May Newsletter - The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse

The Center provides educational programs,
community outreach and services, to minimize and end the cycle of abuse and neglect
in the Mid Hudson Valley.
May Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 5
“There’s No Excuse for Child Abuse” Gala and Silent
auction
Inside this issue:
Free Comic Book
Our Annual “There’s No Excuse for Child Abuse” Gala and Silent Auction was a huge
Day
success. Held on May 12th at the Villa Borghese in Wappingers Falls, NY, we proudly
Meet Lisa
honored Rob Dyson of the Dyson Foundation. The Dyson Foundation is a wonderful
charity organization that helps to improve the lives of families and children in the
Joe Daily Honored
Hudson Valley.
The event showcased the programs offered at the Child Abuse Prevention Center, offered
our guests an insight into the day to day struggle of trying to minimize and end child
abuse and neglect in the Mid-Hudson Valley, and gave us an opportunity to spread
awareness. Our guests enjoyed live music played by Blue Gardenia while bidding on
items in our famous Silent Auction. We’d like to take this time to thank our wonderful
Gala Committee for all of their hard work and dedication. Thank you to all of our
sponsors and auction item donators for helping to make our event one of the best we’ve
had. In total they helped us raise over $100,000 that will directly help the families in
our programs. Union Vale Middle School donated a wonderful piece of artwork that was
created by their 6th grade art students. This painting was auctioned off live by our
Executive Director Kathleen M. Murphy. She broke our record with a bid of $25,000 from
the Kaplan Family Charitable Foundations! Way to go Kathleen! Throughout the years
at the CPCA we have seen our community rally together to show support for our great
cause. It is amazing how many people in the Hudson Valley want to help us make a
difference. We are very fortunate to live in a place where our community members truly
care about they lives of others. Thank you also, to all of our attendees and to Paul Porco
and his staff from the Villa Borghese for another
job well done!
Kathleen auctioning off the donated
artwork from Union Vale MS.
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3
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Joy, Rob and Molly Dyson
Our staff volunteers,
Angelique, Carl and Caitlin
Jen and John Selander and
Andrea Kirchhoff
Kathleen M. Murphy and Senator
Sue Serino
Free Comic Book Day
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The first Saturday in May is well known date to comic book fans and collectors alike. Dragons Den in
Poughkeepsie, NY has become synonymous with Free Comic book Day. Even though the gate doesn't go up
until 10am fans are waiting in line as soon as the Plaza opened. Dave Stelenkamp owner of Dragons Den
has partnered with the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse for this event for the past few years,
making it a way to incorporate comics with awareness. The CPCA was there all day handing out literature
about our programs and tips for parents on how to keep their children safe from predators. The Rochester
Ghostbusters represented our much loved 80’s movie, with their own Ectomobile, a proton pack, and of
course, Stay Puft. Cosplayers showed their creativity with an array of costumes based on comic and video
game characters. The 501st patrolled the Plaza and were good sports about posing with fans, although we
are pretty sure Darth Vader wouldn't approve. This fundraiser helped us to raise $1,200.00 for the families
in our Programs. We’d like to thank Dave and the staff at Dragons Den for accommodating us and for their
support!
Kathleen M. Murphy and Iron Man
Renee, Iron Man,
Kathleen, and the 501st
Renee and Iron Man
Dave Stelenkamp and
Super Bear
Cosplayers and Artists
Rochester Ghostbusters and Stay
Puft
Volume 2, Issue 5
Page 3
Meet Lisa
This month I had the pleasure to learn a little bit more about Lisa Eighmie, our
Program Coordinator at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC). Lisa has worked for
the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse (CPCA) for the past three years and
has worn many hats.
Lisa grew up in Poughquag, NY, the middle child of a busy, hardworking family.
