Genesee County-MI-December 16, 2011—Court Appointed Special Advocate, Ken Foyder was the co-recipient of Resource Genesee’s Sybyl Award for 2011.

The award is named after Sybyl M. Atwood, who for more than 40 years was the program director for Volunteer and Information Services at Resource Genesee and its predecessor organization.

His nomination described Kenneth Foyder as: a volunteer with the Weiss Advocacy Center who works with the most vulnerable children caught in the judicial system who have no voice. As an advocate for children he has been relentless while maintaining his integrity in a positive encouraging manner. He works with the children to redirect their negative behavior and encourages positive relationships in order to reunite families

“Ken’s work with children has spanned decades as a teacher and school administrator.  As a CASA Volunteer he has spent hundreds of hours with the child he serves as well as that child’s workers, parent, foster parents, therapists and school personnel.  Ken has moved mountains to advocate for this child and has made a tremendous difference in his life.” Said Jamie Brooks, CASA Program Manager. “His dedication is an inspiration to our staff and board.”

The Weiss Center’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program provides a voice for children in abuse and neglect cases.  After receiving training from the Weiss Advocacy Center, community volunteers present recommendations to the court to advocate for the child’s needs and express their wishes with the ultimate goal of securing a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.  Each volunteer agrees to spend 20 hours per month for at least one year in their advocacy efforts. 

To find out more about providing a voice for children in foster care, contact Jonquil Bertschi, Executive Director of the Weiss Advocacy Center, 515 East Street, Flint, MI 48503.  Jonquil may be reached at 810-238-3333 or email Jonquil@weissadvocacycenter.org. Like us on Facebook/WeissAdvocacyCenter.