The hour-long online gala will take place Aug. 22 from 7-8 p.m. and will include informational programming about the nonprofit’s work in the community as well as a live auction.
Child Advocates of Fort Bend is also hosting an online auction, which will remain open until the Summer Soiree event.
“We are hard at work on the evening program and are very excited about the opportunity that this will provide for us to reach an even larger audience,” CAFB Development Director Lisa Moore said in a news release.
CAFB CEO Ruthanne Mefford said receiving support from the community is critical because child abuse has not stopped during the pandemic. When social distancing mandates took effect in March, CAFB reported a 20% increase in forensic interviews as compared to March 2019.
“We are experiencing the impact of this health crisis with higher volumes of child abuse and an increase in ‘emergency calls’ due to the children being isolated and away from school,” Mefford said in a release. “Whereas teachers might have seen and reported something before things escalated, we are now seeing much more severe physical abuse than ever before.”
CAFB assigns children with a court-appointed special advocate, conducts forensic interviews, and provides therapy and case management services.
In early March, the nonprofit hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its recent $8 million remodel and expansion project, which doubled its capacity to provide services to children.
To take part in the online auction and register for the Transforming Lives Summer Soiree, visit https://e.givesmart.com/events/gyv.
