Palm Beach County Resident Connie Siskowski selected as a 2012 CNN Heroes Top Ten!

Sept. 25, 2012 - PRLog -- Connie Siskowski, RN, PhD the President and Founder of the American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) and its Palm Beach County Caregiving Youth Project (CYP) has been named one of CNN Heroes Top Ten for 2012 and will receive a $50,000 grant to further her work.  Voting for the 2012 CNN Heroes Top Hero is now open online, and the Palm Beach County resident has the opportunity to be awarded $250,000 at the special CNN Heroes ceremony on December 2, 2012 where one hero will be named “CNN Hero of the Year”.  Siskowski was among more than 10,000 nominations received this year by the CNN Heroes program.

“Every online vote for me by email or Facebook makes us one step closer to reaching the goal for the children of AACY,” said Siskowski.  The award would make it possible for AACY to receive the significant dollars needed to ensure that more child caregivers locally and nationally will be recognized, valued and supported.  

The services provided by Siskowski and her team are for children who care for family members who are chronically-ill or disabled.  It extends to both students and their families for all the secondary school years. AACY’s comprehensive, needs-driven support services assist children in-and-out of school and at home. Locally, the work is in partnership with The School District of Palm Beach County. “It takes the systems of healthcare, education and the community – body, mind and spirit – to form a strong foundation of services for youth and their families who are impacted by a myriad of health conditions” continued Siskowski.

Siskowski, a graduate of Johns Hopkins, New York and Lynn universities, cared for her own grandfather as a child. The work of her team will be deemed successful when no child in the United States has to drop out of school because of family caregiving responsibilities.  

CNN Heroes recognizes that just one person can make a difference and today’s heroes are “everyday people changing the world.” Voting for the CNN Hero of the Year is open online (www.cnnheroes.com) until November 28, 2012, and voters can do so up to 10 times a day, every day. The only requirements to vote are a valid email address and internet access, and there are no age restrictions to vote.  Follow AACY on Facebook & Twitter and follow CNN Heroes at Facebook.com/CNNHeroes & Twitter.com/CNNHeroes and use hashtag #CNNHeroes.


About American Association of Caregiving Youth
The American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) is a Florida based 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that began serving the greater Boca Raton community in 1998. Today it is the only organization of its kind in the United States for addressing the issues surrounding the silent, vulnerable and hidden population, conservatively estimated to exceed 1.4 million children, who provide care for ill, injured, elderly or disabled family members.  Its mission is to recognize, support, and promote the awareness of these youth that are both students and family caregivers.

AACY’s model program, the CYP, works in partnership with The School District of Palm Beach County and currently serves more than 500 caregiving youth and their families in 8 area middle schools and 17 high schools. CYP prioritizes students in greatest need of services and increases their ability to remain in school through counseling, education, activities and respite while strengthening families by linking them with community services. To donate to AACY, volunteer or for more information go to www.aacy.org, email info@aacy.org or call Dr. Connie Siskowski at 561-391-7401.

About CNN
CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.