Community Impact Awards

The Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County, in coordination with the St. Lucie Chamber of Commerce, presents the Community Impact Award each month to an outstanding individual working with children and families in St. Lucie County. The Children’s Services Council is committed to recognizing the good work being done in our community by those who dedicate their lives to helping others. The most recent award winners are listed below.

You can also watch interviews with our winners on All In, a partnership between Children's Services Council of St. Lucie County and the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce to highlight individuals in our community who are "All In". On each episode, hosts Terissa Aronson and Sean Boyle will recognize a Community Impact Award winner as well as introduce local non-profits with opportunities for residents to get involved.

Mindi Fetterman

Inner Truth Project

Mindi Fetterman founded the Inner Truth Project with a goal to offer a safe place for sexual assault survivors to heal and grow.

Mindi had often been asked to present her story across the community to help break the ties of shame that exist around sexual violence, rape and incest. After nearly every presentation, fellow survivors would approach her, also looking for services or support, which currently did not exist in our community.

Mindi founded The Inner Truth Project in 2012 and in 2013 opened the Inner Truth Center to provide loving support, encouragement and healing for survivors and their families. The response has been overwhelming, enlightening and most importantly, affirming that alone survivors may suffer – together, they can heal and thrive. The organization now offers services to survivors allowing them to bravely share the truth about their experiences in a comforting, positive environment designed to offer them hope.

Mindi works tirelessly to ensure that survivors who visit her center have every opportunity to heal in their own way. She is a true champion for survivors in our community and beyond.

Jessica Drew - Annual Community Impact Award Winner

PACE Center for Girls

Jessica Drew is a hidden gem at PACE Treasure Coast. She is a passionate advocate for the girls that she serve on a daily basis. Every year she prepares them for an annual poetry event, encouraging them to use the traumatic situations they have gone through as their testimony.

Jessica once picked up a student every day because she lived within a 2 mile radius of the school and she could not get a bus assigned by the district. Jessica wanted to ensure that the girl attended school daily because she was close to graduation, so she added this student to her "Magic School Bus" route.

Jessica ensures that the girls remain connected to the community keeping them involved in the Youth Leadership and the Mentorship Program. She advocates tirelessly for the girls in the program ensuring that all of their academic and social/emotional goals are met. There isn't a battle or a neighborhood tough enough to keep Jessica Drew out of, when it comes to serving our girls.