Women & Girls Fund honors The Founders of For All Seasons, Inc. Kathleen Francis, Maureen Jacobs, Janet Pfeffer, Joy Price, Nancy Wilson with the 2013 Women & Girls Fund Award

WOMEN AND GIRLS FUND AWARD NOMINATION:
In the early 80’s, Joy Price was living in Easton and completing her Masters in Social Work at the University of Maryland’s School of Social Work. One of the requirements of the masters program included completing an original paper and Joy chose the topic of the feasibility of creating a not for profit agency in a rural setting to address child sexual abuse. Joy’s concept was approved by Nancy Wilson; a Professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Social Work who happened to live in Talbot County and became Joy’s Masters Program supervisor. Through Joy’s vision and Nancy’s guidance, For All Seasons was born. In 1986 Joy and Nancy shared their concept with three other local Talbot County residents, Maureen Jacobs, Janet Pfeffer and Kathleen Frances. By drawing on their combined knowledge and expertise, these five women collaborated to create an organization that would raise awareness of child sexual abuse and sexual violence on the MidShore. Beyond raising awareness, Joy, Maureen, Nancy, Janet and Kathleen envisioned a safe place where women and girls who had been victims of sexual violence could seek refuge, receive support and eventually recover from what today remains the most under-reported of violent crimes.

With insight and perseverance, they gathered facts about sexual violence on the Mid-Shore, created a mission statement and developed a program. Once formalized, they put pen to paper and wrote a grant to the Maryland Department of Human Resources for funding to establish For All Seasons, an agency that like the ever changing seasons of the year would offer support to individuals as they too, went through the changing stages of their lives. Today, FAS has offices in each of the five counties of the Mid-Shore and provides victim services 24 hours a day, every day of the year. As stewards of the five visionaries who founded FAS, the 30 plus staff of The Mental Health and Rape Crisis Center of For All Seasons continue to provide support to victims of sexual violence and other traumas and have developed partnerships with other agencies to fill the gaps in human services to enhance the quality of life for all Mid-Shore residents.

These five women pooled their resources and talents to create a private not for profit corporation that over the years has provided a continuum of supportive services to countless women and girls who have experienced the devastating trauma of sexual violence. For their vision, tenacity and commitment to women and girls of the Mid-Shore who have sought assistance as victims, weathered the trauma of sexual violence and become accomplished in their own rights please recognize Joy Price, Nancy Wilson, Maureen Jacobs, Janet Pfeffer and Kathleen Francis by awarding them the Annual Women and Girls Fund Award.

Respectfully Submitted By:
Richard A Goldstein,
Executive Director For All Seasons, Inc.