Page 37 - Dr Pamela Peeke

Rana Sampson, wife of San Diego
Mayor Jerry Sanders, has been
one of the biggest supporters of
San Diego Center for Children.
Rana was gracious enough to take
time out of her busy schedule to
show me around the facility and tell
me about some of the wonderful
accomplishments of their program.
Rana has been involved with
SDCC for about three years as a
volunteer and recently accepted
the position of Director of Develop-
ment for the Center over this time
period has witnessed some of the
miracles that have occurred due
to the hard work and dedication of
the staff and volunteers. It is the
hard work and financial support
from many dedicated volunteers
and patrons in the community that has allowed San Diego Woman
San Diego Center for Children to survive and
flourish. Anne Newbury, a close friend of San
Diego Woman Magazine, is one of these gra-
cious supporters who introduced me to the 37
wonderful work done through this charity. The
San Diego Center for Children offers hope to
children and adolescents who are suffering from
mental health problems and emotional or be-
havioral problems that are often hard to see, let
alone understand. These are children who were
either born with problems or have been through
traumatic events that have significantly affected
their lives. The children at SDCC know what it startled and saddened imagining the tough life this young girl
feels like to confront such challenges, and with the help of must have endured not having any contact with her mom for
the dedicated and caring professionals, how to triumph over 10 years: A thought that truly touches the hearts and minds
them. These are children who have lived without having of all Moms out there.
even their basic needs met, many are without families. Rana The highly-skilled team of dedicated professionals at SDCC
relayed a story to me of being in the administration office knows how to reverse destructive behavior and restore a
awaiting an appointment with an administrator and overhear- child or adolescents greatest hope – to regain a healthy and
ing a conversation between a teenage girl and a woman normal life complete with family, friends, school, and routine.
who (she supposed) was her mother. As the conversation When these children don’t get the help they need at the
progressed it became apparent that the woman was not her earliest possible opportunity in their development, they are at
greater risk of becoming just another long-term statistic in the
mom. In the midst of the conversation she asked the older social services or the juvenile court system or even worse, a
woman if she would take a picture of her since her mom had casualty of the streets. At SDCC their main focus is to heal
asked for a picture to see how she had grown since she had the hearts and minds of children, adolescents, their families
not seen her for over ten years. Rana admits that she was and care givers.
Issue 2, 2009