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Like so many, we are insanely busy with work responsibilities, home management, and an abundance of stress. So we understand your time is limited! We’ve put together a very quick survey to fill a gap between survivors of all types of abuse and services including service personnel meant to assist them through the process of recovering.
Your answers here, while remaining completely confidential, have the magnitude to save the life of a child! Maybe even hundreds of children. Your time is valuable so let’s jump right in shall we?
Take the Survivor Survey today!
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The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez: Honoring Gabriel's Legacy on his 17th Birthday
We had the amazing opportunity to join LA County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami and the Antelope Valley community in celebration of Gabriel Fernandez's 17th birthday yesterday, February 20th, 2022.
Mr. Hatami was actually the prosecutor on Gabriel's case, securing guilty verdicts against both of his murderers. He was featured heavily in the Netflix documentary, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. Every year, he visits the tree outside of the apartment Gabriel lived in - this is now "Gabriel's Tree."
It was surreal to be outside of the very place that such horrendous and unimaginable things happened to a child, what should be a very sad place. But there were also children playing in the grass, laughing. Families and friends reconnecting and hugging. A community making memories. There was also a beautiful flock of birds that flew overhead while a local pastor said a prayer. And, since you can't have a birthday party without cupcakes, all the children attending got a cupcake and a Justice for Gabriel shirt. The cupcake line was very long and a lot of kids had fun at Gabriel's birthday that day, right outside.
After briefly beginning to address the crowd, Hatami paused to check on and console an upset toddler in the crowd. When he continued, his message was:
"I want you all, first, to remember the legacy of Gabriel and as a result of that, go out there and live.
God wants you all to live. Go out there and fight for children. Go out there and be who you want to be. Take care of your children and take care of your family. If you see other children who are in need, help them. Don't be afraid to step forward and help a child, or to help somebody who is vulnerable, or to help somebody who can't help themselves. We are all a part of this community. We are all interrelated and we all need to help each other. We need to all look at Gabriel's legacy. Don't look at Gabriel and what happened to him . . . . Gabriel is looking down on us. He wants you to fight for the children. He wants you to fight. . . . We come here to celebrate Gabriel's life. We come here also to celebrate Gabriel's legacy.
I want you all to know that what is happening in my office, is sad. I've dedicated my life to fighting for children and right now, we have a real major problem where we have someone who doesn't wanna do that. And so we all have to join together. All . . . that's why Los Angeles is so great. We have so many different backgrounds and this community, this city, this county, is worth fighting for. I'm not leaving. I hear so many people are leaving. I'm not leaving! I'm raising my children here. I'm raising my family here. You are all a part of my family. You are.
My door is always open. I'm always here to help. I'm always here, no matter what. . . . All of us together, we are so much stronger. So go out there and live! Live. Do what you wanna do. Be who you wanna be. Always fight for the most vulnerable. Always protect the most vulnerable. Don't be afraid to step forward and do what's right. Sometimes, doing the right thing, is USUALLY the harder thing. It is the more difficult thing to do. But it's the right thing to do. It's the right thing for all of us.
So I want you to celebrate Gabriel's legacy. Celebrate his birthday. Meet one another, talk to Gabriel's family, talk to other families. . . . And live. Go out there and live, 'cause that's what Gabriel would want you to do. He would want you to go out there and live your life. Be a part of this community. Help one another. Fight for one another. I'm gonna keep fighting for you in all these cases. Gabriel is always gonna be a part of me, part of my family. Gabriel's family is my family. You all are. I love this community, and I'm gonna keep fighting for all of you. I'm gonna keep fighting for all of you. I think we all are.
So I love you all, I do. I get re-energized every time I come here. It's sad looking at the apartment, it's sad. But then I think about Gabriel. I think about the fact that he wants us to live and to fight for each other. So I want to thank you all for coming here. I met a pastor, his name is Carlos, he's a pastor out here in Palmdale. I am a believer and my belief is important to me and my family and it helps me get through a lot of the cases that I have. It does give me strength, and so I would ask that if Carlos doesn't mind, that he lead us all in a prayer, before we hear from Gabriel's family."
