Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children   

Twin Cedars Youth Services, Inc.
Mike Angstadt, Executive Director
Agency of Year

Twin Cedars Youth Services, Inc., through successful partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the Jimmy Carter Work Project built a neighborhood which was completed in the fall of 2003 and dedicated by First Lady, Mary Perdue and co-founder of Habitat for Humanity International, Linda Fuller.  All programs and services in this neighborhood; a Second Chance Home for teen mothers and their babies, an emergency shelter-assessment center, a girls group home, an advocacy center,  a family visitation program and services for both day and overnight visitation center were licensed and serving youth in 2004. Twin Cedars has developed summer camps for two special needs populations; economically disadvantaged Latino children and deaf and hearing impaired children. Twin Cedars has served over 3,000 children and families in the Comprehensive Awareness Program parent and youth education classes at no costs to the families.  Strength based, family focused and community based treatment philosophy permeates through the organization and is evidenced in the staff and board’s behavior and values.

 
Rep. Jeffery  Brown  
Legislator of the Year
 
Representative Jeff Brown, in his capacity as Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, listened carefully to private provider’s need for increased funding for levels 4-6. Through his understanding of this need he led the Health and Human Services Committee members to reach consensus in a $7 million appropriation. This appropriation was included in the FY 06 House Budget. In addition, Rep. Brown introduced legislation that passed both the House and Senate that provides a one-time $250,000 unrestricted appropriation for the thirty-one child Advocacy Centers. He will network with conferees in the joint House/Senate Conference Committee to allow for both these appropriations to remain in the FY 06 Budget. He has raised funds locally for the remodeling of a home for the First Presbyterian Church’s youth, the Eric Brown Center.  Rep. Jeff Brown is a true friend to children, youth and families.
 


Pamela Wright
Creative Community Services, Inc. 
Social Service of the Year
 
Pamela Wright is a concerned professional who works diligently for the children in CRISIS. She strives for excellence in the coordination of the CRISIS program which provides emergency services to children and youth who have no placement options. She is devoted to providing placements where the child can be assured of safety and care during this time of trauma. Pamela is a great asset to the Creative Community Services Children’s Supervisory Team. She is knowledgeable about her kids, her parents, and the program. She is excellent at brainstorming solutions for concern brought to the Team in all children’s programs. She is a great Team Player and a valued member of the CCS Team. Her dedication to these children is unparallel to any other. Pamela Wright has dedicated her life to children and it shows in many ways.

 
Stephanie Bishop-Collum
Inner Harbour For Children and Families
Supervisor of the Year Award.
 
Stephanie Bishop-Collum has been an active member in the social services field since 1993. She is an individual who takes “the road less traveled” for kids that she works with on a day-to-day basis. She is certainly not shy about addressing tough issues head-on and then offers them a kind word when needed. Ms. Bishop-Collum presents at many conferences around Georgia and Alabama to help other professionals understand the modes of treatment that are successful in working with children and adolescents with sexual issues. As the Senior Therapist at Inner Harbour, Ms. Bishop-Collum juggles the responsibilities of training counseling staff, supervising four program therapists, providing individual and family therapy for twelve to fourteen patients and their families, as well as balancing all case management responsibilities for these patients. Patient safety and treatment are her priority and her willingness to live up to this commitment every day is the reason that Ms. Bishop-Collum is more than deserving of this award.
 
 

Twilynn Jourdain-Smith
The Bridge
Administrator of the Year

Since 2001, Twilynn Jourdain-Smith has served as the Associate Director of The Bridge and oversees agency operations. Twilynn manages to successfully connect with all levels of staff at the Bridge. Everything about her job is challenging, and the staff sees that her door is open to everyone at The Bridge. The leadership and compassion that she displays in the work that she does is truly remarkable. She brings a sense of professionalism, integrity, and consistency with her open door policy.  Her tenacity and tremendous sense of caring commands respect and is obvious to all who come into contact with her. Twilynn is the epitome of professionalism. She is dedicated to her work, to co-workers, and the children. She goes beyond the call of duty in making sure that The Bridge remains a quality program.

Dr. Bill and Debbe Furey
St. Mary's Home
Volunteer of the Year

St. Mary’s Home is lucky to have found Bill and Debbe Furey. Dr. Bill Furey came to St. Mary’s in 1987 as a volunteer probably expecting to help a few children through the maze of emotional distress. Since then he has come on campus one evening each week for about 5 hours each time to work with the most troubled children. He is also on call 24-7 when a crisis arises. He has done training with staff, held meetings with DFCS caseworkers, tested the children to help us better understand them, and been a tremendous support for the entire staff. There are not word enough to describe the pain he has eased, the children he has counseled, the staff he has encouraged, or the families he has tried to support in their effort to have their children healed. We also have the service of Debbe Furey. She has organized a group of high school students to come one afternoon each week to have one-on-one play time with the younger children. She provides the games, the cupcakes, the encouragement, and the training in life skills. Not only does she make it possible for our children to have wonderful mentors, but she is encouraging talented young people to get involved in volunteer activities.

Melanie Williams
The Fledglings
Agency Board Member Award.

Melanie Williams has been involved with Fledglings for over thirty years of our forty-four years in existence. She was the main force at each critical stage in our organization’s growth and development. Our first Executive Director, our second Executive Director, and our current Executive Director all sing her praises. She makes us all feel and look good and, more often than we would like to admit, punted when we dropped the ball.

She has served as a volunteer, a Director, a fundraiser and during lean times, fulfilled many of the tasks of a staff person. As if Board service were not enough, she also travels one day a week to Mechanicsville in southwest Atlanta to spend one hour tutoring a young girl. She has used the talents of her entire family to benefit the youth and families we serve.  Ms. Williams embodies the belief that one person can make a difference.

Pam McKay
Flowering Branch Children's Shelter
Eugene Calhoun "Life Achievement" Award
 
Pam McKay has been employed at Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter for 18 years. During this time, and even more so now, she puts the kid’s needs first, whether those needs are clothing, personal hygiene, medical or emotional/social. She lives to celebrate important parts of their lives including birthdays and holidays, helping them realize they are persons of worth. She goes above and beyond the job description. She is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is willing to do whatever is necessary to meet a youth’s needs. She has arranged for basic necessities as well as arranging for youth to attend school dances and helping those who can go to the prom to be able to go to the prom in style and advocating for the youth. After 18 years, she still has the heart and caring to see that the youth’s needs are met from the smallest need to the great need.
 

Anna McLaughlin
Georgia Parent Support Network
Gail Bayes "Vision for Children" Award   

Anna McLaughlin has worked for the last 10 years to ensure that children are served appropriately. She believes in children and families first. Anna deserves this award for being a visionary and for being willing to selflessly always put youth and families first. She does not put the agency or herself first; her advocacy and efforts go toward building a state system of care that will appropriately serve youth. One of her many strengths is her ability to pull people together and work in collaboratives. She consistently serves on committees, boards and travels the nation the nation and state talking and training on “Best Practices and Evidence Based Practices” for youth and families. On the other hand, she often is visiting or assisting youth who have transitioned out of programs and has have no-one. She serves as their friend and advocate.