Family Centers' Board Member and Staffer Named Family Champions

Family Centers’ board member Susan Yonce and staff member Lauren Tierney were recognized as “Family Champions” by the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies (CCFSA) for their outstanding commitment to improving the lives of families. 

At a ceremony held at the Lawn Club in New Haven on June 2, the CCFSA honored Yonce, Tierney and 28 other human services professionals and volunteers whose unselfish actions have strengthened families in Connecticut. 

Since joining Family Centers’ Board of Directors in 2010, Yonce, of Greenwich, has displayed an unfailing dedication to the children and families living in lower Fairfield County.  She has been a driving force behind the planning and execution of the agency’s special events.  Yonce has served as a co-chair of three Family Centers’ annual benefits, which have collectively raised more than $2.1 million to the support the agency’s health, human service and education programs.   She has also co-chaired two successful luncheon fundraisers to benefit the bereavement and critical illness support offered by Family Centers’ Center for HOPE and The Den for Grieving Kids programs.  She is also serving as Family Centers’ current Board Secretary. 

For a number of years, Yonce has also served as a volunteer facilitator with The Den for Grieving Kids.  During that time, Susan led specialized support groups to help children and their families cope with the loss of a loved one. 

As a program coordinator for the Stamford CARES program, Tierney, of Stamford, is a visible proponent for healthcare and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS in the greater Stamford community.  In addition to providing Early Intervention Services, Tierney coordinates program activities and initiatives to help strengthen her work, the community safety net and the many families she has touched already in her time here.  Her passion, dedication and enthusiasm are so readily apparent to her peers, clients, and anyone who meets her.

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 3,000 professionals and trained volunteers work together to provide a wide range of responsive, innovative programs. A United Way, Community Fund of Darien and New Canaan Community Foundation partner agency, Family Centers is a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies and the Alliance for Children and Families and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Departments of Public Health and Children and Families.

Visit www.familycenters.org or www.facebook.com/familycentersinc for additional information.