Community
Empathy
Safety
Respect
Compassion
Kindness
Pinwheel Place seeks to reduce childhood trauma by providing emergency and respite childcare and basic needs to families of young children
Lynn Hawkins -Founder
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Lynn has spent most of her life volunteering or being involved in nonprofits. She has been passionate about preventing child abuse all of her life. When she was 21, after studying Community and Family Services at University of Delaware, she moved away from the only home she knew in New Jersey to Texas, where she interned at Casa De Esperanza. At Casa, a home for abused and neglected children, she went from being a child care worker in the houses to being the head houseparent in one of their new developmental therapeutic homes for children. When she returned home to NJ she knew she wanted to open a similar home to help the children here the way Casa De Esperanza helped the children in Texas. It took her a while to make this dream become a reality because she fell in love with a little girl and soon adopted her. Meanwhile, she has worked as a Relief House Manager at the Ronald McDonald House. She also works at a private school in Monmouth County. Now 25 years later with her daughter by her side she has founded Pinwheel Place. Lynn knows first hand the impact that the simple act of showing you care has on children and hopes that Pinwheel Place will be a community of like minded people willing to make a difference in a child’s life.
Quadhera Simmons -Founder
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Quady is a passionate young professional, Quadhera, known to most as Quady, has worked in many positions with young children. She first was an art assistant at Ranney School Camp for five consecutive summers and one summer also worked with special needs adults at a school in Monmouth County. She interned with special needs pre-school children and with adults with mental illnesses while she was studying at Seton Hall University. Quadhera graduated with a Major in Social and Behavioral Sciences and a minor in Social Work. Recently she received her certification for Trauma and Resilience Practitioner. After graduating she volunteered once a week in the Child Life Department at Jersey Shore Medical Center until she started Pinwheel Place. Until it closed she also worked at St. Clare’s Home for Children where the children were often seen with Quady doing her latest project or playing and singing. She also has spent many hours working at the YMCA Child Achievement Branch. Quady is dedicated to making a difference in children’s lives and has a passion for helping children with special needs. “ I believe that all children have a right to be safe, loved and valued” . In her spare time, Quady enjoys partaking in many crafty endeavors and is not afraid of a little mess “ because it is what makes life fun”.
Pinwheel Place Board of Directors
Carol Delia, Chair
Christina Davies, Vice Chair cdavies@pinwheelplace.org
Daniel Pereira, Secretary
David Hawkins, Treasurer
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