When she began volunteering last year at Devereaux Advanced Behavioral Health Georgia in Kennesaw with their Fall Festival and wrapping Christmas presents, Carolyn Polakowski, president of the East Cobb Civitan Club said, “These kids stole my heart.”
Polakowski noted that many of the pediatric patients at Devereux Georgia are either in foster care or have no loving parent to advocate for them.
“Sadly, mental illness still has a negative stigma attached to it. They deserve the same love and compassion that all children, with an invasive medical diagnosis, should receive,” she added.
“They are here because there are literally no other options for the highly specialized residential therapy and care across the region for them that provide the opportunity for healing and recovery,” Polakowski said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in stress and trauma for these children who are not able to leave the campus.
Visitation from their family members is limited and court hearings have been delayed as well as some scheduled discharges.
As a result, the East Cobb Civitan Club has given these children a vast variety of entertaining activities.
“Games, books and crafts may be a small thing; but we are happy to know we can contribute to their having positive activities with some new boredom busters during shelter in place,” Polakowski said.
Project Coordinator Dolly Fehd, who has been at Devereaux Georgia for 10 years, expressed the appreciation of the staff at the psychiatric residential treatment center for children and youths.
“The kids are just blown away when strangers take the time to show that they are thought of and cared about,” Fehd said. “We appreciate that the Civitan Club reached out to us first to ask what we needed most and what were the appropriate types of toys and games kids in treatment could safely use.”
More than 180 children - with significant psychiatric, behavioral and emotional illnesses – receive treatment through educational, therapeutic and vocational programs at Devereux Georgia.
Devereux Georgia was established in Kennesaw in 1973.
Founded in 1986, the East Cobb Civitan Club is one of 40 in the Georgia District and a part of Civitan International.
Information: East Cobb Civitan Club President-Elect Lee Ann Sherry at leann@thego2team.com, Devereux Georgia: devereux.org
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