CHILDREN’S LAW CENTER2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Thank you for helping us protect vulnerable children and strengthen families.

Celeb

rating Our Heroes!

Our Mission

The Children’s Law Center (CLC) protects the interests of indigent children in family court and

advocates policies which advance their well-being and best interests. Through our programs and

services, CLC strives to create safe, stable environments for children whose parents are in chronic

conflict.

Our goal is to protect children and strengthen families in homes where children can successfully

reach emotional, physical and academic milestones. We work with families to create effective

parenting plans that reflect the needs and strengths of each parent, where both understand the

importance that two parents play in the lives of their children. We educate parents about the harmful

impact of long-term conflict on their children. Instead of children who live with the anger and

violence of their parents and learn to fight, we help break the cycle.

Our New VideoAs we expand into new markets, it is imperative that we create more aware-

ness for our critical mission.

With generous support from Cathie Reese of Geomatrix Productions of New

Haven, Rozanne Gates and Suzanne Sheridan of Fairfield County, we now

have a new Public Service Announcement that will appear throughout the

state. Especially listen to the wonderful song “Stand for Children,” written

and performed by Suzanne Sheridan. We will use the video as a marketing tool for new audiences and across

social media platforms as an introduction to the organization.

Our inspiration, and one of our heroesIn 2014, noted author and poet Maya Angelou

died. As a tribute to her memory, we have

included several of her inspirational quotes

throughout this Annual Report.

See our new video at www.clcct.org

2 www.clcct.org

“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.

—Maya Angelou

If you’re reading this, you are already one of our heroes! We thank you for

T your interest in the Children’s Law Center,

T your dedication as a volunteer,

T your generosity as a donor or funder,

T your attendance at our events,

T your in-kind donations of time, services or gifts,

T your support of our work in the courts and legislature, and

T your belief in our programs as recipients of our services as you make

us better at what we do with every challenge we encounter.

T The true super heroes day in and day out are our staff who we thank for

their fearless commitment and motivation to make lives better for vulnerable children.

All of our heroes help us defend, protect, save and deliver our mission. We have more than

600 heroes and we appreciate the support we get from each and every one of you—and you’re

all listed in this Annual Report!

With your help, 2014 was a successful year for the Children’s Law Center:

T We expanded our services to include the Norwich judicial district and we added a new staff

attorney; we continue our plans for further expansion in 2015 to include Meriden, Middletown

and Milford.

T We added three new community members to our board who bring a wealth of skill sets:

experience in sales, finance, state government, human services, and children’s advocacy.

T We have enhanced the role of our staff social worker, integrating the assessment at

the initiation of a case.

T We have increased fundraising with new and expanded sources: foundation grants, 120 new

donors and record net profits of more than $110,000 from our annual fundraising gala.

T We are finding new ways to collaborate with like-minded service organizations to proactively

improve the paths for children.

The work we do is critical in helping parents create safe, loving homes, where both parents

have value, and children can successfully reach emotional, physical and academic milestones with

the least amount of trauma. The parents and children we work with are real heroes, working

to overcome the many challenges they face.

Thank you to all of our heroes for the varied roles you play to help change the lives of at-risk

impoverished youth in Connecticut. We are humbled by and grateful for your belief in our

mission and your overwhelming spirit to give.

Justine Rakich-Kelly Barbara Aaron

Executive Director President, Board of Directors

Barbara and Justine

Dear

Friends,

3

They’re scared, often traumatized when we meet

them. But our child clients are brave and hopeful

and so much want the love of the two most

important people in their lives—their parents, who

are embroiled in chronic conflict and challenged

by adverse conditions.

The centerpiece of our services is our Legal

Representation Program. No other organization

in Connecticut, and few nationwide, focus on

protecting the interests of impoverished children

in Family Court. Our cross-disciplinary approach to

include a mental health component for our clients

is unique. We are there to represent children and

remind the Court that they are the most import-

ant parties in the case when their parents are

engaged in protracted and highly contested family

court disputes of custody, visitation and divorce.

All of our cases are exacerbated by conditions of

violence, abuse, neglect, addiction, incarceration,

mental illness, or other challenges. The cases

that we handle are heartbreaking and among

the worst that the courts see, and the effects on

children are harmful and long-lasting.

Legal Representation ProgramChildren are the Real Heroes M

eet M

aribel

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

—Maya Angelou

Key Outcomes 2014

616 children served in 416 families

In 97% of our cases, judges’ orders reflected

the recommendation of CLC attorneys

78% of cases were settled by out of court

agreements

A low 15% of cases reopened after

closing, indicating positive resolutions and no

re-emerging issues

An actual comment from a family court judge:

“...The attorneys (from the Children’s Law

Center) are very well trained, very professional,

and well prepared. They are the best in the

business. I can’t imagine what judges do in

courts where CLC isn’t handling cases.”

