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OFFICE OF THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
ERIC F. RINEHART
STATE'S ATTORNEY
May 4, 2021
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Newton
(224) 374-2376
jnewton@lakecountyil.gov
Lake County Children's Advocacy Center Gives Annual Awards to its Dedicated Backers
Some of those receiving awards Friday included two members of the Round Lake Beach Police Department, children in the Gomez family, which volunteers often at the center, Chenel Vanden Berk, SANE coordinator for Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and Tania Miller, a child protection investigator with the Department of Children and Family Services.
(Lake County, IL) - The Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center (LCCAC) hosted its annual awards ceremony celebrating the “outstanding contributions” and staunch support of community members, medical personnel, and law enforcement officers.
The award recipients were selected due to their dedication to the center’s mission to protect the children of Lake County.
This year’s award winners are:
• Fred Foreman Award - Chenel Vanden Berk, SANE coordinator for Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
• Law Enforcement Award - Detectives Jose Barrera and Paul Henken of the Round Lake Beach Police Department.
• Community Support Award - Jonathan Joy, Facilities and Construction Services, Lake County Government.
• Incredible Kid Award - The Gomez Family.
• MDT Partner Recognition – Tania Miller, child protection investigator, Department of Children and Family Services.
The ceremony was held in person at the LCCAC in Gurnee for recipients and their families, and was broadcast over Zoom so interested residents could watch as well.
Chenel Vanden Berk, a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) coordinator with the Advocate Condell Medical Center, was praised for her time and efforts at the center, including helping with the new addition of a medical office/room inside the center that is equipped for sexual assault exams.
“She is passionate about making us better,” LCCAC Executive Director Carrie Flanigan said.
“The means so much to me,” Vanden Berk said as she received the award. “I’m always here at the Children’s Advocacy Center and I feel like a part of it.”
Detectives Jose “Bobby” Barrera and Paul Henken with the Round Lake Beach Police Department were honored for their determination in helping fight child abuse.
“Both Bobby and Paul are beyond dedicated. They are the ones that get on follow-up (of cases) because it has to be done,” Assistant State’s Attorney Lauren Walker said in presenting the officers with their awards.
Taking this year’s Incredible Kids Award was the entire Gomez family, including parents Marcos and Stacey Gomez and their children Sophia, Grace, Max and Millie, ranging from ages 12 to 3.
The family began by donating items to the center, but their efforts “snowballed,” as they decorated the kid-friendly welcome area and assisted with special events such as the community-wide Blue Kids child abuse prevention campaign.
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Child Protection Investigator Tania Miller earned the MDT Partner Award for being “an integral and crucial part” of the Advocacy Center team.
Jonathan Joy, with Lake County’s Facilities and Construction Services, received the Community Support Award. He is credited with being a lead player in the transformation of the center from a building with a leaky roof to the clean, modern and comforting facility it is today.
“This is one of the most compassionate and giving groups I have ever met,” Joy said.
In welcoming a Zoom audience to the awards presentation event, State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said that “you get that team feeling approach” at the Advocacy Center.
“This ceremony shows the different parts of our community coming together to fight child abuse,” he said of the center.
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Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart and Children’s Advocate Center Executive Director Carrie Flanigan prepare for Friday’s Annual Award Ceremony at the center. |
Lake County State's Attorney's Office
18 N. County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
Phone: (847) 377-3000
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