Twenty years is a long time, especially when you’ve spent those two decades working hard to provide resources and support for all of Miami-Dade County’s children and families. That’s what The Children’s Trust has done since it was voted into existence in September of 2002 by an electorate who recognized that there were many important needs and gaps in the support structure for our children and youth. All those efforts are worth celebrating, so The Trust took its time doing it right.
For the past year, The Trust has celebrated its accomplishments over its first twenty years with numerous events, activations and activities that have shined a light on the impact The Trust has made. It’s been an extended party of sorts, and it’s been fun. But it’s been much more than that!
The Trust is proud of the work it has done and has shared its accomplishments with the public. But its work is all about the larger community - the service providers and organizations it funds, the partnerships and collaborations it has engaged in, and most of all, the children, youth and families it has impacted. The celebration was for them and about them.
And while all Trust staff, board members, community partners and other stakeholders are already well on their way to increasing the impact The Trust has in the community for the next 20 years, it’s time for one last look back at this past year and remember those who were part of it. To everyone who was part of our 20th Anniversary celebration, thank you!
A Look Back at 20 Years
What better to kick off the 20th Anniversary than in partnership with HistoryMiami Museum, where The Children’s Trust created and curated an exhibition at the museum commemorating the 20th Anniversary of The Children's Trust that ran from September to December. To launch the exhibition, The Trust held a special reception at HistoryMiami Museum with near 50 attendees, including founding Board Chair David Lawrence Jr., and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, as well as other dignitaries.
Throughout the year, The Trust rolled out a comprehensive marketing, communications and community engagement campaign that highlighted essential data points over its 20 years that demonstrate The Trust’s impact on the community. The campaign included TV, radio, billboards, digital and print advertising, media appearances on TV, radio and online, and a "takeover" campaign at the Metrorail Government Center Station.
To demonstrate the lasting impact The Trust has on children and youth, The Trust selected three individuals whose lives have been greatly affected by The Trust and its providers and told their stories through a comprehensive campaign detailing their extraordinary journey: Silvio Plata, who lost his sight at 18 months old, attended a variety of Trust-funded programs, and grew to become an accomplished musician who earned a full scholarship to the University of Miami Frost School of Music; Destiny Delancy was introduced to dance as a young child at another Trust-funded program and would go on to become an accomplished performer who recently graduated from New York University’s Tisch Department of Dance; and Yasmin Synder, who overcame a turbulent home life as a child, entered the foster care system, and suffered through three failed adoptions before finding a loving forever family. Their stories were told as part of The Trust’s 20th Anniversary campaign and included videos of their incredible lives.
The Trust also produced a 10-minute mini-documentary, The Children’s Trust - 20 Years Nurturing Greatness, that delved into the creation of the organization, the impact it has had and the involvement of Founding Chair David Lawrence Jr. in its establishment.
In collaboration with Miami's Community Newspapers, The Trust published a 40-page Special Edition "20 Years Nurturing Greatness" detailing the history and impact of The Children's Trust. Nearly 30,000 copies were printed and distributed countywide. The special edition was also featured on Miami’s Community Newspapers website and was shared via e-newsletter to their subscribers.
A joint Op-Ed in the Miami Herald authored by David Lawrence Jr., founding board chair, Kenneth C. Hoffman, chair of the board, and James R. Haj, president & CEO of The Trust, entitled "Promises Kept to Miami-Dade: Celebrating the Meaningful Impact of The Children's Trust," was published on March 21, 2023.
The Miami Dolphins honored The Children's Trust as the official "Partner of the Game" in October 2022. Before a nationally broadcast game, Silvio Plata sang the National Anthem.
Professional soccer team Miami FC celebrated The Children’s Trust’s 20th Anniversary at a game in May 2023, with Trust staff taking part in pre-game festivities and children and youth wearing Trust t-shirts welcoming players on the field.
During the year, The Trust received numerous proclamations to commemorate its anniversary from government entities including being read into the Congressional Record at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C by Congressman Carlos Gimenez, having Miami-Dade County declare September 10, 2022, as "The Children's Trust Day," and receiving a proclamation from Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Toward the end of the 20th Anniversary campaign, The Trust shared numerous social media posts from prominent child advocates, government officials and public figures congratulating the organization for its two decades of service.
And finally, as the culminating event of the 20th Anniversary, The Trust partnered with Miami-Dade County, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and other community entities to light their buildings in Trust green in an “Illuminating Greatness” event on September 7, 2023.
To see everything The Trust did over the past year to celebrate its 20th Anniversary, visit its 20th Anniversary page, where you will also find videos and even more links.
Once again, thank you to everyone who helped The Children’s Trust celebrate 20 Years of Nurturing Greatness. For a video recap of the yearlong 20th Anniversary celebration click here.