4 www.clcct.org

CLC’s GAL Academy, October 2014: Interviewing Children, presented by Dr. Stephen Humphrey

A Legal Representation Case History Mee

t Maribel

Maribel was 12 years old when we were appointed

to her case. She was shy and withdrawn and

our attorney David Coughlin couldn’t really establish

a connection with her. He brought in our mental

health professional, Corey Somerville, and, together,

they spent a lot of time getting to know Maribel.

She had always lived with her Mom and just started

visiting with her Dad, but she didn’t really know him.

One day, Maribel opened up about her life. She

talked about always being left alone; she was lonely

and scared all the time, about being hurt by her

“uncles”—basically a parade of her mother’s friends,

about her longing to be part of a real family.

Listening to her story we struggled to find a way

to give Maribel what she longed for: a safe and

loving family. But she needed so much more—she

had been through so much trauma and kept it

all a secret. Her mother was completely unaware

and rather unconcerned about her developmental

well-being. After all, she seemed fine.

The issue David and Corey faced was to make

recommendations about whether Maribel should

see her dad. Where had he been all this time?

Would it be disruptive for a 12 year old to be forced

to visit with someone who is essentially a stranger?

Which was the better family environment for her

to live in and thrive?

We made the recommendation to let Maribel live

with her father and step mother; in a family where

she had two half siblings and an older step sister.

Maribel was enrolled in therapy and a support group.

We worked with her mom to help her understand

that although Maribel seemed fine, she was hurt

and needed a lot of help, and that she needed two

parents in her life. We worried about Maribel...

her trauma having occurred over a period of really

important years.

The case eventually ended with Maribel staying with

her dad and her new family. And we were left to

wonder and hope that Maribel would be okay. Then,

months later, she called to thank us and say how

happy she was. She was still with her family, still in

therapy, sees her mom often, doing well in school

and actually mentoring a child who was in foster

care. All that time and all that worry paid off.

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The Families in Transition Program provides

mediation and parenting education services to

low and middle income level parents who

are embroiled in highly contested family court

disputes. The program relies on a roster of

volunteer mediators. They are passionate about

helping families find a better way to restructure

and co-parent, as an alternative to adversarial,

costly and often protracted family court litigation.

Our FIT program provides parenting education

and family mediation to parents with an

opportunity for them to address their grievances,

discuss difficulties, resolve communication

issues, and develop positive child-centered

parenting agreements with both parents

involved and vested in the process. We pair up

a mental health professional with an attorney

and create a gender balanced team to work

with each family.

2014 Volunteer FIT Mediators

Families in Transition Program (FIT)Strengthening Families—We salute our volunteer heroes

FIT mediation training

Shari Bornstein

Margaret Bozek

William Brown

Susan Busby

Judy Cabeceiras

Mary Cheyne

Kim Duell

Cynthia Eastman

Robert Fiedler

Doug Fishman

Bruce Freedman

Kelly Gallagher

Rachel Garron

Maureen Gould

Charles Higgins

Kate Kowalyshyn

Andrea Levy

Andy Hechtman

Judy Hyde

Robert Madden

Pam Magnano

Kata Maluszewski

Jule Michel

Jeff Mickelson

Kathleen Nevins

Leslie Ohta

Ben Shapiro

Stephanie Stein-Leite

Shirley Watson

Stacey Widlansky

Martin Wheeler

Jeff Zimmerman

6 www.clcct.org

FIT MEDIATOR PROFILE: Robert L. Fiedler

Attorney Robert L. Fiedler has

been a volunteer mediator for

the FIT program since early in its

inception. He is trained in both PEACE Program

facilitation and divorce mediation; both through

programs offered through the Children’s Law

Center.

With an office in New Britain, Attorney Fiedler

has represented men and women in family court for

over 15 years. Key to his volunteering efforts with

FIT, his practice strongly relies on the mediation

style of representation, promoting a non-adversarial

and cost-effective approach for families whenever

possible.

Attorney Fiedler is also an avid storyteller!

He has told stories at Speak Up events in Hartford

and Moth competitions in New York and Boston.

He views the cathartic nature of storytelling as

a good replacement for therapy. Look for him

wherever stories may be told!

Thank you, Attorney Fiedler! We appreciate

all of the time you devote to FIT and for providing

quality services to low income families.

A FIT Case History Brok

en Trust

Charles and Amelia came to FIT on the advice of their attorneys, two

months after filing for divorce. It was clear from the outset that their

conflict was highly contentious. They were married for 9 years and had

two children, ages 4 and 5.

The marriage broke up because Charles had met another woman who

he continued to see regularly. The first session was difficult, during which

time Amelia had a lot to say about the other woman. Charles wanted

to discuss his plans for the children, but Amelia wanted to discuss why

things that were not important to Charles during the marriage were

suddenly important now. Trust had broken down to a point where any

attempt at reaching an agreement was sidetracked with vitriol, each

parent making it clear how awful the other was.

Regardless, they came back for a second session, and more. Each session

became increasingly more productive. There were setbacks, but by the end

of the sixth session the parents had reached agreement on almost every

issue (the outlier being how to share Christmas, seemingly always a deal

breaker). During nine hours of mediation (time that would have likely

tripled in court), there were moments of clarity. Each parent had the

opportunity to access our resources, coming back to sessions with actual

compliments for the other, concessions, and an

acknowledgement of each of their roles in the conflict.

