A special Independence Day message from The Villages President & CEO Sharon Pierce
Our country was founded on the principles that we should ALL be FREE to experience lives of promise … that everyone in our nation, regardless of race, gender, or religion should have equal opportunity to make our personal dreams a reality! INDEPENDENCE DAY is a day to express our support for those who have willingly sacrificed EVERYTHING to ensure that we live in a country which not only allows, but protects, our FREEDOM … creating the chance to raise a family without fear.
The Villages also celebrates the FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE we help the children, youth and families we are so privileged to serve achieve!
- Prevent Child Abuse Indiana and Healthy Families staff members are assuring that our state’s youngest children can grow and thrive, FREE from the fear of child abuse and neglect!
- Our Children’s Village staff members are “growing” the INDEPENDENCE of the precious little ones they are serving so Mom and Dad are FREE to work, knowing their child is safe and nurtured!
- Our Foster Care and Adoption Staff are tirelessly recruiting, screening, training and supporting foster and adoptive families, who, with The Villages assistance, will FREE some of the 3,000 additional children in Indiana’s child welfare system from the trauma of child abuse and neglect they are experiencing!
- Our Older Youth Services Team members are helping the youth aging out of foster care achieve social, emotional, educational, and economic INDEPENDENCE, one day at a time!
- Our Family Connection Network staff support heroic grandparents and kinship care providers so they can raise their grandchildren to be FREE from the fear of being separated from their family circle.
- Our Community Based Services, Children’s Mental Health Initiative and Children’s Mental Health Wraparound teams work day and night to FREE their families from the impact of ongoing crises, substance abuse, and relationship challenges.
- And our dedicated Support and Leadership Teams … Administrative Assistants, Admissions, Family Admissions, Development, Human Resources, Finance, Operations, Quality Assurance, Information Technology, and Regional and Clinical Directors are ALWAYS on the job so that our employees who so skillfully serve children and families are FREE to do just that!
On behalf of the 1,400 children The Villages’ serve, collectively, each day, and the 11,000 children, youth and families whose lives we touch every year, thank you to our staff, board members, volunteers and donors for your constant resolve to offer them a life of FREEDOM from abuse, neglect and fear … and, instead, INDEPENDENCE to reach their amazing potential! You are a phenomenal team, worth fireworks EVERYDAY!!
With Deep Gratitude,
