Pictured: Karen Valentino (center) with Wes Roberts, SRQ Media Vice President and Executive Publisher (left) and Arthur Lerman of JFCS. Photo taken by Wyatt Kostygan.

Each year, SRQ Media invites the community to nominate individuals with hearts of giving who have made a significant impact with local nonprofit organizations — from volunteers and board members to individual staff members and donors. This year, attendees were thrilled to be together as we recognized our annual Good Hero Philanthropic Award recipients at the SB2: Philanthropic Agenda Luncheon and Good Hero Philanthropic Awards Luncheon on Thursday, December 9, 2021 at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. In the coming weeks, we are happy to feature each of the twelve honorees in our Wednesday Philanthropic edition of SRQ Daily.

Karen Valentino is the fourth Good Hero we are featuring. Karen bravely shared her personal story as a victim of child abuse at the Child Protection Centers’ Blue Ties and Butterflies fundraising event. She left each person at the event — inspired and changed. Her passion to end child abuse led her to a deeply-engaged involvement with CPC from contributing to fundraising event committees, encouraging neighbors and friends to tour the organization, meeting with potential donors, generously supporting CPC financially and serving as a member then eventually as president of CPC’s Board of Directors. 

Karen’s advocacy has changed the trajectory of many she will never meet and her story may be the inspiration that encourages someone who may have never told anyone their secret, to seek help for their trauma. She has often said that until we can get people talking about child abuse, we can’t stop it. Honoring Karen as a Good Hero is also honoring all of the children who have walked this journey.  Thank you Karen for your courage. 

Pictured: Karen Valentino (center) with Wes Roberts, SRQ Media Vice President and Executive Publisher (left) and Arthur Lerman of JFCS. Photo taken by Wyatt Kostygan.