NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

CONTACT:

Abbie Newman, Mission Kids, 484-687-2990, anewman@missionkidscac.org

Fran Lamb,   Diccicco Battista Communications,   484-342-3600, flamb@dbcommunications.net

Mission Kids Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary of Helping Children Heal
-Local Organization Makes Dedication To Co-Founder Chief John McGowan-

Norristown, PA, October 1, 2010— Today marks an occasion of celebration and remembrance as Mission Kids, a local non-profit organization aimed at easing the criminal justice process for abused children, commemorates their one-year anniversary and also honors recently passed co-founder Chief John McGowan.

The Mission Kid’s Child Advocacy Center has helped streamline the investigative process for child abuse victims, conducting over 250 interviews in just ten months. McGowan, an instrumental part in establishing this center and an engine behind its success, will have a room dedicated in his memory, allowing his legacy of helping others to live on.

“We are excited about the strides we have made as an organization since our opening a year ago, but more importantly we are excited to be helping these children,” said Abbie Newman, Executive Director of Mission Kids. “The center is a source of healing for these children and allows them to get the help they need. John’s involvement with the organization enabled us to reach this point.”

Although the organization is up and running, they still look to the local community to help in their mission.

“ We cannot stress enough the importance of the communities support, as we need funds to continue to provide our services and to add new services such as counseling for these kids,” continued Newman.

To further honor and encourage the community to become involved, Mission Kids created the Chief John McGowan Kids Hero Award, available to any individual or organization that has helped raise awareness and combat child abuse. Nominations will be submitted from mid January to mid March, where individuals can nominate a deserving person on a special page on the Mission Kids website. The first award will be presented at the organization’s annual April event.

The Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center provides a child-friendly interviewing setting to young victims of abuse. The facility simplifies the interviewing process so that these children avoid multiple interviews in a police station or courtroom, a setting that can be intimidating to a young child. The first of its kind in Montgomery County, the Child Advocacy Center has already completed over 250 interviews since it’s opening.

Those who would like to make a donation to Mission Kids may contact Executive Director, Abbie Newman, at 484-687-2990 or visit www.missionkidscac.org.

About Mission Kids
Mission Kids is a 501(c)(3) corporation located in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Founded in March 2007, Mission Kids was created by the collaborative effort of the Montgomery County District Attorney, the Police Chiefs of Montgomery County, and the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth to stop the cycle of abuse and improve the outcomes for abused children and their families. Mission Kids serves as a child-friendly facility where medical professionals, social workers, police officers and lawyers come together to streamline the investigative process and provide victims with the necessary support services to help them begin to heal.