Originally founded as the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation
The children and youth we support are victims of broken promises. With every effort, every plan, and every action we will continue to mend broken promises to kids….one child at a time.
History
A Year-By-Year Historical Tour of
Promises2Kids
(founded as the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation)
1981 |
CAPF is founded by Norma Hirsh, Renee Comeau, Mary Avery and Rob Butterfield. |
1982 |
CAPF begins emergency Baby Food Fund to provide food, medicine and supplies. |
1983 |
CAPF establishes a program to prevent and treat child sexual abuse. |
1984 |
Barbara Christiansen and nine friends found St. Germaine Auxiliary. The first annual Silver Tea is held. |
1985 |
CAPF volunteers and donors provide funding assistance to remodel San Diego’s Child Abuse Hotline Center.
A group home for severely abused children was made possible thanks to a donation of 15 acres of Escondido property by Mr. & Mrs. Vance Johnson. Dr. Gary Manchester donated a home, which CAPF moved to the site. The home, now called Mary’s House, is used to provide housing and support services for emancipated foster youth. |
1986 |
CAPF raises and grants $170,000 to fight child abuse in San Diego. |
1987 |
CAPF, along with volunteers and donors, creates a child-friendly waiting room at family court.
CAPF Foster Parent Recruitment Campaign results in 60 new foster homes within three months. |
1988 |
CAPF funds a new program at UCSD to help drug-dependent pregnant women from delivering drug-addicted babies Within two years 33 of 35 women deliver babies drug free. |
1989 |
Birthday Club gets up and running; CAPF now provides birthday gifts for hundreds of abused kids every year who are in the children protection system.
CAPF raises and grants $1 million to fight child abuse in San Diego County. |
1990 |
CAPF begins the successful campaign to raise $12 million to build the new emergency shelter for children to replace the outdated Hillcrest Receiving Home.
The first R.J. Donovan Prison inmate/staff walkathon is held, raising $20,000 annually for abused and abandoned children. A $5 million lead campaign gift is made by Mrs. Jessie Polinsky. In honor of the gift the new shelter is named A.B. & Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center. |
1992 |
Ground is broken at the Polinsky Center site in Kearny Mesa. |
1993 |
The $12 million mark is reached in the campaign thanks to major gifts from Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities, Betsy & Doug Manchester, San Diego Padres, Skyline Wesleyan Church, Coca-Cola Company, Centex Golden Construction, Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation, the Engel Family, Weingart Foundation, Jack in the Box, Jack W. Goodall Family, St. Germaine Auxiliary and many other generous donors. |
1994 |
A.B. & Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center opens, relocating all children from the Hillcrest Receiving Home. The Center becomes a national model.
The first Irving Hughes Gift Drive is held, which now collects more than 4,000 gifts annually for abused, abandoned and neglected children. |
1995 |
The Space Matters Golf Tournament is founded, raising over $70,000 per year to help abused and neglected children. |
1996-1999 |
During this period, CAPF raised and granted $1.2 million to local agencies for treatment, therapy, shelter care and prevention services for San Diego youth. In addition, $1.2 million of in-kind support, like baby supplies and holiday gifts were distributed. |
2000 |
CAPF embarks on the campaign to raise $6 million for San Pasqual Academy, a residential high school for foster teens which opened in the fall of 2001.
Hon. Lawrence J. Irving and son, Craig Irving, host the first annual CAPF Charity Golf Classic at the San Diego Country Club raising a record $83,000 for CAPF. |
2001 |
CAPF receives $2.5 million bequest from Sunshine Brooks and establishes the Sunshine Brooks Endowment Fund to provide for the future needs of abused and at-risk children.
CAPF, KGTV/San Diego’s Channel 10 and Union Bank of California start the “Team10 Foster Fund”, a scholarship program to fund college or technical training for former foster youth in San Diego. Ten former foster youth receive nearly $43,000 in scholarship funds in the first year. San Pasqual Academy, the first of its kind residential high school for foster youth opens its doors in September. CAPF raises $6 million in the campaign, surpassing the original goal by $1 million. |
2002 |
In partnership with HomeAid San Diego and YMCA Youth & Family Services, the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation opened “Mary’s House”, North County’s first transitional living program for former foster youth. |
2003 |
Former CAPF President, Emeritus Board member and lifelong volunteer Elizabeth Lennon passes away and the Elizabeth Lennon Special Needs Fund is established by Board members.
The San Diego International Conference on child and family maltreatment presented annually by The Chadwick Center at Children’s Hospital is renamed the Annual Beth Lennon Symposium on Child Maltreatment. |
2004 |
CAPF partners with KGTV San Diego’s Channel 10 for the My Hometown Edition of Extreme Home Makeover to completely renovate the visiting area of Polinsky Children’s Center. Project donors included IKEA, Sofas 4 Less, Coles Carpet & Flooring, and Value Investment Properties. |
2005 |
CAPF assists in opening the Serenity Cottage at Polinsky Children’s Center – the newest home for Polinsky’s youngest residents, newborn to 2-3 year olds. The project was made possible thanks to gifts from Serenity Fund, Jeannie & Arthur Polinsky-Rivkin and the First 5 Commission.
The FORE KIDS! Golf Tournament celebrates its 10th Anniversary. Since 1995, the tournament has raised over $500,000 for programs and services to abused and at-risk children in San Diego County. A collaborative effort between CAPF, San Diego County Adoptions and others is initiated to help improve the process of finding warm and loving homes for foster children who cannot be reunited with their family. |
2006 |
The Foundation celebrates its 25th Anniversary of providing help and hope to San Diego’s children. CAPF has now raised over $30 million for child abuse prevention and treatment programs in San Diego County.
CAPF expands the CAPF Foster Fund and creates the Guardian Scholars Program. KFMB News 8’s Stan Miller creates the first Give Your Heart to Kids Motorcycle ride to benefit the Foundation. The event raised nearly $40,000 for CAPF and Camp Hope to support thousands of children living in the foster care system. |
2007 |
CAPF hires its first CEO, former Mayor of San Diego Hon. Susan Golding. By-laws are updated and the board becomes a policy-making board. |
2008 |
45 former foster youth receive a total of $190,000 in educational scholarships from CAPF for the 2008-2009 school year. |
2009
2010 |
The Child Abuse Prevention Foundation becomes…
Created Needs Assessment for Military Families Support Initiative. Partnered with The Rivers of Hope Foundation to create The Rivers of Hope Birthday Club. |
