Oakland County Youth Assistance Awards presented at 2009 annual meeting

The Oakland County Youth Assistance Coordinating Council, at its 2009 Annual Meeting, presented "Champion of Youth" awards to two deserving recipients on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 17. The award recognizes an individual or group who has helped Youth Assistance achieve it mission across the county. The event, held at White Lake Oaks and attended by 130 people that included Youth Assistance volunteers, elected officials from school boards and municipalities, county commissioners and judges, was to celebrate the completion of another year of programming for youth and families across Oakland County. The event featured a keynote address by psychologist/consultant Dr. Gail Parker and congratulatory remarks by the Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Joan Young, presiding judge of the Family Division. Robert Ziegler was recognized as a long-time member of Youth Assistance and treasurer of the South Lyon Youth Assistance and former treasurer of the Youth Assistance Coordinating Council. Ziegler's devoted involvement over 20 years has included providing his professional expertise as an accountant. The Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA) was recognized for providing mentors, supporting many Youth Assistance projects with fundraisers and volunteers, and collaborating on three free legal clinics in 2009. Kurt Schnelz, President of the Oakland County Bar Association, and Judith Cunningham, Oakland County corporation counsel and treasurer of the OCBA, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. Mary Schusterbauer, chief of Youth Assistance, commented: "Each year I am amazed at the number of volunteers who dedicate so much of their time to youth and families in our county. The combined efforts of our community collaborators make our program stronger and Oakland County safer." Oakland County Youth Assistance began in 1953 in Hazel Park. There are currently 26 local offices. Professional caseworkers provide short term counseling and intervention services for at-risk youth identified by police and schools in order to prevent court involvement. In addition, each year more than 1,000 volunteers contribute their time to plan and implement programs to help prevent delinquency and child neglect within their communities. Activities include organizing family education classes, sponsoring mentorships through the Mentors Plus program, conducting retail fraud prevention workshops in schools, and sponsorship of camp and other recreational activities, including after school programs. "If we all work together to prevent neglect and abuse and deter delinquent behavior, the children and families in our communities will be successful and the Oakland County taxpayers will realize a financial benefit. The 26 youth assistance programs and the many volunteers make the difference. On behalf of all the family division judges and staff, we thank them for their service," said Schusterbauer. To find out more about how to get involved with Oakland County Youth Assistance programs, contact the main office at (248) 858-0041. Published: Wed, Dec 2, 2009

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