Our mediators documented their agreements and, the

parents had the agreement become a court order.

Charles and Amelia left FIT

with the hope that once

the divorce was final,

the insights and

progress they had

made together

would prevail and

they would remain

focused on the best

interests of their

children.

Key Outcomes 2014

56 Families with 84 children

served from 29 towns

32 volunteer mediators Results of follow-up studies:

68% of respondents

reported that the co-parenting

relationship had improved

67% of parents came

to agreements in FIT;

87% report that

agreements have held up

68% reported fewer

court appearances since

participating in FIT

72% indicated that they

would return to the FIT

Program before returning

to Family Court

Actual participant comments:

“I wish you would continue to

expand to help more families.”

“ The mediators were very

understanding and helpful.”

“Wonderful program that

made significant changes in

our family life.”

7

Our telephone help line is often the first place

people turn to when confronted with a family

law issue. Our callers are highly emotional,

stressed with critical family crises, and over-

whelmed about how to navigate the complex

maze of agencies, courts and laws that exist to

protect children. The Law Line answers legal

questions and gives information and referrals

to people seeking help with family court issues

and children’s rights. All calls are free, answered

by a trained professional, and open to every-

one as a public service, with no screening for

income requirements. Many callers contact us

repeatedly as their case evolves.

Children’s Law Line: 1-888-LAW-DOOR A first source for the general public

Key Outcomes 2014

We responded to 1,302 phone calls involving

1,381 children.

In our annual Caller Satisfaction Survey, completed in

August 2014, 271 contacts were made to callers

to the Law Line during the time period April 2013

through February 2014:

85% reported our service to be “Very Helpful” or

“Helpful”.

58% reported that their family law problem has

improved since contacting us.

A sampling of comments:

“I learned a lot about the services I had no idea were

out there.”

“CLC is fantastic—that one phone call helped me take

charge and help my own children.”

“I called you and it was a weight lifted off my

shoulders to have someone listen and help me

figure out what I needed to do to protect myself

and my son.”

“The Children’s Law Center gave me helpful

information, but more importantly, it gave me the

confidence to stand up for myself and my children.”

“No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”—Maya Angelou

8 www.clcct.org

A LAW Line Case History Thing

s Change

A father called our Law Line to find out how he

could begin to see his daughter again. He

and the mother were divorced and the father lived

in Pennsylvania; the mother and child lived in

Connecticut. The child was very young at the time of

the divorce and the father agreed that the mother be

present during his parenting time, which took place

in Connecticut. He saw his daughter every week for

two years. When he requested parenting time alone

with the child, the visits stopped.

The father had agreed that having the mother

present during his parenting time was appropriate

when the child was an infant. However, she was

now four years old and had a solid relationship with

her father based on his consistent involvement. He

wanted to resolve this issue but was afraid that filing

in court would leave him worse off. The mother had

been taunting him, urging him to file something in

court, and making it clear that she would make sure

he ended up with no parenting time.

Our Law Line

representative told the

father about his right

to file a Motion for

Modification in the

Superior Court

where the

divorce orders were entered. He was referred to

the Judicial Website for the necessary forms and

given information about the general procedure

once his case was scheduled. He was also informed

about attorneys

who represent children in the role of Guardian Ad

Litem and how that person would be a neutral

source of information for the Court, should the case

become complicated.

Most importantly, he was assured that the decision

would not be left to the mother and that parent-

ing restrictions were generally reserved for families

where a child would be in danger physically or

emotionally. Considering his regular and consistent

schedule, it was unlikely that his fears would be

realized.

Many times, fathers call our Law Line because they

believe that what the

mothers want will

become the court

order. In most

instances, simply

informing fathers

of their rights is

enough to reduce

anxiety and pro-

mote a positive,

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Our champions in the community

They come from all walks of life, with diverse

perspectives, across many professions but all

bring a single-mindedness of purpose and

devotion to our mission. We thank our Board

members for being our guiding stars and

generous allies.

October 2013 – October 2014 Board of Directors

We welcomed new

board members:

Jeanne Milstein

Judy Casperson

Patricia Wilson Pheanious

At our October 2014 Annual Meeting we said

good-bye to:

Debra Ruel, our co-founder

Moy Ogilvie Johnson

Anne Noble

CLC board meeting in session

Barbara Aaron, Board President

Robert Madden, Vice President

Jonathan Fink, Treasurer

Pam Magnano, Secretary

Mark Boxer

Tim Buckley

Sandra Gersten

William Johnson

Christine Miller

Patrick Proctor

James Russell

Elizabeth Thayer

Jovanni Valentini

Maureen Zavatone

Boar

d of Directors

10 www.clcct.org

Our CLC staff is a special family of people, the

real superheroes who carry out our mission

everyday with zeal and passion to improve the

lives of vulnerable children. They regularly do

their best to help those with the very least.

