Voices

Back in 2020, when COVID had shut down so much of the world, I felt a calling to do something more. I had been working as a paralegal for an attorney in private practice at the time and helping to take care of my mother who had Alzheimer’s. Ultimately, I decided to get my master’s degree in English Composition and Literature and, in my studies, felt this call toward social change.

For more than 25 years, Voce has worked alongside our community to advance our mission and support the people we serve. Today, we’re excited to share something new—The Vocal Point, Voce’s first-ever external quarterly newsletter, launching December 10.

There’s a line in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem Success that has been imprinted on me since I first heard it at my college graduation: 'To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived . . . This is to have succeeded.' I even have it on a charm bracelet given to me by my husband. Working in foster care and adoption, you try for everyone. You don’t always have a win at the end but when you do, it’s what keeps you going.

I’ll be honest—when I got the reminder that it was my turn to attend Luzerne County’s annual adoption celebration this November, I wasn’t exactly eager. It’s a beautiful event, a bright spot in a field that is often heavy, but that morning I felt paperwork was my higher priority that day.

I've lived in Elk County most of my life. When my husband was in the Army, we did move around a bit, but this is where my family is, and it was a great place to raise kids. I raised two, and now I've got four grandkids that I get to spoil. Three of them are in the Seattle area, so I travel out there about three times a year. I really love to travel. Before I took this job, I actually did a solo cross-country trek on my motorcycle.

“I have a history of family working in criminal justice. My stepdad is a school security guard and has been a big influence on me. I’ve also always felt a strong connection to my grandmother even though she passed away before I was born. She was a correctional officer and was kind and always helping people."

Pennsylvania once again faces a state budget impasse, while federal shutdown threats ripple through communities. For many, these may seem like distant political battles—but for those serving children and families, the effects are immediate and profound.

I started my career as a parole agent in West Philly for seven years. I went to school for criminal justice but ruled out working in a forensics lab or law enforcement.

Before coming to Voce, I worked as a court reporter and an administrative assistant. This job is so different from other jobs I’ve held. Everyone wants to be here, making a difference. I’m coming up on my one-year anniversary as a paralegal, and it’s really cool working in the legal field and doing something that matters.

Fueling the future—both in my career and in the community—has always been important to me. Voce continues to grow, and I’m excited to grow with it and help lead the way forward.

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.