Dear Friend,
My journey with the Young Center started in 2009 as a social work intern. Back then, I was part of a small but mighty team of attorneys and a part-time administrative assistant who worked tirelessly to advocate for and accompany immigrant children arriving in the United States on their own as they navigated our complex and adversarial immigration system.
Their vision of connecting these children with trusted adults who listened with empathy to their experiences, celebrated their strengths, and championed their needs and best interests to craft lasting policy change resonated profoundly with me.
To me, nothing is more important than meeting a child where they are at, understanding their individual context to advocate for them effectively, and empowering them and their sense of agency in the process.
In early 2013, I was hired as one of the first Social Workers for the Young Center. Over the past twelve years, I’ve seen our organization expand from one location in Chicago to ten across the nation. Now, each site team has at least one social worker, if not more.
As the Young Center commemorates its 20th anniversary, I look back during National Social Work Month at the budding social worker I was then and the professional I have grown to be now, as well as the countless social workers who put their hearts and souls into showing up for the children with whom they work. They remind me that while we face tough times, we are stronger as a collective community united in our values and mission.
I am proud to be part of a team that embodies empathy, interdisciplinarity, and courage. And the work that we do only gets better the more open we are to learning from others.
During National Social Work Month, I ask that you support our interdisciplinary team of advocates and give a gift to the Young Center. Every donation goes to ensuring that an unaccompanied child has a trusted, empathetic, and accountable adult by their side.
