A social services agency that serves children who are victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse or who have mental health issues got a big boost this month when it won the 2015 Don Perkins Community Service Grant. For more than 20 years, PRSA-LA has administered the annual $10,000 grant, created by an endowment from the late Don Perkins, a long-time Los Angeles public relations practitioner and journalist.
“My daughter has been seeing a therapist at Aviva. Aviva not only helped teach her how to control her temper and aggressive behavior, she also learned that there are better ways to deal with her anger. Aviva has been fundamental to my family and always available when we need them. The change in my daughter is amazing.” – Veronica G.
Aviva Family and Children’s Services, whose client base is 67% Latino, will use the funds to launch a six-week media campaign to increase awareness within the Latino community about the availability of mental health services. This campaign will reach out to those in the Latino community who have the ability to make a difference and de-stigmatize mental health treatment – parents, policymakers and community leaders.
Long-time PRSA-LA member Genevieve Haines, president of Haines & Co., will administer the grant on behalf of Aviva. She serves as vice chair of its Board of Directors and chairs its Public Relations Committee.
PRSA-LA presented the $10,000 check to Haines and Aviva’s President and CEO Reina Bette, LMFT at the PRism Awards Show on November 4 at The Taglyan Complex in Hollywood.
Our thanks go out to Rebecca Mikkelsen, APR, for chairing the Don Perkins Grant Committee in 2015.
Want to apply for the 2016 Don Perkins Grant?
If you know of a nonprofit organization in Southern California who would like to receive a grant to help defray costs related to their public relations activities, read more about the Grant Be sure to check the website next September, when applications will be accepted.
