Public Awareness Team

 

Mission:

"Educate and increase community awareness of issues relating to children and families and to increase community involvement to influence a healthy, livable community. To guide staff in producing public relations materials."

 

History:

The Communications Committee was started in 1996 with three Board Members, Sue Shepardson, Wally Reitz and Bob Kessler.  A concept paper was approved and the groundwork laid.  The overall objective of the Committee was to increase community awareness of the Commission on Children & Families by promoting the Commission¹s goal: Healthy Children, Families and Communities.

 

In 1997, Commission on Children & Families Board Member, Michelle Marquis started the Communications Committee serving as Chair and recruiting community members in the marketing industry to develop marketing materials including: Logo, Press Kit and the first-ever public awareness campaign, "Get Help. Or Help Out."  René Bristow worked on this campaign and then we appointed to the Commission on Children & Families Board. In 1998, René Bristow served as Co-Chair on the Committee with Michelle Marquis.

 

In 1998, the mission and goals of the Committee evolved to: "Educate and increase community awareness of issues relating to children and families and to increase community involvement to influence a healthy, livable community. To guide staff in producing public relations materials."

 

In 1999, after completing the "Get Help. Or Help Out” campaign, the Committee developed other marketing materials including:   A Growth Chart (in English and Spanish),   The Gifting Catalog, “A Promise to Our Children Campaign," Newsletters, Annual Reports, Sponsorship of projects/conferences and the Assets Campaign.

 

In 2000, the Committee continued work on the Gifting Catalog, Annual Reports and Sponsorships of projects/conferences while starting the "Through the Eyes of a Child" desk calendar.

 

In 2001, the Committee developed the Family Violence Awareness Campaign and "Photo Day in the Park,” and started work on the 2002 "Through the Eyes of a Child" desk calendar.

 

In 2002, the Committee developed a comprehensive marketing plan identifying goals and objectives for 2003 - 2006 and assigning committee members to work on specific projects. These projects include: Web site, Graphic Standards, Annual Report, Gifting Catalog, Revisions on Family Violence Awareness Campaign, Relief Nursery Strategic Planning, Community Plan and Commission on Children & Families public awareness and discussions for the 2004 "Through the Eyes of a Child" desk calendar.

 

Currently, the Committee is reviewing priorities with the given budget cuts and best tools for increasing the awareness of the issues related to children and families in our community. At this time, the Committee changed their name to the Public Awareness Team to reinforce the need for awareness and advocacy. Amy Trenz is now the chair of the team.