Email
Text SizeFirst Lady's Our Children Campaign
Georgia's Children
Consider these numbers: Every 30 minutes, a child is the victim of abuse in Georgia. As of July 2003, 14,481 children were in state custody; of these, 7,925 were in family foster care, 1,312 were in group homes, and 657 were in special settings because of serious emotional problems. As of July 2003, there were 2,366 children in the legal custody of the Department of Human Resources with a permanency plan of adoption.
A Personal Mission
From raising her own four children to providing a foster home for infants to teaching in public schools and at her church, Mary Perdue has dedicated much of her time to improving the lives of children. As First Lady, Mary Perdue has decided to focus on helping Georgia's children in state custody through the Our Children Campaign. The ultimate goal of the Our Children Campaign is to spur a new era of collaboration among Georgia's many communities - individuals, corporations, organizations, foundations and faith-based communities, and to increase the level of volunteerism on behalf of Georgia's children around the state.
A Time To Come Together
In August 2003, Mary Perdue launched the Our Children Campaign with the First Lady of Georgia's Summit on Our Children, a statewide event designed to energize community resources on behalf of Georgia's children in state custody. In August 2004, the First Lady will again host a Summit to continue to build community support. The Summit will focus on four key areas:
Your Chance To Contribute
On this website, you will find a directory of volunteer opportunities in each of these four areas. In addition, you can call 1-866-786-6661 to find out how you can get involved with Georgia's abused and neglected children. If you have any questions about the First Lady's Our Children Campaign, please email childsummit@gov.state.ga.us.
First Lady Mary Perdue hopes that you will join in her mission to improve the lives of Georgia's children.