Melissa and Cornell Boggs Create Fund to Support Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center

Melissa and Cornell Boggs, Ludington residents and dedicated community advocates, recently established the Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center Fund at the Community Foundation. The couple hopes to raise awareness and provide a foundation for sustainable funding for the Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC), a local organization providing critical services to child survivors of abuse and their families.

The CAC offers comprehensive services, including forensic interviews, family advocacy, trauma therapy, and prevention education programs – all at no cost. The CAC’s ultimate goal is to create meaningful, long-term change in the community, ensuring it is a safe place to be a child. The center has been serving the area for 15 years, originating in Manistee County and expanding to Mason County in 2023. With two locations now serving both counties, the CAC’s reach and impact continue to grow.

The CAC provided an informational breakfast in August 2023 with Melissa and Cornell in attendance. The couple was moved by numbers shared that day: 71 forensic interviews of Mason County children had been held in the 12 months prior to the open house. “Knowing that that is such a small piece of what is actually happening … That number hit me. It just stabbed me in the heart, and I couldn’t even hear what was being said next,” recalled Melissa. 

Melissa and Cornell left the open house feeling convicted. “It’s our problem. It’s my problem, it’s Cornell’s problem, and it’s your problem because it’s our community,” said Melissa.

The CAC works closely with partner agencies to ensure that there is a coordinated response to child abuse investigations that puts children first. It has healthy partnerships and linkage agreements with all branches of law enforcement, the prosecuting attorney’s office, DHHS, Community Mental Health, COVE, and medical and mental health professionals.

Although the CAC works closely with local law enforcement, only a small portion of its services are government-funded. The organization relies on grants for approximately 50% of its budget. The rest comes from private and business donors and fundraisers. 

Recognizing that the CAC requires significant, ongoing community support, Melissa and Cornell decided to establish a fund to champion the work of the CAC. The couple, in collaboration with other concerned community members, saw the Community Foundation as the ideal partner for the fund. The Foundation’s reputation for trust and its focus on long-term sustainability aligned with Melissa and Cornell’s vision. They also saw the partnership as a way for the community to be exposed to an organization that can’t often open its doors due to the sensitive nature of its work and necessary privacy for children and their families.

Megan McCarthy, the executive director of the Lakeshore Advocacy Center, emphasized the significance of the Boggs’s generosity. “Melissa and Cornell’s gift – by starting a fund at the Community Foundation – shows their long-term commitment to children in crisis. And, it shows our organization’s commitment to being here long-term for the community – for every child and every family who needs us.” 

Melissa and Cornell are passionate about rallying community support for the CAC. “This isn’t just about those 70-plus kids,” Melissa said. “The consequences of abuse manifest so quickly through your community in so many ways. But there’s a way to stop it, to mitigate it, to help right away. We want to be a part of that.”

Melissa and Cornell hope the fund will help raise awareness and generate resources to further the CAC’s operations, including expanding prevention programs, providing additional training for mandated reporters, and offering more comprehensive therapeutic services for survivors and their families. “It’s exciting to think that as momentum builds, as the community gets behind us, how much more we can do,” said Megan.

For Melissa and Cornell, giving back to the community is a way of life. “We’re in this together,” Melissa asserts. “If our eyes are open, we participate in our community, whether it’s your time, talent, or resources. It’s about being part of a community. You’re not only blessing others, but you’re being blessed.”

Cornell echoes his wife’s sentiments while also sharing his personal experiences of overcoming challenges with mentorship and support. “I just know that everyone has their own story,” he said. “And it’s not always what you see … We have to take pause and look at the root cause of things and not just the consequences of behavior.”

The Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center and Melissa and Cornell invite everyone in the community to invest in the organization’s work. Every dollar spent on child abuse prevention and intervention will save $9 in future costs of juvenile detention, substance abuse treatment, and other expenses incurred when child abuse goes unaddressed.  According to Megan, every act of support matters. “Together, we can restore hope and help the children who need us most to heal, recover, and thrive.”