We support them with professional training

opportunities, in-service learning, monthly

staff review meetings, and quarterly staff

development days.

The day-in-and-day-out heroes

2014 Staff

NAME POSITION

Justine Rakich-Kelly, J.D. Executive Director

Randa Hojaiban, J.D., M.S.W. Deputy Director

Rosalie Roth Director of Development

Artila Lubonja Staff Attorney Waterbury Family Court

Aisha Roche Staff Attorney New Haven Family Court

David Coughlin Staff Attorney New Britain Family Court

Parul Patel Staff Attorney Hartford Family Court

Seon Bagot Staff Attorney Bridgeport, Stamford & Milford Family Courts

Kathryn Bissonnette Staff Attorney Putnam & Rockville Family Courts

Monique Ryan Staff Attorney Norwich Family Court

Nicole Silva Social Worker

Summer Spellman Development Associate

Brooke Garcia Administrative Professional

We said good-bye to:

Corey Somerville, our mental health professional who worked

with us for 2 ½ years.

(L-R) Seon Bagot, Justine Rakich-Kelly, David Coughlin, Aisha Roche, & Kathryn Bissonnette.

(L-R) Nicole Silva, Brooke Garcia, ParulPatel, Randa Hojaiban & Monique Ryan.

Nicole Silva & Artila Lubonja

Rosalie Roth & Summer Spellman

O

ur Staff

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2014 Interns

Sarah Boxer University of Connecticut

Me-Li Cellino-Jacques Tunxis Community College

Tasheena Davis Western New England University

Amanda Dzen The University of Saint Joseph

Carolina Fernandez University of New Haven

Amanda Grove University of Saint Joseph

Suzanne Jacobson Hamilton College

Kadiatu Koroma University of Hartford

Rayne McGlamery Wheaton College

Matthew Ryl-Kuchar Lincoln Way High School

Jessica Shoflick Syracuse University

Monica Smalls University of Hartford

Amanda Stanzione University of Connecticut

Kwanisha Thompson Branford Hall Career Institute

Patricia Valcourt University of Connecticut

Thomas Wilkeson University of Connecticut

Leah Wisser Tufts University

Abby Woodhouse Skidmore College

Special Projects Volunteer

Lynn Katz

Volunteers & Interns are our Lifeline

We couldn’t do as much as we do without the

help of dedicated, non-paid volunteers. Many

of them come to us as college interns from a

wide variety of colleges and universities as under-

graduates, graduate and law school students

with varied interests and majors ranging from

the legal profession, social work field, public

policy, the non-profit sector and more.

Other volunteers are community-minded

individuals who believe in our cause and want

to help. Our deep appreciation to all of you for

giving us your time and energy.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou

Gala Volunteers

Jaime Bissonnette

Michelle Bossie

Tara Brown

Dave Cadario

Laura Carbone

Emily Carr

Anna Gauvin

Eva Gunisova

Viola Hughes

Eileen Hurley

Jenny Lagansa

Brenda Markarian

April Reitman

Malika Sheth

Dawn Summers

Lori Westlund

Deborah Winters

2014 summer interns

12 www.clcct.org

2014 Audited Statements of Financial PositionFina

ncials

Assets 2012

Current Assets

Cash and cash equivalents $21,022

Investments held for sale $663,241

Contributions receivable $557,491

Prepaid expenses $8,541

Total Current Assets: $1,250,295

Fixed Assets

Net of accumulated depreciation $20,250

Other Assets

Long-term contributions receivable $95,000

Total Other Assets $95,000

Total Assets: $1,365,545

Liabilities and Net Assets 2012

Current Liabilities

Accounts payable $20,620

Accrued payroll $2,510

Pension payable $3,338

Deferred revenue $37,453

Total Current Liabilities: $63,921

Net Assets

Unrestricted

General $364,284

Nest-egg fund— board designation $663,241

Fixed Assets $20,250

Total unrestricted net assets: $1,047,775

Temporarily restricted net assets $253,849

Total net assets $1,301,624

Total Liabilities and Net Assets: ß$1,365,545

2012 Income Distribution

Total Budget: $954,998

Income

Grants, Foundations 40%

Court Fees 30%

Connecticut State Legislature 15%

Events 7%

Individual Donors 4%

United Way 4%

2012 Expenses

Personnel 74%

Non-Personnel 26%

Financials, map, to come

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Pam Magnano, Co-Chair

Karen Licht, Co-Chair

Barbara Aaron, Board President

Sandra Gersten

Theresa Wing Hines

Armen Kevorkian

Amie Kingman

Paddi LeShane

Justine Rakich-Kelly

Erum Randhawa

Deborah Robin

Agnes Romanowska

Rosalie Roth

Deborah Shoflick

Jacqueline Simard

Summer Spellman

Meghan Sweeney

2014 was an active year for the Children’s Law Center as we hosted a variety of community events and made

new friends.

Reaching out to the community

Com

munity Events

IMAGINE 2014: WE ARE FAMILY!December 5

Our annual fundraising gala

was another record success.

