Q&A With Amy Carr of the Center for Child Protection

Since it is Friday, we’d like to share a story that is a bit off track from our regular focus on process. This past weekend, Lombardi participated in the Austin Cup, a bowling tournament that benefits the local Center for Child Protection. Lombardi has experience working with non-profits in a BPM capacity, and it was nice to collaborate with the CCP outside of the office. Below is a Q&A with the CCP’s Amy Carr, who was an absolute pleasure to work with, and who has a lot of valuable information to share below.

• Tell us a little about the CCP and what the organization does. The Center for Child Protection, an accredited children’s advocacy center, is the first stop for children in Travis County who are suspected victims of sexual abuse, serious physical abuse and for children who have witnessed a violent crime. The Center is a child-friendly, specially equipped facility where children go for recorded forensic interviews, medical exams, counseling and intervention during the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. All of our services are provided to children and their protective caregivers at no charge. In 2007, the Center served more than 1,400 children and 900 adults.

• What are the ways people can help? The community has many ways to be involved to help children. They can support the Center for Child Protection by becoming a volunteer, sponsoring/ hosting a fundraising event, or making a donation on behalf of the children we serve. More information is available online at http://www.centerforchildprotection.org or call us at 512-472-1164.

• This past weekend was the annual Austin Cup. Tell us a little about the event. Thirty-eight Austin-based technology companies gathered for the 8th Annual Austin Cup Invitational Bowling Tournament on Saturday, April 26, 2008. Year after year, Austin Cup provides local, technology companies with an annual coming-together for friendly competition, family fun, and an opportunity to learn about and support the issues affecting child abuse victims in our community. Participants from each technology team (executives included) donned team bowling shirts, some with costumes. Crazy company fans were on hand, and an awards ceremony immediately followed the tournament which honored NetQos as the prestigious Austin Cup Winner, defending their reigning title from last year. Lombardi Software took The Community Cup for the third time in four years. The Community Cup is awarded to the company that raises the most money for the Center. The Austin Cup was presented by AustinVentures in partnership with Ernst & Young, Vinson & Elkins LLP, GreenBuilders, and Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas. Visit <http://www.austincup.net/> for more details.

• What does the Austin Cup mean to your organization? The Austin Cup is a wonderful event that helps raise awareness that child abuse is a community problem, and we all have an obligation to do what we can to halt the destructive cycle of abuse for the children in our community. This creative, competitive event has made a difficult issue more approachable - and allowed companies to have fun while raising money for a good cause. The Austin Cup has introduced the Center for Child Protection’s mission to companies who may not have previously been familiar with our work in the community, and these relationships have led to the recruitment of volunteers, donors and child advocates.

The Center for Child Protection will be moving in late-Spring into the new Kozmetsky Center for Child Protection building located in East Austin near Decker Lane and FM 969 (8509 FM 969, Austin, TX 78724). For more information about the Center for Child Protection, please call 512/472-1164 or visit www.centerforchildprotection.org.