Trudy’s House
Last year, Just For Kids realized our dream of providing a safe and welcoming space for children and their families by relocating to our new Headquarters in Raleigh County – Trudy’s House. Trudy Laurenson, a former Assistant Director of Just For Kids, was a pioneer in both the Child Advocacy Center and Domestic Violence Movements in West Virginia.
Trudy Laurenson
(1938 – 2021)
On July 2, 2021, Trudy Laurenson passed away at the age of 83 in Lewisburg, WV. Trudy worked at Just For Kids as the Assistant Director and was a driving force in family advocacy. Under her leadership, she opened the first Child Advocacy Center in Greenbrier County. She was instrumental in establishing the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network, which now supports 21 CACs across the State. Her dream was to create a work environment that supports the best outcomes for children.
Honoring Her Legacy
The Just For Kids Board and Staff all recognize the importance of a safe and comfortable place for children to receive support. Trudy’s dream was to have a house where children and their families could come, be set at ease, and be supported through the trauma and challenges they face. We are working to create this space to honor Trudy’s memory.
Just for Kids has named our new headquarters “Trudy’s House” in honor of Trudy Laurenson. Trudy was instrumental in making Just For Kids what it is today. She was one of the founders of child advocacy in the state of West Virginia, and we were privileged to work with her and benefit from her knowledge, guidance, insight, and warmth.
Our new home is welcoming to all who need us: full of sunlight for the children, large enough for multidisciplinary team members to observe interviews, waiting rooms for the counseling we offer at no cost to the family, and room for our entire staff. It also provides a garden patio for a needed break or a counseling session, an intimate patio for quiet reflection or conversation, and an open-air deck to breathe for a minute to help reduce the stress of what we do. Some of the children have felt comfortable enough to ask to sit outside with the counselor. Much of the house is in minor disrepair, as it has been neglected for years.
It is our hope that with your help, Trudy’s House will endure as a shining, fearless beacon of hope for children who have been abused.
