your skin to aid in circulation and to detoxify you lymphatic system before showering. You can research the benefits and methods if you want to try it.
- Midday is when you should have your biggest meal of the day, but, it should be healthy. If you want a salad at lunch add some type of protein or have a bowl with brown rice or quinoa so that it gives you energy.
- In the evening incorporate some quiet time into your day to reflect on the days successes and let go of the not so positive aspects or reflect on making the next day better. Again, limit screen time especially before bed and instead use this time to meditate, journal or read. She also mentioned using aromatherapy with essential oils such as lavender which is known for its calming effect.
I truly hope that each one of you, our volunteers, are finding ways to cope in the midst of all of this. Our children will be looking to us as advocates to help them but first we must take care of ourselves. Please remember we have our Employee Assistance Program if you need to talk with someone. This is truly testing all of us and our mental health will be more important as ever as we navigate this crisis alongside the children and families we serve. Visit
www.sofeap.com or call 1-844-208-7067. Take care, stay safe and be kind to yourself and others!
Karen Malo
Pinellas Community Outreach Coordinator
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