You can tell a lot about a society by the way it treats its most vulnerable members. Partnership for Children of Cumberland County’s mission is to build partnerships with families and the community so that all children have the opportunity to succeed in school and be prepared to contribute to our social and economic future. Partnership for Children’s tag line is “The support you need to help children succeed,” and it is not just for parents. “Our customers are parents, caregivers and teachers in early childhood,” said Partnership for Children of Cumberland County President Eva Hansen. “We partner with other organizations that serve kids, too, like the Autism Society, the Boys and Girls Club and the March of Dimes. Our focus is to work with families, service providers and policy makers to have the best outcomes for children.”

On Saturday, March 8, Partnership for Children of Cumberland County is set to host its signature fundraising event of the year — The Soirée. The theme is the Roaring Twenties and period attire is encouraged, dress is semi-formal/black tie optional. Ladies, put on your flapper dresses and headbands. It’s time to dust off those dancing shoes and boogie the night away. “The food is going to be fabulous,” said Hansen. “The menus will reflect the type of foods of the era — the type of food that would be served at an elegant party in the 1920s. The Waldorf salad is just wonderful. There will be an amazing tender pot roast with truffle mashed potatoes along with a couple of choices for fantastic desserts. It will be truly elegant from the décor to the food to the band. Several guests have said they will come in 1920s attire. As an extra bonus we are having a game room so people can keep up with the UNC/Duke game that night.”

Before guests make it through the front door, they will be met by paparazzi as they step out onto the red carpet. “We will have a car from the 20s era at the entry and paparazzi will be there,” said Hansen. “We will also have a photo area set up so people can take formal photos with 20s backgrounds or use fun props to do creative photos. The photos will be available to take home that evening. It will be an opportunity to enjoy fine dining, great conversation and a party atmosphere.”

The entertainment includes 13-piece jazz band Orchestra Casablanca. With a song list that includes more than 300 tunes that cover several genres and features works by musical greats like Count Basie, Woody Herman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, and contemporaries Thad Jones and Harry Connick, Jr., this is an event you won’t want to miss. Guests can dance to period and contemporary music throughout the evening.

In addition to great entertainment and a five-course dinner, guests can look forward to a raffle that has some impressive offerings. “We have great raffle prizes that include a trip to Savannah, a trip to Disney, jewelry, a stay at the Embassy Suites in Raleigh and a Hilton Head package,” said Hansen. “The Wine Café is putting together a downtown date night package and A Little Panache is doing some cool things, too. It should be a swanky and decadent night — very Great Gatsby. We chose the 1920s theme because we are celebrating our 20th year and we knew we could have fun with it.”

The Soirée is sure to be an elegant night to remember. The fact that it is for a great cause is a bonus.

Partnership for Children of Cumberland County has a vision for local children — a community committed to the health, safety, happiness and education of all children and their families. Based on decades of research that shows the first five years of a child’s life are critical to their development, Partnership for Children of Cumberland County focuses a lot of time and energy on providing ways to improve child health, family support, and access to high quality child care and education. Programs are built around the organization’s four primary goals: advancing the well-being of children and making sure they are healthy and prepared to succeed when they enter school; strengthening families by helping caregivers, nurturers and teachers help kids prosper; raising the quality of early care and education and building partnerships by providing options, resources, and support collaboratively to help children and families reach their full potential. Partnership for Children of Cumberland County works with many businesses, government organizations and other nonprofits to bring the most current and useful resources to the community.“

Our theme for the year is 20/2,000 — 20 years championing the first 2,000 days,” said Hansen. “That is the time between a child’s birth and when they start kindergarten. Ninety percent of a person’s brain development happens in the first 2,000 days of life. Children will learn and grow no matter where they are. The question is, what are they going to learn and how are they going to grow?” Additionally, a persons brain develops more rapidly in the first five years of life than in any other time in life — 700 neural connections are formed each second. Children in low-income families understand 3,000 words by the age of four compared to children from higher income families who understand more than 20,000 words by the same age.

Partnership for Children of Cumberland County has seen many milestones in helping area kids, including recognition as a best practice model of Smart Start. Partnership’s KidStuff at the Dogwood Festival is an effective outreach to the community at large. In 2011, Partnership for Children was one of three nonprofits recognized by the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits as exemplary stewards of the public’s trust and resources. The organization’s child care resource and referral services help families find quality child care. Partnership for Children of Cumberland County is one of the first organizations in the state to implement the N.C. Pre-Kindergarten program previously known as More at Four. Fundraisers like The Soirée have helped to raise more than $300,000, increasing private sector investment in the community. More than 375 total volunteers have contributed to Partnership for Children of Cumberland County. The creation and full ownership of the Partnership for Children Resource Center is a resource where 16 like-missioned organizations with more than 80 programs serve children, families, early childhood educators and service providers.

While the impact of Partnership for Children of Cumberland County is substantial, the money raised at The Soirée is earmarked for two outreach projects — the government and military affairs program known as Forward March and the Partnership for Children of Cumberland County’s Kidstuff area at the Dogwood Festival. Both are important projects with a broad reach.“

Our government and military affairs is about the advocacy and education on early care and education for policy makers and the Forward March Conference held in conjunction with Snyder Memorial Baptist Church and Southern Regional Area Health Education Center,” said Hansen. “This helps professionals inside and outside the gates to be better equipped to serve and support military families and veteran families who have been involved with 12 years of deployments. This will be our fifth year for the Forward March Conference.”

The Kidstuff area at The Dogwood Festival is a favorite for many young families because it offers a fun space to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the festival, which can be overwhelming for kids under five and their families, too. “Kidstuff is focused on very young kids and their families,” said Hansen. “It provides interactive activities for the kids. It is free, and we use this opportunity to get surveys from parents telling us what their experiences are and what their needs are. We use that to plan activities and confirm if we are on the right track. It is a huge outreach and a way to share resources in a way parents are receptive to. It is one thing to distribute flyers, it is another to have the kids come and families have fun experiences together. The parents can talk to our partners about resources like the Autism Society, Army Community Services and Cumberland County Library programs. We’re excited the PNC Grow Up Great interactive exhibit is again available. Many of our partners have fun activities and information and booths there. Summer camp and summer activity information will also be available. A lot of times parents say ‘I had no idea these were available!’”

Like many nonprofits, the joy that comes from making a difference is priceless, but there is always more work to do at Partnership for Children of Cumberland County. There are many ways to help, though. Make a monetary donation, volunteer, support the organization online, reach out and share your experience and attend local events like the Soirée. Find out more about Cumberland County Partnership for Children at www.ccpfc.org or call 867-9700.

Photo: The Soirée is sure to be a fun-filled night. Last year the event raised more than $100,000 for Partnership for Children of Cumberland County.