CAC hosts 35th Birthday Backyard Bash on Aug. 15

On Thursday, Aug. 15, Children’s Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County (CAC) will celebrate 35 years of providing free, specialized healing services to 16,000+ children and families with a Backyard Birthday Bash from 4-7 p.m., at the Hoffman Estates location, 640 Illinois Blvd.

Popcorn, snow cones, birthday cake, games and activities for kids and tours of the Hoffman Estates office, housed in a vintage farmhouse, will be available. CAC will also honor State Rep. Michelle Mussman (D) with a Community Champion Award.

“CAC knows how important it is to have advocates in the community who can help raise awareness of the work that our organization is doing and proactively invest their time in policies and projects that protect the most vulnerable residents,” said CAC CEO Melanie Pignotti. “We are thrilled to honor Rep. Mussman’s commitment to her constituents with our Community Champion award.”

With societal violence on the rise, it is increasingly likely that most people know someone whose family has been impacted by alleged abuse or violence. From the teenage girl next door to your child’s T-ball teammate to the busboy at your favorite restaurant, young survivors are everywhere, often keeping the details of the abuse to themselves. However, since 1989, CAC has been:

• Empowering the voices of young survivors of physical or sexual violence through specialized interviewing

• Inspiring hope in children and their families as they meet with staff who can help them begin to move out of crisis

• Coordinating a community-based, collaborative response to alleged violence with our Multidisciplinary Team partners in law enforcement, the Department of Children and Family Services and the State’s Attorney’s Office

• Assisting families in navigating the complex criminal justice system and accessing supportive services, including our mental health counseling with trained Trauma Therapists

CAC's mission is to empower children to overcome trauma from physical and sexual violence through empathetic collaboration and culturally sensitive services for the victims and their families. From the forensic interview to the last therapy session, CAC helps clients build resiliency in order to live safer, healthier lives. The public is invited to get to know more about CAC’s work in the community by attending the 35th Birthday Backyard Bash.

Registration is required by reserving free tickets on Eventbrite, bit.ly/CACBackyardBash.

For information on CAC’s programs and services, visit cachelps.org.