Got TRUTH? Our Children: 2008 Truth Tour November 19, 2008
As sounds of the Eden's Fill band filled the campus air, lead singer Barry Epperson stepped to the microphone and shouted, "Hello FSU, welcome to the Children's Campaign Truth Tour Live: Steppin' Up for Kids Event. We're here to support their work as the statewide watchdog for Florida's children. The Truth Tour is telling it like it is!"
Aimed at educating students and young adults about the growing crisis facing Florida's youngest citizens, the event was sponsored by Florida State University Student Government and Children's Campaign, Inc. in partnership with Voices for America's Children and Every Child Matters (need a link here), two Washington, D.C. based advocacy organizations. It is part of a statewide tour promoting citizen engagement and calling attention to the impact of state policies and decision-making on the healthand well-being of children.
FSU Truth Tour Live joined community events held in Miami, Orlando and Gainesville. Upcoming events will take place in Brevard County, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Tampa and the Big Bend area. 
In Orlando, Mayor Buddy Dyer kicked off the town hall meeting with a video on Orange T.V., broadcast throughout the Orange County television market. Held in partnership with The Howard Phillips Center for Children and Families and sponsored by the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation and Winter Park Health Foundation, the event focused on the Campaign's 5 Promises and their impact on child abuse prevention and treatment. In Gainesville, Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan welcomed an impressive audience of the area's top community leaders and advocates brought together by local sponsor United Way of North Central Florida thanks in large part to the leadership of Tom Barnes.
The Truth Tour video has been shown at each stop since its premiere on the campus of the University of Miami at an event held in partnership with the UM Department of Education and sponsored by the Health Foundation of South Florida, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, and National Council of Jewish Woman - Miami-Dade Chapter. Each event has featured first-hand accounts, a question and answer session, and materials exposing the impact of recent and anticipated state budget cuts to children's services.
The urgency to address the funding crisis impacting our children has never been greater. In just one year, Florida dropped three slots in the national Kids Count ranking according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Released in June 2008, Kids Count compared states by infant mortality, teen births, high-school dropouts and other critical indicators. Florida now is ranked 35th overall, falling to the bottom third of our nation's states.
Bringing college students into the public policy debate was the brainchild of Children's Campaign Technology Intern, Yaniv Levy. "We students have a very important role to play in shaping the public policy of children." Levy said. "Students are in a state of transition from childhood to adulthood and have first-hand experience dealing with the current state of child well-being as well as the possibility of becoming parents themselves." Join our: MySpace - Facebook
Florida Governor Charlie Crist was represented by Deputy Chief of Staff Lori Sellers Rowe and Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary George Sheldon, who praised the students for their recent voter participation and encouraging them to stay engaged in public policy.
Among the giveaways were dozens of customized Children's Campaign fortune cookies. On stage, band member Epperson broke open one of the cookies and read aloud: "A dollar invested to help a child is seven dollars saved to protect a nation."
"Wow", he exclaimed, "what are we waiting for?"
His rhetorical question reverberated through the crowd in the late afternoon chill as a band broke into a rendition of the Beatles classic hit, "Let it Be." The students nodded their heads to the melody of the famous words, "There will be an answer... let it be, let it be."
May these words of wisdom ring true with our policymakers.
All educational materials and the video "Our Children: Florida's Future" are available for download and viewing at the Children's Campaign website www.iamforkids.org.
From left to right: Roy Miller, President of Children's Campaign, Inc.; Cassandra Jenkins, Community Volunteer; Dick Batchelor; Members of Florida KidCare.