Skip to main content

Upcoming gala funds CJC

The Friends of the Weber/Morgan Children’s Justice Center (CJC) holds an annual fundraising dinner and auction gala called Starry Night. The theme this year is Luau Under the Stars. The event is planned for Saturday, May 6, at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center. This lively luau will feature drum performances by the Ogden Buddhist Taiko group. CJC is actively seeking sponsors, donors and participants for this gala. For events, tickets and other general information, visit cjcogden.org, email [email protected] or call 801-778-6268.

CJC feels a duty to protect the innocence of youth. “What would you do if a child you care about tells you something you never expected to hear? Imagine if a child told you that they don’t feel safe anymore because someone they love, someone they trusted, did the unthinkable.” It is estimated that one in every four girls and one in every six boys will be abused before they turn 18. Nearly all of them know their abuser because it is a friend, a relative, a neighbor, etc. Thirty-two years ago, the Weber/Morgan Children’s Justice Center was founded to serve victims of child abuse.

The organization is housed in one of Ogden’s historic homes. The focus of the CJC is to provide a safe, friendly place where victims of child abuse and non-offending guardians receive services and meet with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals specially trained to investigate crimes against children. The CJC brings together partners from child protection services, law enforcement, medical and mental health providers, advocates and prosecutors who share resources and work collaboratively with the child’s needs central to their work. They seek to reduce secondary trauma that children can experience during the investigation process of the criminal justice system. Hundreds of children are seen annually through referrals from law enforcement, child protective services or medical providers. All services are provided free of charge.

This is a year of change for the Weber/Morgan CJC. With a growing caseload and limited facilities, they have struggled to meet the needs of the number of children who require their services. They are currently in the process of constructing a larger facility in partnership with Weber County. The Friends Board would like to thank all the donors and agencies who are helping to make this possible.

From the beginning, the CJC has been funded through a combination of state, local and federal funding. In addition, the Friends of the Weber/Morgan Children’s Justice Center, a private 501c3 non-profit, raises funds to provide a child-friendly, comfortable environment designed to reduce victim trauma during child abuse investigations. The non-profit owns and maintains the facility and offers program and training support for their care providers that would be unavailable through government agencies. The Starry Night Gala is their primary fundraising event, providing the budget for operating expenses such as facility maintenance, training and comfort measures for their patrons each year. λ

Subscribe to the Morgan County News