Please note, it's very windy in the high desert and there was also the unfortunate timing of power tools and an ice cream bell. The spaces with ". . ." are to show that there is a gap in what we could hear.
We would like to thank DDA Hatami for his tireless work in and out of the courtroom and for his dedication to helping the vulnerable who cannot fight for themselves. If you are inspired to help children in your community, please visit https://www.childhelp.org/ - the National Child Abuse Hotline - or email [email protected] if you're interested in volunteer child advocacy with us.
#Gabriel Fernandez#Jon Hatami#Los Angeles#LA County#When the System Fails#WTSF#it takes a village#xl
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AMBERAlert Awareness Day
AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.
It's named for Amber Hagerman. 9-year-old Amber was kidnapped while riding her bike in an Arlington, Texas parking lot on January 13, 1996. Her body was found four days later less than four miles from where she went missing.
Frustrated community members wanted to know why there was no way to be alerted to child abductions in their area and thus the AMBER Alert system was created.
When will an AMBER Alert be issued?
There is reasonable belief by law enforcement an abduction has taken place
Law enforcement believes the child is in danger of serious bodily injury or death
There is adequate descriptive information about the victim and the abduction
The abduction is of a child 17 years old or younger
The child's name, critical data and the Child Abduction flag have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system
Amber's murder is still unsolved, but her mother, Donna Williams, has stated that "she didn't die in vain. She's still helping take care of our children and I'm proud of everything she'd done for our children here."
According to the Amber Alert Network Brazos Valley, to date, 1,085 children have been safely recovered due to the AMBER Alert system.
More Information:
https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/amber
https://amberalert.ojp.gov/
Article: Remembering Amber
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If you're interested in helping create changes to a failing system and make a difference in children's lives when they need it most send us an email about joining the team.
You can make changes from your house or your car with as few as 2 hours a week and every teammate we add to the cause allows us to help up to 25 more children than we could have before.
It just takes an email to get started!
#child abuse prevention#child abuse awareness#child advocacy#save the children#it takes a village#be the change
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April is child abuse prevention month. Typically, there is a rise in the amount of people speaking out about child abuse and a rise in those lobbying for bills. We see institutions that are meant to protect the welfare of children holding fundraisers, ad campaigns, and cute little candy coated gatherings. All this in the name to say things like "look at what we do for our children" and "get behind us and support us". It's a smokescreen. It is portrayed as this happy, unbroken, unflawed environment that does everything in their power to make it right for the children. It's what's lurking in the dark ominous shadows of the smokescreens they put up that you should be appalled by. If you question the very system they work for, YOU become the bad guy. An enemy of the system. THEIR broken system. Though that's how you know YOU are doing right by our children. When you are giving them a voice to be heard. To be protected. To be saved.
Victims are consistently being revictimized. Don't get us wrong, there are a few good people working for these institutions. A few is NOT enough to stop those that are intentionally silencing the voices of our nation's youth. Those that are meant to protect our children hide behind laws and policies to do the bare minimum of a job. Some do it because they are lazy. Others do it for some sick twisted benefit to themselves. They are repeatedly revictimizing the victims. OUR babies. They are breaking the very oath they took to protect them!!
We need to stand with the few. Each and every one of us have either seen it, been through it, or have been heartbroken because of this. It is time to stand up! We see their stories. Those that have come out of it. Some that are going through it. Those who never had the chance to make it out of it, ultimately losing their lives in such a horrific way that could have been prevented. How are more of us not up in arms about this?! Or are we going to continue to be delusional and enchanted by the smoke screens?! We NEED to stand with the few that are willing to make change, to speak out against a system set up only to protect the ones working for it and abusing it, NOT the babies, toddlers, and teens being silenced and abused. It is time to stand with the few: Stand in protest, stand in lobbying support, stand with those that ARE speaking for the children. Not just in the month of April. This MUST be done every single day of the year!
