Trumbull Volunteer Honored by The Center for Family Justice

The Center for Family Justice is pleased to announce that Sheila Hageman, a Trumbull resident, has been named its 2022 Beatrice Boucher Volunteer of the Year.

Sheila was presented with CFJ’s highest volunteer honor on June 14 at its Annual Meeting held at the Trumbull Marriott. The award is given annually to posthumously honor the late Beatrice Boucher, a Trumbull resident, who served CFJ as a volunteer for more than a decade.

CFJ serves more than 4,200 adult and child victims of domestic and sexual violence and child abuse from the communities of Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull.

Hageman, a mother of three and adjunct writing professor at Post University, was nominated for the award by several staff members based on her selfless contributions to the nonprofit and its clients during a year-long clinical internship. During this internship, Hageman provided therapeutic counseling services to children and teens who had experienced the trauma of domestic and sexual violence and abuse.

Each year, CFJ works with more than 200 children who have experienced extreme abuse and provides them with free clinical services to help them overcome their trauma.

In addition, Sheila was lauded by CFJ employees for constantly going “above and beyond” what was expected to meet her internship requirements. She started a homework help group for teenage clients falling behind in school. She also helped lead CFJ’s Written Out Loud affinity group which engaged teenage abuse survivors in a year-long writing project with culminated with them producing published manuscripts. Hageman also pitched in at several CFJ fundraising and awareness events including its Halloween Boo Bash and its annual Speaking of Women fundraiser.

“Sheila epitomizes the best of our outstanding volunteers at The Center for Family Justice,” said Debra A. Greenwood, CFJ’s President & CEO. “Our clients and staff really value her kindness and compassion and skills as a clinician. But what really stood out about Sheila was her constant interest in doing more than what was expected to make the futures of the young people she works with brighter. As an intern she was outstanding, but it was the service she provided beyond her required clinical hours that really set her apart.”

“I am so honored to be recognized with this award,” said Hageman. “As an intern at The Center for Family Justice, I have been able to work alongside dedicated individuals in this most challenging work, and I have felt lifted up and supported by them all. It has been a true honor to be able to enter the lives of the young survivors I have been able to work with and be one small support in helping them move toward full well-being and health.”

In addition to honoring Hageman, CFJ also paid tribute to several other honorees at its annual meeting.

CFJ Development & Events Manager Lauren Cicchetti was honored as CFJ’s Carol Roberto Employee of the Year. The Monroe Police Department received its Partner of the Year Award for holding a Stuff the Gazebo toy drive to support the nonprofits young clients during the 2021 holiday season. The radio stations of Connoisseur Media Connecticut received CFJ’s Community Hero of the Year award for supporting CFJ in a variety of philanthropic ways during the last several years.