2021 Super Hero Honorees

The My Stuff Bags Foundation provides new belongings, comfort and hope to thousands of children each year who must be rescued from abuse, neglect, abandonment, and homelessness across the United States. My Stuff Bags’ generosity and partnership with the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) has been critical to our success and ability to provide gifts to the children that we serve. Over the last 3 years, My Stuff Bags has provided well over 1000 bags to our Center.

Forensic Nurse Specialists’ dedication and partnership with the CAC multidisciplinary team has been critical to our success. We are grateful for FNS’ amazing nurses who provide 24/7 sensitive and thorough forensic medical exams of children. FNS has shown consistent leadership and dedication to empowering the youngest crime victims. Their nurses have provided numerous informative training to our MDT, which has helped countless detectives, social workers, prosecutors and CAC staff members. It was FNS who provided the space to open our satellite office in Los Alamitos. The CAC was only able to assist children and families at the beginning of the pandemic because of the Los Alamitos satellite office and staff. FNS has also been a generous sponsor of the Gala for several years.

2020 Honorees

Dr. Tom D. Lyon

Thomas D. Lyon is a recognized leader in the field of child forensic interviews. He is a professor of Evidence, Law, Psychology and Child Forensic Interviewing at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Tom oversees the USC Child Interviewing Lab and Mobile Center which focuses on the maltreatment of children and identifies ways of encouraging children to provide truthful information about abuse, with higher accuracy and reduced trauma to the child. The Lab conducts cutting-edge research on child witness testimony and is one of the only labs in the country to conduct research and forensic interviews in this field of study. His research is published in law reviews, psychology journals and books.

Deputy District Attorney, Kelsey McKeever-Unger

Kelsey McKeever-Unger is a prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Kelsey is currently assigned to the Pomona Courthouse in their Victim Impact Program (V.I.P.) which focuses predominately on child abuse, domestic violence, and sex crimes. She has a formidable record, having prosecuted hundreds of felony matters including a recent murder conviction for a man who murdered his in-laws and a horrendous child sexual abuse case involving 6 victims. She is a strong advocate for victims’ rights and always achieves justice by doing what is right. She is an avid LA Kings hockey fan and is originally from the San Francisco area.

The Masonic Homes of California has provided continuous support of the children and families who come to the CAC. The Masonic Homes of California was created over 100 years ago to shelter and provide care to widows and children. In 2014, the Masonic Homes of California agreed to provide a home on its campus to the CAC.

The Masonic Center for Youth and Families offers therapeutic services for children, adolescents, young adults, and their families through family-centered, integrated mental health services. Since 2017, they have provided individual, family, and group therapies to the children and families that come to the CAC in addition to serving all families in our community.