She was 11 years old. She was brought to The Children’s Place after a relative had sexually abused her. The team interviewed her and conducted an exam, the case was prosecuted, and the relative went to jail. A year later, the same girl called the center herself. “I need help,” she said, hiding in her closet. “It’s happening again—with a different relative.” The difficult work of helping children escape abuse and neglect takes vision, leadership, community support, and funding. Luckily, there’s Kibe Lucas. Using his real estate experience and network, he has helped the nonprofit expand to a larger facility, bring the needed experts together in one place, and make the experience less grueling for the children. Lucas, a board member for 20 years, has raised half a million dollars, recruited hundreds of volunteers, and helped the well-being of more 4,000 children.