If you feel like you are ready to stand with us send us an email: [email protected]
#child abuse#child abuse prevention month#child abuse awareness#it takes a village#when the system fails
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TEXANS RALLY TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF FAMILY COURT AND CPS/DFPS CORRUPTION “CASH FOR KIDS” SCHEME
TEXANS GATHER MARCH 6th AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL BUILDING TO WARN OF CORRUPTION IN THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES SYSTEM
In an effort to raise national awareness of the corruption scheme known as “Cash for Kids�� that many believe is happening in multiple Texas counties, affected families and concerned citizens will rally at the Texas State Capitol Building on March 6th 2021. The meeting starts at noon and is anticipated to last until 3 PM. Many Texans believe they have been negatively affected by a scandal within the DFPS system intended to help their children. Among the allegations against the state services are coercion, false accusations, involuntary termination of parental rights, violation of civil rights, deprivation of due process, forced adoptions, alienation and isolation, harassment, abuse of power, and more. Those parents, grandparents, and even children who have been unfairly impacted by the system will gather at the Texas State Capitol Building to stand against injustice together. Organizers hope to raise awareness of the following bills introduced by Representative Frank, Representative Gates, and Senator Hughes: Senate Bill 190, House Bill 567, House Bill 1098, House Bill 2308, House Bill 2200, and House Bill 1895.
These bills relate to the Department of Family and Protective Services in Texas and the reasons and process for terminating parental rights, for taking possession of a child, reports of child abuse or neglect and how investigations of such reports are started, and different things within the system that affect the parent-child relationship and termination of such.
Join the concerned citizens of Texas and be the voice that helps support legislation that could potentially start the reformation of the child protection system in Texas, benefitting all those who wish to keep their legal and rightful parental rights and further ensure child welfare and family court reform statewide.
TEXAS CAPITOL BUILDING South Gate - Corner of Congress & 11th Street Saturday March 6 2021 | NOON - 3PM 1100 Congress Avenue Austin, Texas 78701
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Real Victims, Real Justice
#george gascon#los angeles#when the system fails#crime#child abuse#jon hatami#jonathan hatami#gabriel fernandez#anthony avalos#noah cuatro#antelope valley
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February 5th 2021 at Noon (pacific time) Antelope Valley residents are gathering at the Michael D. Antonovich Courthouse (AV Courthouse) in protest of LA County District Attorney George Gascón and in support of child victims and their families.
This gathering is scheduled during a planned public appearance by DA Gascón and was previously canceled due to inclement weather. It is hoped that Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami will also make an appearance, as he has been a champion for child victims in the Antelope Valley. He was the prosecuting attorney to secure the death penalty for one of Gabriel Fernandez’s murderers.
If you are in the Antelope Valley area, please show up by noon on Friday, February 5th and show that the system needs to be tough on crimes against children because if you will hurt our most vulnerable and voiceless, you’re fine with hurting anyone.
Press release and information in photographs. Press and citizens alike can fill out the “send us an email” form on the homepage to be contacted for more information.
Get Loud, Get Louder, Be the Voice.
#it takes a village#when the system fails#anthony avalos#gabriel fernandez#noah cuatro#los angeles county#lancaster#california#lancaster california#protest#child abuse
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We live in a world that spins without intention. Without inspired action. We see the pains of children. We often hear about it when nothing more can be done. We see that darkness, we feel it. We think to ourselves "But how can I make a difference? Where do I start? How do I start?" It isn't one big action or just one person. It really does take a village. You can help be a ray of light in the dark that helps to shield a child. To help protect them where the system and so many others have failed them. When you take part in something that makes a difference, that brings a feeling of safety to a child, to know that they are smiling again. Not only have you brought a light back into their life. You also bring more light back into yourself.
If you’d like to help children in need and join the team, email [email protected].
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It is said that the children are our future. Get in the fight to save it.
When the System Fails Join us on Facebook for more updates.
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From everyone at When the System Fails, Corp.:
We hope that Christmas this year can be spent safe, healthy, and happy with family and offer a bit of normalcy in such a surreal year. Remember that presence is a gift just like any other ‘presents’! This year, more than ever, we are reminded how much quality time with family and friends truly means to us. Merry Christmas from our families to yours.
#whenthesystemfails#when the system fails#get loud#getlouder#it takes a village#christmas#announcement
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