There are times in life when things just seem to fall into place. For me, becoming a board member at Voce is one of those times. One day, out of the blue, I received a message from someone I’d worked with for many years about meeting to discuss Voce. One conversation led to another with Executive Director Rick Azzaro, and it was then I learned more about the mission and the great team Voce has throughout Pennsylvania working to expedite adoptions and permanency.

When it became certain Voce’s former office space would be demolished to expand the neighboring highway, it seemed fitting as a “change agent” that “imagines possibilities” we would embrace the opportunities that come with an office move. After months of planning and preparation, we moved into our new space in December 2023, marking a new era for our organization and the programs we support.

Early in January 2023, the Forum on Pennsylvania’s Children (FPaC) planning team gathered around the table once again to recap the inaugural event and envision the 2023 Forum. The objective was straightforward: convene professionals from child-serving sectors in a setting that facilitates learning and fosters connections toward healing childhood trauma. Propelled by positive feedback from the inaugural 2022 event, the team wanted to challenge trauma professionals to continue to build an understanding of trauma issues while developing mutually beneficial connections to enhance and expand their impact.

Voce Executive Director Rick Azzaro and musician/trainer Jim Donovan could be described as kindred spirits. When they first met a few years ago, they immediately connected around shared interests in music and healing from trauma. “The first time we met, we talked for three straight hours,” Rick, who is a musician himself, shared. “What I see in Jim is a sincere desire to use what he knows to help people.”

Jesse Kohler, Executive Director of the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP), will provide the keynote at Voce’s second Forum on Pennsylvania’s Children to be held November 14, 2023 at the Penn Stater Conference Center, State College. Jesse has years of experience building community and systems capacity and educating coalitions on emerging innovative practices to implement trauma-informed values.

In November, Voce will be presenting the second Forum on Pennsylvania’s Children (FPaC), a one-day event singularly focused on learning and collaborating to heal childhood trauma. Last year’s event provided a space for participants from different service systems to explore and innovate, but our work is just beginning.