|
What's happening at AFC
February, 2008
Last month the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office arranged a plea bargain for a defendant accused of creating a children’s charity and then pocketing the thousands of dollars he collected. As part of his punishment, he was ordered into five years of probation and restitution of $45,000 to Alliance For Children, the Tarrant County Children’s Advocacy Center program. Although needy children did not immediately benefit from the funds collected between 1998 and 2002, at least in 2008 Tarrant County’s most vulnerable children, those who have been abused, will benefit.
How are generous individuals who care about children and other worthwhile causes able to determine if the charity soliciting funds is reputable? There are some basic resources a potential donor can use to determine if the agency’s activities meet the donor’s interests:
Contact the Better Business Bureau and/or the Chamber of Commerce
Contact the local United Way to inquire if they are aware of the organization
Contact the agency itself and request information about longevity, Board of Directors, programs.
Get on the Internet and search for information about the agency there.
The more specific an agency is about the services delivered, the programming it provides and the number of clients served each year, the more likely that agency is legitimate and worthy of support.
|
|
P.S. It’s My Body! series makes the grade!
Who is Happy Bear? Happy Bear is the main character in play about personal safety, whose sole purpose is to teach young children how to be safe. Happy Bear’s interactive play is presented by a trained facilitator and a costumed volunteer. Since it is important to be safe all day long, the play opens at the beginning of Happy Bear’s day. During the course of the play, children teach Happy Bear about welcome and unwelcome touches; personal safety zones (personal space); how to respond to unwelcome touches (say “No”, move away, tell someone); who to tell, and “It’s never your fault!”
 
Stewards of Children is a revolutionary sexual abuse prevention training program that educates adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse and motivate them to courageous action.
|
|
|
|
