The 10th Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon was once again held at the Outback Steakhouse in Lakeland on April 9, 2011 in order to honor the hard work and dedication our 500+ volunteers have invested into effectively advocating for the best interest of dependent children in court. Approximately 140 volunteers, board members, attorneys, dependency judges, and other community leaders and advocates were in attendance for this event, and special guest speakers included Senator Paula Dockery and the Honorable Harvey A. Kornstein, Administrative Dependency Judge for the 10th Circuit. These two individuals commended the perseverance of the volunteers of our program, who usually work anonymously behind the scenes to make sure their assigned children are being taken care of regardless of their situation, and reminded everyone to never lose sight of the true mission of the organization’s cause. Both Senator Dockery and Judge Kornstein moved the crowd with their powerful words, and this program cannot thank them enough for their continued support of the GAL Program.

The Guardian Ad Litem Program would also like to thank Ursula Cordero, Proprietor, and Outback Steakhouse for providing lunch for the volunteers. Their continued support of the Guardian Ad Litem Program is appreciated. Moreover, all of the GAL staff would like to thank every volunteer for their time, hard work, dedication, and perseverance on behalf of dependent children within our circuit, and additional thanks and recognition is due to those volunteers who have accepted extra responsibilities as members of the Peer Mentors, Recruitment & Retainment Board, Training Committee, Newsletter Committee, Christmas Gift Committee, & office assistants.

Our program could not and would not exist without all of our volunteers. We are in debt to you, and our dependent children appreciate you more than words can say. Thank you for all your efforts day in and day out! Yay, GAL volunteers!