Spotlight | Graci’s Dream

By Christy Pessemier | December 2023

---

“I feel so blessed every morning when I wake up that I have this amazing calling. It gives me joyful purpose.”

– Graci McGillicuddy

There are battles in life well worth fighting for, and in our town, there is no better fighter than Graci McGillicuddy.  For decades, she has fought the good fight for those without the voice or power to protect themselves—our precious children.  

It all started in 1986 when Graci read about the death of 18-month-old Shannon Nicole Cook, who was savagely abused and brutally beaten to death by her mother and stepfather. Their heinous acts and the grief Graci felt imagining the terror, pain, and helplessness this poor baby must have felt, greatly affected Graci both physically and emotionally. She knew she must do something. 

That “something” turned into a 37-year and counting crusade of ending the intergenerational cycle of child abuse and preventing what happed to Shannon Nicole from happening to another child. 

THE EARLY YEARS

In 1980, the Child Protection Center of Sarasota was formed to address child abuse intervention. When the horrors of the Shannon Nicole story rocked our state in 1986, the ways in which child abuse were handled then were not fully understood or necessarily handled as effectively as it could have been. In addition to physical abuse, sexual abuse of children was also on the rise. There was a lot to learn and a lot to do.

One thing was certain. The Child Protection Center’s goals were in alignment with Graci’s mission to become a child advocate for children like Shannon Nicole. Graci met with Dr. Hal Hedley who was CEO at Child Protection Center at the time. He explained what CPC did and she knew she wanted to help.  Graci would become a major force behind this organization and ultimately become its biggest champion.  

Now, several decades later, with the financial and leadership help of Graci, along with a team of top experts, the Child Protection Center (CPC) serves not only as a refuge for abused children, but as a center that addresses the prevention, intervention, and treatment healing needed for the children and families it serves. 

TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE

In 2008, with a large lead gift, Graci led a $6 million capital campaign to build a new CPC campus that would become a complete, larger, and more effective center for CPC.  In May 2010, the new CPC Child Advocacy Center on Orange Avenue was realized.  

During the dedication ceremony for the Center, Graci gave an emotional speech and dedicated the new Center in memory of Shannon Nicole. She then released 60 butterflies into the air—a symbol of the transformation a survivor goes through. One of the butterflies landed on Graci’s cheek as a photo was taken.  She called it “a kiss from Shannon Nicole.”  It was a moment those in attendance would never forget. 

In the lobby of Sarasota’s Child Protection Center, displayed alongside a picture of Graci with a butterfly on her cheek, are these words:

“A tiny girl died alone, abused by the hands of her merciless parents. The story of her dark death caused a shudder in those who read about it in the daily newspaper.  The paper released the toddler’s tender name. Shannon Nicole.  And although this abandoned 18-month-old baby saw no light in her little life, her story would not end.”

CPC’s Child Advocacy Center, which could not have happened without the dreams, dedication, and vision of Graci McGillicuddy, now has centers in Sarasota, North Port, and Arcadia. CPC is a true beacon of hope for our most vulnerable children.  

The current CEO of CPC, Doug Staley says it best: “I have been blessed to work with Graci for almost 29 years,” Staley said. “She is the architect that strengthened the CPC and her voice brought attention to an issue that could no longer be ignored.”

CPC Vice President of Philanthropy Sheila Miller is also so grateful for Graci.  “Graci not only lights up the room when she enters it, but she has brightened the world of hundreds of children and adults. Her mind is always running on how we can make life better for vulnerable children, and how we can stop child abuse,” she said.

Graci is a big believer in if you see something, say something.  She would love to transform how people feel and care about their children and for people to know reports can be anonymous.  She points out that people are quick to call out a person beating a dog, but just walk by when they see a parent abusing a child. 

Thanks to the vision of one woman who worked tirelessly to protect children, CPC continues to do transformational work to achieve its mission: “We envision a community where children are safe from abuse and free to thrive.”

But Graci was far from done. She knew from her decades long first-hand experience of working with CPC, with other nonprofits and children’s shelters, and with local, state, and federal officials that foster care was ineffective and potentially harmful to children.  There was much more to do. 

BUILDING A NEW MODEL FOR FOSTER CARE

“Adverse childhood experiences (trauma) are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today.” 

Dr. Robert Block, Former President of the American Academy of Pediatrics 

Graci understood all too well why Dr. Block would make this statement.  

Once a child is abused, foster care agencies struggle to find homes in an already overcrowded system. Siblings are often separated which deepens the trauma, and extended family and foster parents are not properly trained nor do they have the tools or support to help heal the children.  The child’s trauma manifests in various ways and they may be moved from foster home to foster home.  They never heal and many turn to criminal behavior, drug abuse and violence.

Graci’s dream was to create a safe place for children who have experienced early childhood trauma, to be loved, nurtured and healed. A happy place where children could benefit from science-based, trauma-informed care in a safe and a secure environment. She understood that dedicated foster parents are the heart and soul of a child’s recovery. She wanted to create the gold standard for trauma informed care through innovation, science and compassion and her dream was about to become a reality. 