Her parents both worked full time to provide the best life that they could for
their children. She told me that though her parents worked very hard, they made
it a point to be involved in their children’s lives, making the time to go on family
vacations, attending their extracurricular activities and eating dinner together
every night. Her parents are two of her biggest influences in her life. Lisa
describes herself as a tomboy as a child. Spending time in the yard helping her
dad on whatever project he was working on at the time, and exploring the woods
near her house. Dresses were not part of her wardrobe, and pink? Forget it! Like most Lisa and her beautiful niece
kids, Lisa had to deal with bullying at a young age and used that to build her tough
exterior and learned to defend herself. She was a rebellious and determined child, always sticking up for her family
and friends.
Before working at the CPCA Lisa spent her time going to college and studying Archaeology. She worked in Las Cruces,
New Mexico at the University Museum creating public programs for children and families, developing interactive
exhibitions for children of various age groups, and instituting “Kids Corner” arts and crafts activities based on
Mexican culture and local Native American traditions. She started working at the CAC in 2013 as the Program
Assistant, she then moved on to the Personal Safety Program as an Educator and Coordinator. In August of last year
she transferred back to the CAC as the Program Coordinator.
I asked Lisa what made her decide to choose being the Program Coordinator as her career, she told me that she didn’t
exactly choose it, it choose her. She never imagined working with CPS and Law Enforcement in this kind of
environment. Looking back at her life she can see how past events and situations have set her up for being able to
handle this career; “Now that I have expertise in identifying child abuse, some of my more traumatic and confusing
childhood memories become more vivid an revealing.” Lisa described to me the home life of a childhood friend. After
witnessing her 7 year old friend being beaten, and hearing her disclose sexual abuse, she was left feeling helpless and
shocked. This was the first time that she had ever experienced child abuse and it was most certainly not the last. As
an adult, working with victims of abuse, she is proud to say she will never again be defenseless against abuse.
In all of our jobs at the CPCA and the CAC we have many different challenges that we have to face. Lisa described to
me that her most difficult challenge is juggling the needs and expectations of a hardworking team of very stressed out
people with often conflicting personalities, as well as to comply with the expectations of our grant funders.
I asked her what she feels is the key to ending child abuse. She told me “The key to ending child abuse is tenacity and
perseverance from the professionals in this field; remaining dedicated to a cause that at times, seems hopeless.” I then
asked her if she felt that this was an achievable goal, “I am not convinced that eradicating child abuse completely is an
achievable goal; I do believe that we can greatly reduce the incidences of child abuse and prevent victims from losing
their identity and sense of self” My final question for Lisa was how she would like to be remembered as people look
back on her life. She replied” I would like people to remember me as a strong woman with a strong voice; someone who
was able to turn personal trauma into achievement as a child advocate.” Thank Lisa for all you do for the children and
families of the Mid-Hudson Valley.
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35 Van Wagner Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Phone: 845-454-0595
Fax: 845-454-0129
E-mail: abrigham@thecpca.com
Visit our website www.thecpca.com
Like us on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/TheCenter-for-the-Prevention-of-ChildAbuse/
Our mission is to prevent child abuse in
Mid-Hudson Valley
Joe Daily honored
Tuesday May 10, 2016, Q92’s Joe Daily in the Morning was
honored by the Exchange Club of Southern Dutchess. He
received the Meritorious Service Award in recognition of his life
long service to others and also for his support of hundreds of
local non profits. Joe Daily chose the CPCA as the Non-profit
organization that received a $500 donation as part of the
ceremony. Thank you for your outstanding devotion to the
people in our community!
Upcoming Events
Annual Meeting
June *, 2016
The Poughkeepsie Grand
40 Civic Centre Plaza
Pouhgkeepsie, NY 12601
Donation Form
A gift of $100 or more would go a long way to helping keep our children safe. But any
amount would help. Thank you on behalf of all the children of Dutchess County!
Please mail your donation to 35 Van Wagner Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 or you can
donate at our web site www.thecpca.com.
Donor Name______________________________________________
Phone__________________Email______________________
Address_________________________________________________
I would like to make a donation of $_____________
A check is enclosed payable to CPCA_________or Please bill my credit card (circle one
MC, Visa, Amex)