Six Project Home Again Children Are Home
In July, Vector Security made a corporate commitment to sponsoring Project Home Again. Only four months later, their commitment has proven successful, as six children, whose posters were displayed on Vector Security vans, have been recovered.
The program seeks to return missing and kidnapped children to their parents through the use of a public awareness campaign. The campaign involves the displaying of posters, depicting the likeness and personal information of missing and kidnapped children, on service vehicles used by participating companies.
The company’s involvement includes a fleet of nearly 300 service vans and uniformed guard and patrol vehicles, which travel through the Mid-Atlantic States, Ohio, Florida and California. According to Sally Cox, director of purchasing and fleet manager, the idea came about after hearing about the program from television coverage in the Philadelphia, Pa., market.
During the first week of November, two Ohio children, whose photos were featured on Vector Security vehicles, were returned home safely. Nancy Sexton was successfully located in Columbus, Ohio, and Aaliyah Clark was also located in the Ohio area. Both children were the subjects of posters placed on installation and service vehicles in Mansfield and Boardman, Ohio.
These recoveries were followed closely by one in Jacksonville, Fla., Samantha Lester; and one in Pennsylvania, Caroline Keyvani. Samantha’s poster was displayed on a Jacksonville, Fla.-based van and Caroline’s poster was highlighted on a Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-based van.
The last two recoveries involved California siblings, Alexandra and Sevan Silah, whose posters were displayed on Los Angeles vans.
In Columbia Md., relatives of a child featured on one of Vector’s vans stopped the driver and personally thanked him for Vector’s role in creating more public awareness for the plight of missing children.
According to Pamela J Petrow, president and CEO of Vector Security, this encouraging news lends credence to a project that was championed by John A. Murphy, the company’s former president and CEO, who passed away in October. “John stressed that Vector’s support of Project Home Again tied directly into his core corporate values.”
Murphy was quoted as saying that “We’re in the business of protecting the things our customers cherish the most and that certainly begins with children. Given our continuing dedication to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, this opportunity allows us to root this valuable organization further within our large and expanding branch office network. If we can help only one child make it back home, or bring his or her plight directly to the attention of the general public, it will all be worth it.”
Petrow continued by remarking that “John would be overjoyed by the news that one of his favorite public advocacy programs has worked so well to help preserve the lives and hopefully the futures of these children.”
Vector Security is a provider of electronic security services that operates more than 35 offices throughout the country, providing services through its branch offices, National Accounts Division, Authorized Dealer Services Division, and Vector Security Patrol. The company is owned by The Philadelphia Contributionship, a private insurance company founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1752.