“Imagine being taken from your home in the middle of the night, your parents under arrest.  Your life changed in an instant. There is fear, loneliness, sadness.  Left untreated, the trauma you experienced will likely lead to a life of criminality and violence. All Star is a refuge for these children—a place where healing occurs, hope is restored, and spirits are renewed.”

Graci McGillicuddy

In 2005, Graci with a group of committed child advocates, created the All Star Children’s Foundation (ASCF) to raise money for organizations that worked to prevent and treat child abuse. With the economy in a downturn in 2008 and after all funds raised through the Foundation were distributed, Graci kept this 501c3 active with the notion of using it as a pathway to her foster care dream. In 2015, with another huge gift, she launched a $22 million capital campaign for All Star Children’s Foundation. With Graci’s lead gift, passion, and hard work, and with the support of other generous donors and partners, the All Star Children’s Foundation Campus of Hope and Healing opened in November 2021.  

The 5-acre state-of-the-art campus provides children with a place designed to heal, empower, and inspire. Children from birth through age 18 receive trauma-informed treatment in a setting where they can thrive, where they can experience unconditional love and where the course of their lives will be forever changed.  The Campus includes a 13,000 sq ft. pediatric mental health treatment & research center, six licensed foster homes as well as a clubhouse, playgrounds and more.

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

From dream to fruition, Graci was hands on from day one.

“Graci designed every square inch of this campus,” ASCF CEO Denise Marzullo said.  “Coming here, you just feel this place is special.”

According to Marzullo, the impact of ASCF’s building and the feeling the staff provides is immense. “What’s so great about this campus is that everyone who walks through the door feels special, especially the children.  At one of the lowest times of their lives, when they’ve just been removed from their parents, they get to come to a place that’s beautiful, that feels warm and comforting. It makes one of the worst days of their life just a little bit better.”

Graci is thrilled to have Marzullo on board as All Star CEO noting that her love of children, along with her expertise, education, and vision from a variety of perspectives will help take All Star to new levels.  

As an executive and leader, Marzullo most recently served as the President and CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Duval in Jacksonville. Prior to that role, she served as an adjunct psychology professor at Barry University and was President & CEO of Mental Health America of Northeast Florida where she led a statewide mental health advocacy initiative. 

 “What brought me to All Star was knowing the mission of the organization is to not only impact the children here locally, but to share best practices in trauma-informed care that can transform the child welfare system,” Marzullo said. “We work closely with our elected officials to identify how the system can be improved and how extra funding could directly change the life of a child.” 

In 2018, Dr. Kristen Hoffman joined the psychology department at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital as Director of Trauma Psychology. As part of this role, she collaborated with All Star on program innovation, evidence-based practice, and research, and worked closely with the All Star team to identify, develop, and implement cutting-edge approaches to foster parent training and development, biological family engagement, clinical services, and trauma-informed care. Dr. Hoffman was so inspired by the All Star mission and vision, she joined All Star as its Chief of Programs in 2020. 

Dr. Hoffman oversees six core programs for All Star. These include Trauma Screening & Assessment, Evidence-Based Mental Health Interventions, Foster Parent Support, Birth Family Engagement, Trauma Training, Trauma-Informed Systems, and Enrichment Programs. 

All Star’s internal research team examines the impact of each of these six core programs and how they affect child development over time. Their approach to the research models allows All Star to draw conclusions about how innovative programs and multidisciplinary components provide meaningful impact for children and families served by the child welfare system and to share that information in a meaningful way.  

These programs are where they are today because Graci insisted on finding a way, despite many roadblocks and dead ends over many years. Initially, she tried to fix the foster care system, but realized she wasn’t getting anywhere. As Graci points out, “If you can’t fix it, create a new one!”

All Star is becoming the face of model foster care and Graci hopes to replicate its treatment model throughout the country and ultimately transform the child welfare system. The Foundation supports these efforts by creating a national policy council that will take what is learned on the All Star campus and advocate at the federal and state level to infuse trauma-informed care into foster care systems across the country. 

The ripple effect of the work being done at All Star has already made a significant impact on mental health practices, on how we work with law enforcement and the criminal justice system, and even our school system. Teachers are now notified when a child is removed from a home, enabling them to understand what a child is going through.

Though Graci is thrilled with how far they’ve come and the work they’ve done, she has an immense driving force to expand Campus services and programs even more. 

SHARE THE DREAM

The Florida Senate recognized Graci’s tireless work on behalf of children with its “Spirit of Service” Award, the highest honor bestowed on civilians.  But she can’t bring back the light in children’s eyes alone. There’s much more work to be done.

Your help is critical to the children and foster parents All Star serves and for the future of All Star.  Please fight this important fight with Graci. Help make Graci’s dream your dream and forever change the life of a child.  

“Take a tour and witness for yourself the transformational power of our All Star Campus, a place where healing occurs, hope is restored, and spirits are renewed!”

– Graci McGillicuddy

To learn how you can help with Graci’s dream, visit  AllStarChildren.org or call Stephen Fancher, Chief Development Officer, at 941-217-6503.