Held at Hartford Golf Club

with festive holiday spirit, 320

guests enjoyed an evening

to honor our critical mission

and two important lifelong

advocates for children:

Judge Herbert Gruendel and

Dr. Janice Gruendel. The

event exceeded all goals to

date with a net profit of more

than $110,000.

Gala Planning Committee

14 www.clcct.org

Judge Herbert Gruendel and Dr. Janice Gruendel are real heroes in the field, and were honored at our 2014 Gala because of the work they do to champion children.

20th Anniversary

Celebration: April 21

It was our opportunity to welcome and thank our

many long time friends and supporters as we hosted

a celebration in our offices, as a fitting culmination to

our 20th anniversary year.

CAbi Clothing Collection Shopping Experience:

May 5

A woman’s evening of fun, fashion and food! As local

CAbi representative Susan Christensen Stoner pre-

sented the spring collection of unique clothing, many

new friends were introduced to CLC and our critical

mission. A portion of all sales was donated to CLC.

New Haven Reception: May 15

Mayor Toni Harp graciously hosted a reception at New

Haven’s Quinnipiack Club to introduce many new

attorneys, legislators and friends in southern

Connecticut to the Children’s Law Center. Grateful

thanks to Dr. Eric Frazer for his sponsorship of

this event.

Food Crawl: May 30

Thanks to our board member Jovanni Valentini, a

progressive happy hour fundraising party was held at

four of downtown Hartford’s most popular restaurants.

With a crowd of over 60 people, a good time was

had by all.

MAX Classic Golf Tournament: September 29

We were thrilled to be one

of the charity recipients of

the proceeds from the

Max Restaurant Group’s

annual MAX Classic Golf

Tournament held at

Hartford Golf Club. CLC

made new friends among

the close to 250 golfers and

their corporate sponsors. A very generous $13,000

was awarded to CLC. A huge thank you to the Max

Restaurant Group!!

Wallingford Moose Riders Motorcycle Party:

October 18

A great group of motorcycle aficionados came together

to generously sponsor a fundraiser for CLC, awarding

us over $1,400 as part of an enjoyable motorcycle

show, live music and party at the Wallingford Moose

Lodge.

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Foundations & GrantsAmazon Smile

American Savings FoundationBudd Family Fund

Charles Nelson Robinson Fund

Community Foundation of Greater New Britain

Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

Connecticut Attorneys’ Title Insurance CorporationConnecticut Bar Association

Connecticut Community Foundation

Connecticut Judicial Branch

Day Pitney Foundation

Ensworth Charitable Foundation

Fannie Mae

Fisher Foundation

GE United Way Campaign

George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

The Hartman Foundation

J. Walton Bissell Foundation

Linford & Mildred White Charitable Fund

NewAlliance Foundation

SBM Charitable Foundation, Inc.Schwab Charitable Fund

The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy

Travelers Cyber Grants

TruistUnited Way of Central and Northeastern ConnecticutUnited Way of Coastal Fairfield County

United Way of Greater Philadelphia & SNJ

United Ways of New England

Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign

$5,000 and Up

Cigna

Impact Makers

Max Restaurant Group

Jim & Debra Ruel XL Group

$2,500 to $4,999 Berman, Bourns, Aaron & Dembo

BNY Mellon Wealth Management

Mark & Michelle Boxer

Kim Duell Aaron & Sandra GerstenSheila S. Moses CPA, P.C.

$1,000 to $2,499Barbara Aaron & Jeff Nese

Kathryn Bissonnette

Michael & Michelle Blezard

BlumShapiroBudlong & Barrett, LLC

Francisco Borges

Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

Brown, Paindiris & Scott, LLPFilomeno & Company, PCJonathan & Carolyn Fink

Edward Fitzgerald

Flaherty Legal Group, LLC

Elaine Gordon

Edward & Lisa Hill

Jason Kemp

Hoffman Auto Group

Sullivan & LeShane, Inc. Louden Caisse Hanney Michael & Sara Lo Presti

Merrill Lynch Global Private Investors Group

Pamela & Brian Magnano

Mester, Grabow & Miller, LLC

Sheila & Paul MosesThomas & Rebecca Parrino

Patrick & Linda Proctor James Turner & Deirdre Delaney

Reid & Riege, PC Rome McGuigan, P.C.

