Guardians ad Litem (GALs) are volunteers, who are appointed by the Court to advocate for the best interest of a child who has been abused, neglected, or abandoned.
We are very proud of the amazing work that our SWAT team does each and every day. They are truly making a difference at the most critical times for the most vulnerable children. This is not simply holding babies to provide comfort, they are providing a voice for these babies so that the court will know what is happening with their medical care and will then be able to make the best decision for the child, moving forward.
TB Times: Bucs honor local charities on Community Impact Day
Several Tampa Bay organizations were invited to training camp Friday to watch the team practice and receive school supplies from the Arians Family Foundation.
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2021/08/06/bucs-honor-local-charities-on-community-impact-day/
In anticipation of a front-row seat for Bucs training camp, Madeline Robinson said a couple of the children she works with didn’t sleep Thursday night.
Robinson’s organization, Wheelchairs 4 Kids, was one of many invited to AdventHealth Training Center Friday for Buccaneers Community Impact Day. Groups from several local non-profits — Special Olympics Florida, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, Voices for Children of Tampa Bay and Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay — also got the chance to watch some of their favorite players practice in person.
Children with Wheelchairs 4 Kids held circular signs with players’ names and numbers printed on them. Their “favorite players” lists, of course, were headlined by quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Mike Evans.
“They all have different ones (signs),” said Robinson, the organization’s executive director. “Of course, the ones that have Brady and Gronk, the other kids are a little jealous.”
Wheelchairs 4 Kids brought a group of 42 to camp, comprised of 15 children and select family members. Robinson said the organization has been invited to camp the past five or six years. But before Friday, (discounting 2020 when fans weren’t permitted), it could only bring about 10 people.
Wheelchairs 4 Kids has two main channels of service for children with physical disabilities: one for fun activities in the community and another for providing free home modifications, wheelchairs and other needed equipment to children and their families.
The Bucs have had Wheelchairs 4 Kids on their radar for several years now, and the organizations have an excellent relationship, Robinson said. She and the families involved with the nonprofit were excited to be invited back this year, especially coming off a Super Bowl-winning season.
“The Buccaneers, they’re always supporting us,” Robinson said. “When they got the (Lombardi) trophy last year, we had a private day with the trophy. That was kind of fun. They’ve been amazing.”
Guardian Haven Academy, an organization formed in 2018 that teaches life skills to individuals 22 years old and up with intellectual or developmental disabilities, also was invited.
“It’s very important to see the individuals with smiles on their faces,” co-founder Chris Humphries said. “We let them know a couple days ago that they would be attending, so a lot of smiles are put on their faces, and this morning was even more.”
As part of a more than decade-long tradition, athletes from Special Olympics Florida were invited to run drills with Bucs staff members after the morning session. Special Olympics Florida serves over 60,000 athletes across the state, and Hillsborough County has a nationally renowned adaptive sports program (which recently added wheelchair football to its repertoire).
Additionally, 200 people from Voices For Children of Tampa Bay and Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay were gifted backpacks and school supplies by head coach Bruce Arians’ Arians Family Foundation. Tuesday marks the first day of school for Hillsborough County public school students.
Arians called Community Impact Day “one of my favorite days.”
“Just to see the smile on their face and know they’ve got everything they need for school,” he said. “It’s been one of my favorite days for a long, long time.”
The GAL Hospital SWAT Team is an elite team of fully-trained Guardian ad Litem volunteers, who specialize in
visiting hospitalized children sheltered due to physical abuse and neglect. This team is unique to the 13th Judicial Circuit and
provides comfort through visitation, supplies (blankets, clothing and other necessary supplies not provided by the hospital) and
documents clinical findings to advocate for these children in court.
For additional information, contact Katie McCarey, Master Guardian ad Litem, Email: katiemccarey@gmail.com
Did you know that Medicaid will not pay for braces for cosmetic reasons? Many of our kids may not receive braces to perfect their smile due to a lack of funding. Thanks to a special donor, we have been able to help some of our kids obtain a brighter and straighter smile
The GAL Hospital SWAT Team is an elite team of fully-trained Guardian ad Litem volunteers, who specialize in
visiting hospitalized children sheltered due to physical abuse and neglect. This team is unique to the 13th Judicial Circuit and
provides comfort through visitation, supplies (blankets, clothing and other necessary supplies not provided by the hospital) and
documents clinical findings to advocate for these children in court.
For additional information, contact Katie McCarey, Master Guardian ad Litem, Email: katiemccarey@gmail.com
The GAL Hospital SWAT Team is an elite team of fully-trained Guardian ad Litem volunteers, who specialize in
visiting hospitalized children sheltered due to physical abuse and neglect. This team is unique to the 13th Judicial Circuit and
provides comfort through visitation, supplies (blankets, clothing and other necessary supplies not provided by the hospital) and
documents clinical findings to advocate for these children in court.
For additional information, contact Katie McCarey, Master Guardian ad Litem, Email: katiemccarey@gmail.com
We are happy to announce a few great initiatives with Voices for Children as well! Last year, they received a grant from the Open Hearts Foundation (ran by actress, Jane Seymour). They have chosen Voices for Children as 1 of 4 recipients nationwide to participate in an event where their volunteers would write an encouraging note to a child or caregiver in your case. If your child or caregiver could use a little pick me up, please fill out the request form by clicking here. The deadline is March 10, so act quickly!
Voices for Children is one of the Top 200 finalists in the State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grant Programs and we are SO EXCITED! We were selected from 2,000 submissions BUT now we NEED YOUR HELP!
40 grants for $25,000 will be awarded on November 4th and YOUR VOTES will help decide which causes will win! The voting phase is open from 12:00:01 a.m. ET on September 23rd until October 2nd at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. People can vote EVERY DAY, up to 10 votes/day with just one click! Please help Voices for Children and the Guardian ad Litem Program secure these much needed funds. It’s a quick and EASY one time sign up. They will ask for your name, DOB (because you must be 18 years of age) and email in order to set up a password (they won’t use your info – we confirmed). After that, if you use the same de-vice, it’s just one click from there on out. Such a fun and easy way to make a big difference for our foster kids!! You can access our direct link and VOTE here:
https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2033901
All of the funds we receive will directly support the GAL Program in Hillsborough County, so we can continue to help YOU promote the education, health, and emotional well-being of the children you serve. Every child deserves the chance to feel like a kid and TOGETHER we can make the different in the life of a child! Thank you for your unwavering dedication to our children in need!
Advocating for your GAL child in the School System – Although you may not be able to make educational decisions for you GAL child, your communication and knowledge of their educational needs ensures their needs are not overlooked especially for our children who can move schools multiple times a year.
