At the request of a friend, Juli Boeheim took a tour of the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Site on Onondaga Boulevard in Syracuse and recognized the need for an expanded facility. She immediately offered not only her time and effort but Jim’s as well. They believed that the mission of the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Site blended very well with the mission of the Boeheim Foundation.
Because of her interest in the welfare of children, her educational background, and her and Jim’s work with children in need throughout Central New York, Juli graciously agreed to become an honorary chair for McMahon/Ryan’s Capital Campaign. In addition to giving of her time, the Boeheim Foundation made one of the first donations to the Capital Campaign and followed this with a personal donation as well.
Since its founding over 12 years ago, McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center has provided critical services to physically & sexually abused victims from a 3,000 square foot home. Not only has McMahon/Ryan achieved initial goals in meeting a critical community need but has grown significantly by expanding its role by serving as the host location for other collaborating agencies that provide services to the abused. Compounding the expanded role is national and local data that demonstrates a growing epidemic.
- 1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 6 boys will experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 18.
- In 2010 alone, there were over 5,000 child abuse reports to the child abuse hot line representing approximately 9,000 children who were suspected victims of abuse in Onondaga County.
As a result of the expanded role and services that McMahon/Ryan plays and evidenced by the positive impact of collaborations and increase in reported child abuse cases, the best solution to the growing needs in Onondaga County was to establish an accredited Child Advocacy Center. This expanded center became a reality in the summer of 2011 as the Child Advocacy site relocated to a larger, more usable center on East Genesee Street in Syracuse, New York.
For more information about the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center please visit
www.mcmahonryan.org
Read the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Site news bulletin