Child Advocates of Fort Bend Named Beneficiary of Fort Bend Junior Service League Sugar Plum Market

Fort Bend Junior Service League Members recently presented a check for a portion of the proceeds of their Sugar Plum Market to Child Advocates of Fort Bend. The funds will be used to help with the agency’s WINGS program for teens aging out of foster care.

The WINGS program for teens ages 14-18+, was developed to prepare older foster care youth for independent living after they “age out” of the foster care system. Support from FBJSL will help these teens learn critical life skills, make connections with healthy adults to ensure a support system and graduate from high school with an attainable plan for pursuing college, vocational school or employment. Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s WINGS program has been tailored to fit the needs of the children with annual events and activities to promote education, health and self-sufficiency.

Prior to the WINGS Program, many of these teens dropped out of school, often experiencing homelessness and were incarcerated for illegal activity. They had no clear path to a successful future. The WINGS program has been a key factor in changing outcomes for these youth.

Shown Front row (L to R) are: Kelsea Lake, FBJSL President Jen Rizzo, Sarah Kuehl, Child Advocates of Fort Bend CEO Ruthanne Mefford, Monica Henderson, and Heather Brown. Back row (L to R) are: Kim Camp, Jaime Harris and Sherri Ebarb.

About Child Advocates of Fort Bend:

Child Advocates of Fort Bend is a non-profit agency that has been making a difference in the lives of abused and neglected children for 26 years. Its mission is to provide a voice, heal the hurt, and break the cycle of child abuse in Fort Bend County. Through its Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (CASATM), Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) and more than 200 trained community volunteer advocates, Child Advocates of Fort Bend improves the lives of more than 400 children each month and has served more than 15,000 children since opening its doors in 1991. Volunteers are needed to help in the agency’s Children’s Advocacy Center and in the

Court Appointed Special Advocates Program. For more information on Child Advocates of Fort Bend or to become a volunteer, go to www.cafb.org or contact Lauren Jordin at ljordin@cafb.org or 281-344-5259.