James & Carmela Russell

S/L/A/M Collaborative Wallingford Moose Riders

Stefan & Maureen Zavatone

$500 to $999Hon. Holly Abery-Wetstone & Mark Wetstone

Peter Arakas & Karen Kellerman Beacon Behavioral Services, LLCTim Buckley & Patricia O’Neil

Michael & Lisa Cicchetti Bruce & Hanna ClementsKim Crowley

Patrick A. Cosgrove, Attorney at Law

Sue Cousineau

Gabrielle Crandall

Kevin & Sharon Cunningham

Mary Cummiskey

Connecticut Resource Group, LLC

William & Susan Forbes

Reynold & Jennette Gottlieb

Hon. Herbert & Janice Gruendel

Andrew Hechtman

Eileen Hurley & Michael Lavin

Teddy Jawde & Carla Hojaiban

Jeffrey & Sunny Kagan

Knights of Pythias, John Hay

Lodge 61

James L. Howard & Co., Inc.Theresa Wing Hines Robert & Doreen Madden

Ray & Faye Maier

Kata Maluszewski

Mickelson, Jacobs & Bozek, LLC

Christine Miller

Christa Rakich & Janis MilroyMarjorie Morrissey

Moy Ogilvie-Johnson & Glen Johnson

The O’Neil Law FirmPue, Chick, Leibowitz & Blezard, LLC

Pullman & Comley, LLC

Don & Sheila Rittman

Kenneth & Bonnie Robson Rome Clifford Katz and Koerner LLP

Rosalie Roth

Law Offices Howard Lee Schiff, PC Stuart & Deborah Shoflick

Sinatro Agency One, LLC

Shipman & Goodman, LLP

Silver & Katz, LLC

Timothy & Nancy Strini

Timothy & Geraldine SullivanJack & Liza Thayer

Deb Tosto

Trumbull Group Benefits

Brian Woolf

Law Offices of Christine Whitehead Wealth Preservation Partners, LLC

Welty Esposito & Wieler

Lynne Ustach

$250 to $499Aaron Ammar

Berry Law, LLC

Barbara Aaron & Jeff Nese

Mark & Michelle Boxer

Charlene Carvalho

Eileen Hurley & Michael P. Lavin

Gordon A. & Carol E. Gereg

Peter & Judith Haddad

Rabbi Andrew Hechtman

Carol M. Kelly

Andrew Kireta, Sr.

Linda H. Morrissey

Sheila Moses

James & Karen Renfro

Rosalie Roth

Carolyn R. Schmollinger

Jack & Liza Thayer

Melissa C. Zbell

A Special Thank You to those who donated in loving memory of Antone Rakich

Donors and Friends

Th

ank You

16 www.clcct.org

Scott Birrell & Karen Gersten

Joseph C. Bissonnette & Co., LLC

Joseph & Cynthia Bissonnette

Brian Bos

Courtney Bourns & Anne Lundberg

Margaret Bozek

David & Lisa Brooks

Ellen Brown

Susan Busby

Spencer Cain

Hon. Jay & Holly Carboneau

Suzanne Caron

Michelle Ciotola

Sue Ann Collins

Connecticut Collaborative Divorce Group

Connecticut Underwriters, Inc.

Claudia Coplein

Cummings Law Firm LLC

Robert & Wendy DeLucca

Deborah Eisenberg

Robert & Heather FiedlerEllen Flanagan & Bob Kantor

Freed Marcroft

Joe & Brenda Garrison

Rachel Garron & Scott Schoem

Gordon & Shelley Geballe

Willis Gee, Jr.

Chris & Dara Goings

Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC

Norm & Jacqueline Janes

Ted Kaplan & Roberta Woronow

Leone, Throwe, Teller & Nagle

Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC

Karen Licht

Richard Leite & Stephanie Stein Leite

Margaret Marchak & Mark Schreier

Kenneth & Margaret McIntosh

Michael McGlamery & Willajeanne McLean

Jeanne Milstein & JoAnn Church

Linda Morrissey

New England Financial Group, LLC

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance

George Pelletier

Robert & Joan PenneyJustine & Brian Rakich-KellyAneet & Erum Randhawa

Robinson & Cole, LLPFrank & Patricia Santy

Russell Sivetz

Brian & Nancy St. Jarre

Margaret St. John

Jovanni Valentini

Michael Weber & Janet WillitsArthur Webster

Howard & Patti Weiner

West Hartford Exchange Club

The Whittemore Family Foundation

Lila Wolff Wilkinson

Roman Zajac

$100 to $249Hon. Gerard Adelman

Iver & Eileen Allgrove

Peter & Dianne Antos

Armstrong Financial Strategies

BK & Co.

