The tireless work of a Wildomar-based nonprofit to brighten the futures of local at-risk youth, many whose parents are incarcerated, has not gone unnoticed.
Bob and Mona Davies, co-founders of Community Outreach Ministry, were honored June 3 with the Child and Family Advocate of the Year award from HOPE Collaborative, the child abuse council of Riverside County.
The award, which recognizes exemplary dedication and commitment to the youth of local communities, has been given annually since 2013 to a person or organization in each of Riverside County’s five supervisorial districts.
County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries nominated the Davies for this year’s District 1 award.
“I was honored to nominate Bob and Mona Davies for the 2016 HOPE Child and Advocate of the Year Award because they serve the needs of a very vulnerable and at-risk population of youth whose parents have been incarcerated,” Jeffries said.
Through Community Outreach Ministry, the Davies offer summer camps for these vulnerable youth. They also provide year-round access to mentoring, and for the past several years have held Angel Tree Christmas parties, distributing gifts to more than 200 children.
“This population often goes undetected in the child welfare and education systems, putting them further at risk,” Jeffries said. “The resources Bob and Mona provide help to prevent these youth from entering the juvenile/criminal justice system by breaking the cycle of crime, poverty, illiteracy, violence, delinquency, school dropout and destructive behaviors which leads to a lower incidence of generational incarceration.”
More than 60 percent of the youth served by Community Outreach Ministry come from Lake Elsinore, which along with Wildomar, is part of the District 1.
“We feel richly rewarded as the First District recipient of the 2016 Child and Family Advocate of the Year Award presented by the HOPE Collaborative and Riverside County