Children’s Friend Elects Board Officers and Presents Appreciation Awards at Agency’s Annual Meeting, Held During Historic 175th Anniversary Year

Carmen A. Mirabal and Jo Ann Harry became newly elected officers of the Board of Directors of Children’s Friend at the agency’s Annual Meeting on May 13 at the Providence Public Library on Empire Street. Mirabal was elected to a one-year term as Vice President, while Harry was elected to a one-year term as Secretary. 

Re-elected to officer positions for one-year terms were Board President Carl Neal; Treasurer Maureen Gurghigian and Assistant Treasurer Michael DiSandro.

Elected to serve another three-year term on the Children’s Friend Board were Michael Dooley, Eva Hulse-Avila, Leonard Lopes, Esq., and Alfred K. Potter II.

Board Member Michael Spirdione, whose three-year term expired on Wednesday, was acknowledged for his many years of service to Children’s Friend, most notably for his leadership of the Walk for Children and his roles in the agency’s Holiday Drive, foster parent recruitment, and Personnel Committee. 

Humanities Scholar Sandra Enos, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at Bryant University, was presented with the 2009 Michelle Norris Award, the agency’s highest honor, for her extraordinary and ongoing support of Children’s Friend.

In addition, friends of the agency Petra Jackl, R.N., James Queenan, Esq., and Edward Whittaker were presented with 2009 Children’s Friend Appreciation Awards.

Children’s Friend staff members celebrating 5 and 10 years of service with the agency were also recognized.

175th Anniversary
In 2009, Children’s Friend is celebrating 175 years of effectively serving the needs of vulnerable children in Rhode Island. The oldest child welfare organization in Rhode Island, Children’s Friend, founded in 1834, also holds a unique place in history as the first organization to serve the most vulnerable children in the state. The agency is a leading provider of child welfare, family support, mental health, and youth development services.

Michelle Norris Award
In presenting the 2009 Michelle Norris Award to Enos, Board President Neal said, “Sandra has been so involved in so much of what we do here at Children’s Friend. She has spent considerable time researching the archives of Children’s Friend and has brought many notable documents to
our attention. Sandra’s keen research skills and elegant writing ability have benefited Children’s Friend and our mission greatly.”

Enos is researching the history of child welfare in Rhode Island and the role that Children’s Friend has played in it. She has served as a key member of the agency’s 175th Anniversary Steering Committee, and has developed volunteer opportunities for Bryant University students at Children’s Friend.

The Michelle Norris Award is given in memory of Michelle Norris, a Central Falls first grader, who was abducted from her neighborhood and murdered 21 years ago. Michelle’s mother, Julia Norris, was on hand to present the award to Enos.

 
Appreciation Awards
The agency also expressed its appreciation to Jackl, Queenan, and Whittaker.

Jackl, an employee of DCYF is the nurse liaison for First Connections and was recognized by the agency for being an accessible, caring, and flexible partner with Children’s Friend. First Connections helps at-risk first-time mothers and fathers transition into parenthood by providing home visits from a registered nurse from pregnancy through the child’s second birthday.

Queenan, Chief of the Parental Rights Division in the Rhode Island Office of the Public Defender, collaborates with Children’s Friend through its Project Connect program, which provides individualized, home-based services to families to help them achieve substance-abuse-free lifestyles. He encourages DCYF and Family Court judges to refer families to Project Connect and assists the agency with legal issues faced by those families in the program.

Whittaker, Senior Chief Inspector at the Rhode Island Department of Labor & Training, plays Santa Claus at events each holiday season – from private parties to programs for groups such as Special Olympics. He requests no fee, only a donation to Children’s Friend. His efforts have resulted in donations worth thousands of dollars over the years to support the work of the agency.

About Children’s Friend
A non-profit organization founded in 1834, Children's Friend is Rhode Island's oldest child welfare organization and a leading provider of child welfare, family support, mental health, and youth development services. With Family Support Centers in Providence and Central Falls, and the CHILDSPAN program in Pawtucket, Children's Friend served more than 17,500 of Rhode Island's most vulnerable children and their families in 2008. The agency's programs range from Adoption, Foster Care, Birth Parent Counseling, Child Care, and Adoption Support and Preservation to Dads Making A Difference, Head Start, Early Head Start, Early Intervention, Family Counseling and Project Connect. In 2009, Children's Friend celebrates its 175th anniversary with events and programs designed to honor its heritage, highlight its work, and build upon past accomplishments.