The Gabe W. Miller Memorial Foundation designates one day each year as its National Day Of Service and Remembrancesm. This day is a means to pay tribute to Gabe and his efforts in the delivery of social services. The designated date for 2011 was Sunday, August 21.
The Gabe W. Miller Memorial Foundation has only one fund raising event, the Annual Celebration of Life Dinner, held on a Saturday night before Thanksgiving each year, in 2011 it was held on November 5.
Continuing in 2010 is the Foundation's focus on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This condition has been brought to the forefront of public awareness by the plight of returning war veterans, but is also documented in victimes of domestice violence, violent crime and other conditions.
On October 20, 2006 Louie, the Foundation's "cover dog" and Gabe's "best friend", passed away from metastasized cancer. He was alert, lucid, and affectionate all the way through the sedative's taking effect. As far as we can tell he did not suffer.
Whitney Welsh, an Advocacy, Leadership and Social Change MSW student at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) School of Social Work, is driven by hands on personal involvement. Her Peace Corps work in Cape Verde focused on youth development by leadership workshops and life skills training, as well as establishing alcohol/drug prevention and intervention programs.
Jana Hernandez, a dual degree student (MS, this year, in child development at The Erikson Institute) and MSW at Loyola University Chicago is already well experienced through her field placements and internships, providing therapy and assessment services to children and their families.
Lauren Higbee, a second year MSW student at University of Illinois Chicago/Jane Addams College of Social Work, has a strong commitment to social justice as evidenced by her research as an undergraduate at Syracuse University on environmental justice and at Jane Addams on CHA's tenancy policies, especially the 90 days or out substance abuse "cure" limit, recently rescinded.
Started in 1982 as a resource for families of muscular dystrophy afflicted children, the force of will of Founder Alyce Morrison Winston, Jeffrey's Mother, has propelled this institution from a $60,000 annual budget to a $1,000,000 + annual budget that has served over 10,000 children with all varieties of developmental disabilities, and their parents. So good at what it does, The Jeffrey Foundation now provides Head Start and day care services for beneficiaries of the City and County of Los Angeles.