The Westchester Children’s Association’s annual benefit for 2020, “Imagine a Child…”, was held online and raised more than $130,000 in support of the 106 year old, multi-issue, child advocacy organization. Over one hundred and thirty people were in attendance. The virtual event included the recognition of Umran Beba with the Edith C. Macy Award for Distinguished Service; Dawna Michelle Fields of Colgate Palmolive with the Corporate Children’s Champion Award; and Louise “Lou” De Vel Muller with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
As challenging as this year has been, Westchester Children’s Association (WCA) has been busier than ever fighting for children during the pandemic and beyond. Earlier this summer, they distributed a Parent and School Superintendent Survey to gauge how these two groups were managing remote learning. Over 1,000 surveys were returned and results continue to help administrators and advocates. Additionally, WCA wanted to make sure Westchester County was doing everything possible to assist families who live in overcrowded homes at the height of the pandemic. In order to pool resources or to cut back on expenses, families were doubled and sometimes tripled up. This created a perfect storm of being unable to quarantine and struggling in sub-optimal conditions for remote learning.
WCA ramped up their civic engagement initiative, Project 2020, and encouraged young people to pre-register to vote for local and national elections. They built on the momentum of their Lobby Day in Albany to host a virtual movie screening to examine the disproportionate rates of suspensions among ethnic groups as part of the Solutions not Suspensions Campaign in New York State. More recently, WCA, at the request of the Antiracist Alliance, produced the 2020 Black Children & Youth Report which highlights the racial inequity facing Black children and youth in Westchester from birth to adulthood.
Westchester Children’s Association relies on data to tell the story of how children and youth are faring in the County and then supports the policy solutions to improve conditions. Their work remains relevant, reliable, and transparent and is sought after by nonprofits, municipalities, and school districts. Founded in 1914, WCA is the only multi-issue, nonpartisan, child advocacy organization in Westchester County, New York.
For more information about WCA visit www.wca4kids.org.
