Coming Together for Child Abuse Prevention Month


Fiona Remko, Sylviane Hoare, Ruthanne Mefford and Metoyer Martin at Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s Annual Volunteer Celebration.

Fiona Remko, Sylviane Hoare, Ruthanne Mefford and Metoyer Martin at Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s Annual Volunteer Celebration.

By Zeenat Kassam Mitha –

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give,” said 1990s poet Khalil Gibran. This quote explains the appreciation Child Advocates of Fort Bend (CAFB) has for its volunteers, as displayed during the organization’s Annual Volunteer Celebration on February 4th at Sweetwater Country Club.

At the Annual Volunteer Celebration attended by almost 180 volunteers, community partners and staff from all cultures and backgrounds, Sylviane Hoare was named Child Advocate of the Year for 2014. “Sylviane exemplifies the ultimate in volunteerism to the agency, going above and beyond,” said CAFB Chief Executive Officer Ruthanne Mefford.

Other honorees at the volunteer celebration included Lynn Halford and Peggy Jackson with the Lifetime Hero Award, Karen Jordin as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Volunteer of the Year, Margaret Proctor and her poodle, Louie, as Children’s Advocacy Center Volunteer of the Year and Mimi Zaybak as Development Volunteer of the Year. Organizations such as CAFB could not exist without financial support, but there are many ways the Blue Ribbon individuals can give of themselves as the evening’s honorees demonstrated.

The Blue Ribbon

Volunteer Services Team Leader Casey Davis with CASA Volunteer of the Year Karen Jordin.

Volunteer Services Team Leader Casey Davis with CASA Volunteer of the Year Karen Jordin.

In spring 1989, Bonnie Finney was given the news that her grandson had died of injuries caused by his parents. Grief stricken and outraged, Finney tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van to create awareness about child abuse. This idea was quickly picked up by organizations across the country. Blue ribbons that are tied around trees are a reminder to protect and support all children. During Child Abuse Prevention Month, consider putting one in your car or give them to your friends and share the meaning with them.

Child Advocates of Fort Bend

CAFB is known as the “one-stop” shop for child victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect. They provide a voice, heal the hurt and break the cycle of abuse and neglect for children and their families. Almost 1,500 children and families were served by CAFB in 2014. “Child abuse affects all cultures. The numbers are astonishing, as one in four girls and one in six boys will be abused by the age of 18,” stated Mefford. “Every eight minutes, a child in Texas is abused.” Throughout the month, CAFB will provide its Facebook followers with information on how to recognize and prevent child abuse and ways to get involved.

A Passion for Children

At the Volunteer Appreciation Celebration, I was asked how I got involved, so I explained my love for children. By the age of eight, I was creating homemade educational games for babies and babysitting books, which I shared with my friends. After I got a weekend job at the age of 14, I sponsored my first child in need in Africa.

While in college, my passion grew, and I created awareness for children in need locally through Mobilization of Voluntary Efforts (M.O.V.E.). I was on the board of directors for the student media, and M.O.V.E. became a college movement. I spent my college summers as a counselor and then a director at a children’s camp. It was there I learned about St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and my heart broke. I created awareness and supported them in whatever ways I could. When I was blessed with my own children, I wanted to give back locally, and I was fortunate to find CAFB.

At a Voices for Children Tour at CAFB, attendees learn about the agency’s mission and the children they serve, as well as what the community can do to help. For a list of tours, visit cafb.org/Events/Voices-for-Children-Tours or contact Irene Wisner at iwisner@cafb.org or 281-344-5106.