Hockey great Wayne Gretzsky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” A few years ago, Dr. Kristen Hennessy, a licensed psychologist who works with children with histories of advanced trauma, took her shot at collaboration with an introductory email to Chief Charles “Chuck” Streightiff, Chief of Police for the Huntingdon Borough Police (Huntingdon, PA). The result was a game changer for keeping the children of Huntingdon safe.

What if all systems worked seamlessly to respond to the varied needs of children and families and operated from core mutually understood principles of child development and trauma? Voce’s Forum on Pennsylvania’s Children (FPaC) was born out of the need to increase systems collaboration and provide education so that children and families are served with greater expertise and efficiency.

My name is Jena Braunsberg. I am an attorney who works at Voce, and I have multiple disabilities, which may not be evident if you meet me, but they affect how I view myself in the world. This Disability Pride Month, my story may help you understand why accessibility is important to everyone.

As someone who was bullied in grade school and even into college for trying to be myself, safe spaces were reassuring. I was attending Gannon University, a small private Catholic college, at the time. Seeing a rainbow decal in classroom was not only a reflection of the change I saw in the world, but also a signal that there were people who accepted me for me.

There are times in life when things just seem to fall into place. For me, becoming a board member at Voce is one of those times. One day, out of the blue, I received a message from someone I’d worked with for many years about meeting to discuss Voce. One conversation led to another with Executive Director Rick Azzaro, and it was then I learned more about the mission and the great team Voce has throughout Pennsylvania working to expedite adoptions and permanency.

When it became certain Voce’s former office space would be demolished to expand the neighboring highway, it seemed fitting as a “change agent” that “imagines possibilities” we would embrace the opportunities that come with an office move. After months of planning and preparation, we moved into our new space in December 2023, marking a new era for our organization and the programs we support.