The Friends of Foster Children Forever (FFCF) held their 3rd annual Circle of Friends luncheon on Monday, December 5, 2016 at Bay Colony Golf Club to honor the extraordinary contributions and work of Pat Barton and the Citizen’s Foster Care Review Board (CFCRB).
Doug Campbell, FFCF Board Chair, welcomed guests to the special luncheon to honor these individuals who have been instrumental in helping improve the lives of at-risk children and the work of FFCF.
The Honorable Ted Brousseau was present to introduce and pay tribute to The Citizen’s Foster Care Review Board; Cathy Appelbaum, wife of the late Stan Appelbaum, presented the Stan Appelbaum Friend of Distinction Award to CFCRB to recognize them for a history of extraordinary service and innovation within the Twentieth Judicial Court. The CFCRB is a non-profit organization with the mission to protect and advance the interests of the abused and neglected children and young adults, who come under the protection of the Dependency Court by providing well-trained volunteers to oversee their safety, stability and well-being.
Florida State Senator Kathleen Passidomo had the great honor to introduce and pay tribute to her friend Pat Barton who was the recipient of the Lynn Schultzel Friend for a Lifetime Award. Les Schultzel, husband of the late Lynn Schultzel, presented the award to Barton for her outstanding work on behalf of at-risk children both in our community and statewide. Barton has served on the Juvenile Justice Board, Collier County Juvenile Justice Council, Juvenile Assessment Center Advisory Board, and PACE Center for Girls State Board, as well as many others. She currently serves on several of the fore mentioned.
“Both awards have been named in honor of the late FFCF founders, Stan Appelbaum and Lynn Schultzel,” says Jane Billings, FFCF Executive Director. “Their vision, dedication and legacy lives on through the organization and its volunteers.”
The Circle of Friends luncheon was underwritten by the generosity of Susan K. Erb and Cynthia S. Smith, Senior Vice Presidents and Wealth Management Advisors for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.
The FFCF mission is to focus on the children they serve by providing targeted educational and enrichment opportunities that allow each child to fulfill his or her potential. The charitable organization works to fulfill the unmet needs of every child who enters, or is at risk of entering the foster care system in Collier, Hendry and Glades Counties.
