At this second annual event we honored nine social workers for their dedication to supporting families across North Carolina.
On April 26, 2024 the Institute for Family celebrated social workers for their dedication and commitment to supporting families across North Carolina at the 2024 Family Champion Awards. Held in Uptown Charlotte at The Duke Endowment, this luncheon event showcased the extraordinary dedication of professionals and advocates who are the unsung heroes of communities. In a vibrant atmosphere filled with esteemed guests, including child welfare professionals, advocates, elected officials, and influential community leaders, the afternoon resonated with an electrifying energy.
Uplifting and Empowering Advocates to Champion Families
Upon registration, we asked “what does family well-being mean to you?” 68 guests contributed their unique understandings of what the concept meant to them. See the word cloud in this article to see a visual summary of these responses. Some written responses we received were:
- “Where a family is a unit and as individuals experience healthy bonds, support, care, safety, and love.”
- “Family well-being means ensuring that the needs of the entire family are met including housing, safety, physical, mental, and emotional health, as well as educational needs.”
- “It is the root and the foundation to life as we know it.”
Through the responses, the themes of resilience, unity, access to resources and support, safety, love and happiness, and health pieced together the mosaic of what family well-being means. Guest responses varied, but one throughline emerged: family well-being is a multifaceted concept.
Family well-being encompasses safety, health, and support for all members, ensuring physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs are met. It involves resilience, togetherness, and access to resources for growth and stability. It’s about nurturing strong relationships, open communication, and creating a safe environment where each member feels loved, supported, and empowered.
The Institute for Family recognizes social workers are a significant player in creating those environments. Too often, advocates and professionals dedicated to serving families are overlooked, yet their impact is everlasting and vital to community success.
Keynote speaker Victor Armstrong, MSW, Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, prompted the audience to think about our impact on the personal stories of those we encounter. Victor highlighted how not only social workers, but everyone possess influence to play a pivotal role in someone’s story. Learn more about Victor and his thoughts on being champions for families in our special video interview with him prior to the event.
Claudia Perry, Director of the Institute for Family emphasized the impact of adding light to the stories of those around us. In her speech before announcing the 2024 Family Champion Award winners, she shared examples of how the winners showed up for families—all of which are insights shared from peers who nominated the winners.
“A small town is a food desert and lacks fresh produce. A social worker took note and strategized to connect residents to resources.
A young mother who had recently migrated from Mexico to North Carolina was struggling to find work. She needed resources and support. A social worker helped to find diapers and a crib for her baby, who had been sleeping on the floor.
A 31-Year-old mom is dying and in hospice care. She has three children, the youngest of them is only 2 years old. A social worker helped them formulate a plan for how to live after their mother is gone.
9 siblings ranging from newborn to 16 need a safe space to repair their lives and heal from trauma. A social worker helped them find permanent and loving homes.
A child who is the victim of physical abuse. A dad still suffering from his own childhood trauma. A social worker helped that child achieve safety and get on the path to emotional recovery. That same social worker helped the father seek treatment to begin healing from his childhood trauma.
A mother battling substance abuse that prevents her from actively parenting her child. A social worker provides the nonjudgmental support she needs to get back to sobriety.
Whether it’s providing a healthy and safe space for clients to feel at home; or motivating and supporting colleagues by always offering a smile and inspiring staff to be the best versions of themselves.
Or co-facilitating a weekly group at KinderMourn, supporting grieving parents and connecting them with one another.
All of these are the actions of today’s family champions. In the words of their nominators,” said Claudia.
Check out Shine on North Carolina: Embracing Family Narratives storytelling campaign.
Meet the 2024 Family Champion Award winners
During the luncheon awards ceremony nine exceptional individuals were awarded and hailed as Family Champions. Over 20 nominations were collected February through March 2023 and were reviewed through a scoring process by a panel of judges. The awardees were identified as going to unparalleled lengths to maintain the sanctity of family well-being in North Carolina communities. To learn more about the winners, click their names listed below to read their biography.
Amy Gunter, Medical Social Worker, Medi Home Hospice
Kielana Ham, Street Outreach Resource Coordinator, Ripple Effect Group
Roger Suclupe, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Assistant Professor, UNC Charlotte
Angel L. Thomas, MSW, LCSWA, LCAS-A, Director of Mental Health, Partners in Learning
When asked what receiving the 2024 Family Champion Award meant to each recipient, the awardees communicated feeling overwhelmingly honored and grateful.
“I have been humbled to realize where my passion and purpose have collided. Being rooted in such a selfless field has granted me the fulfillment that promotes the change I desire to see in the world around me,” says Angel.
Roger remarked the award wouldn’t have been made possible without his own Family Champions. “Helping and supporting others was modeled for me by my parents,” says Roger. “Although we did not have a lot, my parents always found a way to help family members and friends. I’ve tried my best over the years to make sure I honor their legacy and extend a helping hand to all who seek it. I dedicate this award and recognition to my dear mother, Norma Dina Suclupe, who passed away March 8, 2021, due to COVID.”
Through true dedication, winner Patricia said she will “continue to be a representative of all the social workers that are working to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in our community.”
“It’s an honor to be recognized by my peers,” says Steven. “This field requires dedication, hard work, and passion along with a multidisciplinary team to make a positive impact.”
As Brene Brown fittingly said, “compassion is not a virtue—it is a commitment.” We extend our gratitude to every social worker and family advocate in North Carolina who exemplifies this commitment daily.
Unveiling New Initiatives to Support Family Well-being
The 2024 Family Champion Awards not only celebrated the achievements of exceptional individuals but also served as a rallying cry—a call for more champions to join the noble cause. It was a call to action—a call to stand alongside families and peers to champion the cause of family well-being, and to create a future where every family thrives.
Following Victor’s relatable and inspirational speech, Titus Hopper shared the importance of having and being a family champion. He reflected on the story he shared in the Shine on North Carolina: Embracing Family Narrative storytelling campaign and how many positive parts of his life occurred thanks to the support and guidance of his village of family champions.
The speakers were followed by the Institute’s team members speaking about the work the Institute has been doing to demystify child welfare topics in the Light Lab, provide holistic trainings in the Institute for Family Center for Learning, and the essential conversations occurring on the Seen Out Loud Podcast. The Institute also used the event to announce the launch of the Shine on North Carolina campaign and the Institute for Family Nexus Dashboard.
Learn more about these projects and hear Titus’ story as featured in the Shine on North Carolina campaign in this short video previewing Institute for Family projects supporting family well-being across the state.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to The Duke Endowment for graciously hosting our Family Champion Awards at their stunning facility, as well as to the exceptional catering staff at Catering by Cordrè for the delicious meal, and Carolina Balloon Bar for adding charm to the event with their elegant decorations. We’re immensely grateful to all who joined us amidst their busy schedules.
Event Photos