Geneviève Ballinger

Herbert & Regina Barall

Malcolm & Susan Barlow

Norman & Jane Barstow

James Bergenn

Sara Bernstein & Joseph Shortall

Victoria Bleier

Francis & Mary Brady

James & Lucy Brakoniecki

Denise Brewer

Lisa Cappalli

Olaf & Judy Casperson

Cetro America

Janice Chamberlain

Kyung Chung

Brian & Susan Clemow

James & Abby Cole

Katherine Coleman

Barbara Collins

Robert Colucci

Jodie Comer

Shawn & Lisa ConroyMaria DaCosta

Eric & Pat Daniels

Mary Lou DeVivoDiCara Law

Hon. Edward DolanJack & Rosanne Dolinsky

Michael & Ann Feinberg

Debra Feldman

Timothy & Dina Fisher

Douglas Fishman & Dena Rosenbloom

Fitzpatrick, Mariano & Santos, PC

Sheila Flanagan

Carlo Forzani

Eric Frazer

Bruce Freedman

Gordon & Carol Gereg

Daniel & Virginia Gilmour

Damon Goldstein

Maureen GouldAnn Gruenberg

Charles Higgins

George Hojaiban

Randa Hojaiban

Samia Hojaiban

William & Heather Hubbard

Jacqueline & Steve Jacoby

Robert & Marcia Jacoby

Angela Jalbert

Keith & Marietta JohnsonBradley Kellogg

Henry & June Krisch

Monica Lafferty HarperScott & Rebecca LehmannKenny Levine

Peter & Patricia Lovell

Paul & Louise Magnano

Mark & Teresa Malaspina

Catherine Malloy

Rick & Kathy Martel

William & Loris Masterton

Mastrianni & Seguljic, LLCJames & Elizabeth Matern

Allison McCluerJohn & Barbara McGrath

Meccariello & Bornstein

Jeffrey & Linda Mickelson

David Morse

Richard & Sheillagh Mulready

John & Priscilla Mulvaney

Alison Mundy

Steven & Lynn Munz

Geoffrey NaabNancy Parker

Louis & Carole Pepe

Peter Prestley & Linda Pearce Prestley

Robert & Patricia Pheanious

Earl McMahon & Dina Plapler

Yolanda Preysner

George Rawitscher

June Reed

Belle Ribicoff

Mark Rosenblum & Lisa Derenzo

Andrew & Patricia Salner

Cynthia Sanstrom

Amber Sarno & Mark Olmstead

Murphy Sewall & Virginia Fulton

Jerry ShafferSteve & Nicole Silva

Stephen Sinatro

Linda Smith

Norman & Nora Stevens

David & Liz Stoner

Susan Stoner

Meghan Sweeney

Symmetry Physical Therapy

“T

ry to

be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”—Maya Angelou

17

The Copper Alliance

Oliver Tuller

Tzedakah House, LLC

John Valentini

Lyn Walker

Weinstein & Wisser, P.C.

Sally Weisman

Regina Wexler

Martin Wheeler & Deborah Ferrari

Eleanor Wilkinson

Melissa Zbell

0 to $99Josephine Acevedo

Adams Ahern Sign Solutions, Inc.

Neil Amato

Helen Armstrong

Ralph Balducci

Paul & Vivian BattersonJoyce Ben-Kiki

Philip Bennett & Wendy Kohli

Bruce & Cathy Bergstrom

Megan Blier

Philip & Dorothy BognarKaren Brand & Edward Cox, Jr.

Ritamarie BraswellWilliam & Susan Breslau

Kate Busch GervaisCharlene Carvalho

Patrick & Maureen Cosgrove

David & Leeann Coughlin

James Couture & Jill LaRose

Glenn & Beth Cunningham

Michael & Susan Cutlip

Jose & Maria DaCostaJocelyn DeMaio

John & Brenda DiLoreto

J. Brice & Mary DixonMaura Droney

Nuala Droney Wiley

Fern Drutman

Elaine Ducharme

Wendy Eisner

Mary Faber

Elaine Feldman

Ilene Feuer

James Valentino & Kathleen Flaherty

Stan & Roberta Friedman

Tim Gaydosh

Annette Gaynor

David & Sandi Girolamo

Lana Glovach

Jose & Anne Goico

Eric Goldberg & Katherine Bohr

Philip & Nancy Groth

HHH Properties Corporation

Peter & Judith Haddad

Michael Gamache & Ursula HaerterPamela Hershinson & David Coleman

Tony & Katherine Holt

Kian Jacobs

Ronald & Ruth Jacobs

Eric & Kimberly Jacobsen

Leon Kaatz

Carol Kelly

Armen Kevorkian

Benjamin Kreczko

K. Narayan KuttyRobert & Shelley Langer

Patti Mantell-Broad & Richard Broad

Nancy McDowell

Diane Michaelsen

Lynda Moecker

Scott & Catherine Murphy

Kristen Newton

Anne Noble

Don & Elizabeth NoelLindsey Oliveto

Neil Parisi

Gaurav & Parul Patel

Mitchell & Susan PearlmanRaphael PodolskyCharles & Virginia Prewitt

Carla Reinhardt & Wayne Starkey

Larry & Karen Renfro

Deborah Robin

William & Carolyn Rock

James & Lorraine RogersKert & Karen Sabbath

Lisa Sacks

James Salt

Donna Sauer

Lee Sauerhoff

Gerald Sazama

Paula SchenckCarolyn Schmollinger

Harold SchrammDoug Scully & Claire Sampieri-Scully

Beverly Sims & William Okeson

Summer Spellman

William & Bobbie Taylor

The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy

The Law Offices of Cecilia Buck-TaylorElliott & Esther UrdangAnthony Williams

Abby Woodhouse

Paul & Katrina Woodhouse

John & Judy Zinn

Amy Zucker

*Boldfaced listings indicate

donors who have made annual

contributions for at least five

consecutive years

In-Kind Donations & ServicesBarbara Aaron

Peter & Deborah Berry

Bella Sophia Baking Company

BK & Co.

