Community Partners Give Big During Crittenton’s 50th Anniversary Year
Only one word can really describe the feeling we got when it was announced late last year that our longtime partners, National Charity League Inc., Yorba Linda Chapter, had selected Crittenton Services for Children and Families to be their charity of choice during their 2016 Fashion Show. And that word was – Wow!
Nearly 600 people from around Orange County, Calif. attended this February’s charity fashion show that the junior girls of the NCL Yorba Linda Class of 2017 Facebook hosted at the Hilton in Anaheim, Calif.
“All we can really say is how grateful we are to have passionate and dedicated supporters like NCL Yorba Linda,” said Martha Jasso, Crittenton’s Communications Director, “To be a charity of choice for such a prolific philanthropic organization says that people do care about Crittenton’s mission, that they care about helping system-involved youth, and that people care about helping families going through crisis. To receive this sizeable monetary donation during Crittenton’s 50th Anniversary Year is just the icing on the proverbial cake!”
The production level of the NCL Fashion Shows in this area of Southern California can only be compared to what you would see at New York’s Fashion Week. The only difference being that this yearly fashion show is produced by the mothers and daughters who are members of the National Charity League .
A number of members of the National Charity League Inc., Yorba Linda Chapter are actually proud volunteers at Crittenton. Throughout the year a group of mothers and daughters help out during our annual fundraisers, they help organize baby showers for our pregnant and parenting teen girls, and they even help out giving hope to teen moms and their babies living in Crittenton’s Residential Treatment Center (from helping infants fall asleep to engaging with toddlers as they learn to read).
The Florence Crittenton Services of Orange County is one of the few places in California that is dually nationally accredited by the Council of Accreditation and the Joint Commission, that is fully licensed, and with a 50-year track record of serving system-involved pregnant and parenting teen girls.
Meaning that when a foster youth, juvenile justice youth or even a young teen victim of human trafficking is either pregnant or parenting there are few places in California that have the expertise to take care of both mom and baby within the same treatment setting.
Some of our teen moms grew up being abused themselves, have experienced significant complex trauma, and are not ready to be parents. Therefore, this group of clients in our care requires specialized services, advocacy, and support as they learn not just to be a capable caregiver but rather a dedicated and loving parent.
“It is what the Florence Crittenton of Orange County is known for. We have always been advocates of providing a two-generational approach of treatment in our parenting programs that can help break the cycles of continued abuse, neglect, and system-involvement. The need to look out for teen mothers and their children was what sparked the creation of a Crittenton mission in Orange County back in the 1960s. And to have the NCL Yorba Linda fully support what we lovingly refer to as our “mothership” program, and take such an interest in helping to mentor and advocate for system-involved teen mothers is something we will always appreciate,” said Jasso.
It is the reason why the NCL of Yorba Linda relates to our mission. They too believe in fostering mother-daughter relationships. And it is through this mother-child bonding via community service that they hope to make a strong positive impact in the community for generations to come.
This year’s NCL Yorba Linda Fashion Show has been a fun-filled extravaganza. Yet, this is not the only time that a “fashion” inspired fundraiser brought Crittenton much needed philanthropy help in our history.
In fact, in the late 1980s the well know fashion critic Mr. Blackwell (he created the annual worst-dressed list) actually developed a fashion art event with the help of Crittenton’s volunteer “circles” at that time.
What was most striking to read in this historical newspaper article from the Los Angeles Times was what our then board president, John Rau, was quoted as saying. So, when someone asks us why they should support a residential treatment center, or why they should get involved in mentoring juvenile justice or teen moms….this is why…
“People need to realize how cost effective this program [Crittenton] is. It is so much cheaper to save those girls [Crittenton residential services clients] from jail or welfare or prostitution, and on top of that, there is the value of human life,” Rau said. “We are turning those girls around all the time.”
Interested in helping Crittenton Services and our clients? Does your organization want to take part in a philanthropy project? Do you have time to attend a Crittenton fundraiser?
If you said, yes, to any of these questions connect with our Crittenton’s Development Office !
We are happy to connect with you.
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Crittenton Services for Children and Families of Southern California (CSCF) is a non-profit social services agency whose mission is to heal the wounds of abuse and neglect; strengthen families; and help troubled adolescents reach their full potential. Established and incorporated in 1966 Crittenton has a highly trained workforce operating 24 hours a day / 7 days a week providing comprehensive counseling, behavioral health services, and other support services to the clients in our care. We provide a full array of residential, in-home, community based, wraparound, mental health, foster care, and transitional age youth services with a service planning area throughout Southern California that covers Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego Counties.
Visit www.crittentonsocal.org to learn about our programs and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+ and Flickr.