Family Service Society, Inc. hosts the 15th Annual Circle of Friends event, presented by Charlie and Bernie Wallace on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at Indiana Wesleyan University’s Barnes Student Center*. The event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and will feature keynote speaker, Derek Clark.
Circle of Friends is the second largest fundraiser of the year and is critical for aiding Family Service Society, Inc.’s ability to meet the needs of clients across the communities it serves. Formatted as a luncheon, corporations and individuals pay sponsorships then bring with them friends and supporters to learn about the agency and the mission we serve. Each year there is a different topic that is mission centric to our organization and this year we will focus on the effects of childhood trauma.
This year, we are welcoming keynote speaker, Derek Clark, who will be sharing his true-life trials and personal triumphs with a high energy, humorous and impactful message of resilience, hope, courage, perseverance and redemption with his popular presentation, “Trauma, Resilience and Redemption.”
Derek Clark’s life is one of resilience and redemption.
As a child he suffered unthinkable child abuse, abandonment and emotional distress before being turned over to the psychiatric hospital at age five.
His 13 years in the foster care system reflected an early life of humiliation, aggression, emotional distress, overwhelming anxiety and being wrongfully labeled. Eventually, with the help of foster parents, a fantastic social worker and mentors, he defied the artificial limitations imposed upon him. His past has never held him back from accomplishing what he set his heart and mind to.
“Derek’s message continues to build on the overall message we are working to disseminate throughout the community—kids are not disposable and looking at children through the lens of trauma helps each of us to connect to our compassion and provide the critical support and services these kids need to thrive and become their best selves. While Derek’s personal story is disturbing, it’s no less disturbing than those of the children crossing our threshold every day. We’re honored to be part of their journey to wellness and believe Derek’s keynote will help others in the community connect to the importance of trauma informed understanding instead of judgement and mislabeling of kids who behave outside the socially acceptable norms,” states Lisa Dominisse, President/CEO of Family Service Society, in a prepared statement.
Derek is an inspiring motivational speaker/trainer.
He is the author of seven books including Disable the Label: Never Limit the Potential of a Child, Never Limit Your Life and the I Will Never Give Up book series. He recently received the International Foster Care Award through SOS Children’s Village. Derek has also been a featured expert on CNN Headline News, The Steve Harvey TV Show, The Ricki Lake TV Show and other TV shows around the world. Recently, Derek has become a viral video sensation for his “Rapping Dad” videos which have had over 250 million social media views.