Boston Celtics

Mark Boxer

Tim Buckley

Courtney Butler

Ellen Brown

Dave Cadario

Capitol Grill Restaurant

Heather Carpenter

Center Framing & Art

Cigna

City Steam Brewery Café

CLC Board of Directors

CLC Gala Committee

Cozy Hill Campground

Paul Cryan Photography

Rich Curtis

Design Forum Gallery

Discover Photography

Dish Restaurant

Hon. Edward Dolan

Hon. Anne Dranginis

Jeanine Dumont

Jonathan & Carolyn Fink

Excel Fitness

Farmington Frame

Eric Frazer

Firebox Restaurant

First & Last Tavern

First Niagara

William Forbes

Donors continued

18 www.clcct.org

Frank Pepe Pizzeria

Willis Gee

Ana Lawler Gersten

Karen Gersten & Scott Birrell

Sandra & Aaron Gersten

Gouveia Vineyards

The Governor’s Residence

Hartford Golf Club

Hartford Restaurant Group

Hartford Stage

Hearthstone Pizza & Catering

Highland Park Market

Theresa Wing Hines

Randa Hojaiban

Infinity Music Hall

J Restaurant Bar

Joey’s Pizza Pie

Jones Family Farms

Jonathan & Carolyn Fink

Armen Kevorkian

Amie Kingman

Les Cheveux Salon

Paddi LeShane

Karen Licht

Linked Jewelry & Debra Feldman

Fatima Lobo

Pamela Magnano

Marge Morrissey

Matthew Phillips Hair Design

Matthew’s Restaurant

Mayflower Acupuncture

MAX Restaurant Group

MedSpa 1064

Mind Your Manor, Inc.

Christine Miller

Mitchell Fuel Co., Inc.

Mohegan Sun Casino

Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe

Sheila S. Moses, CPA, P.C.

John Motley

Carlos Mouta

Gretta Nardelli

New Britain Rock Cats

Nelson Salon & Spa

New England Patriots

Foundation

Nicolette Photography

Nicole Silva

NoRA Cupcake

OGGI Salon

One Pearl

Carol O’Shea

Steve Paine

Parkview Wine & Spirits

Penzeys Spices

Performing Your Profession

Dina Plapler & American Heart Association

Playhouse on Park

Pond House Café

Premier Limousine

Preston Ridge Vineyard

Justine Rakich-Kelly

Erum Randhawa

John Raphael

Ray’s Frame Shop

Real Art Ways

Deborah Robin

Agnes Romanowska

David & Linda Roth

Rosalie Roth

Jim Russell

Salute Restaurant

Deborah Shoflick

Signcenter, LLC

Jacqueline Simard

Summer Spellman

Stonewall Kitchen

Super Cellar Warehouse Liquors

Meghan Sweeney

Mark Swerdloff

Ted’s Montana Grill

Liza & Jack Thayer

The Bootleg Band

The Bushnell Center for

the Performing Arts

The Claypen

The Connecticut Forum

The Hermitage Club

The Legacy Project USA

The Rakich Sisters

Theater Works

Therapeutic Solutions

TPC River Highlands

Treva Restaurant/a’Vert Brasserie

Lisa & Rose Voorvaart

Sally Weisman

Sandy Welch

West Hartford Yoga

Wild Vines LLC

Lila Wolff-Wilkinson

XEROX Corporation

19

A Special Thank You to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (HFPG)

We are especially grateful to the HFPG for their

support this past year across a number of initiatives.

T First and foremost, we were awarded a $200,000 grant over three years to

support a collaborative project with Lawyers for Children America. Together,

we will provide legal representation to indigent children and young adults in

Family Court and Child Protection Court. We will develop best practices to

provide safe and positive living arrangements for children with chronic family

conflicts or who live in foster care.

T CLC is currently enrolled in HFPG’s 18-month Building Evaluation Capacity

(BEC) Training with Anita Baker, who is helping us find more effective ways

to measure our outcomes.Already proving valuable, we are in the process

of implementing measurement instruments to address outcomes with several

key audiences: the parents of our young clients, opposing attorneys, and

judges in the family court system.

T We have been fortunate to participate in two of HFPG’s Non Profit Support

Programs in 2014: a staff and board training with Simone Joyaux on

Fundraising and Development, and another training seminar on Board

Leadership with Chuck V. Loring.

The Foundation is an invaluable resource to non-profit organizations like CLC

and we consider it a real hero for the strong leadership role HFPG plays in improving

the greater Hartford community.

The Children’s Law Center

30 Arbor Street

4th Floor North

Hartford, Connecticut 06106

860.232.9993

www.clcct.org

Serving children and familiesin ConnecticutCLC Program Coverage by Judicial Districts

Families in Transition (FIT)

Legal Representation Program

Children’s Law Line

NewHaven

Litchfield

Danbury

Stamford

Fairfield

Waterbury

Ansonia

Middletown

New Britain

Hartford

Norwich

Windham

Tolland