Author Archive | yogini

Missing Child Alert for 2 Year Old Derrick Herlong Jr.

MISSING CHILD ALERT
 DERRICK HERLONG JR. ENDANGERED 
 

Date Missing: 4/13/2009
Missing From: Kissimmee 
County: OSCEOLA
Birth Date: 12/18/2006 
Age Disappeared: 2 yrs 3 months
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Height: 2′ 05″
Weight: 029
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown

Narrative: A Florida Missing Child Alert has been issued for Derrick Herlong Jr. last seen in the area of Clipper Cove Lane in Kissimmee. The child may be in the company of Derrick Herlong Sr., a black male, 25 years old, 5 feet 07 inches tall, 150 pounds, black hair, brown eyes. They may be traveling in a newer model dark blue Chevrolet Malibu FL Temporary Tag ADG6905. Caution suspect may be armed.


Suspect: DERRICK HERLONG
Date Missing: 4/13/2009
Missing From: Kissimmee 
County: OSCEOLA
Birth Date: 5/25/1983 
Age Disappeared: 25 yrs 10 months
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Height: 5′ 07″
Weight: 150
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown

If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of this child, please contact the Kissimmee Police Department at 407-847-0176 or call 911.

FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse
1-888-FL MISSING
Internet: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us

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Missing Person Alert: 22 Year Old Laura Nimbach from Florida

HAVE YOU SEEN LAURA NIMBACH?
Pay close attention, especially if you live in Florida. Laura Nimbach is MISSING and possibly in DANGER. Here is what we know: No one has had any contact with Laura since February 17th, 2009 and her family is terribly worried. Laura’s family does not live in Florida. They believe Laura had an abusive boyfriend. Laura was last seen by local police walking down the street after leaving a domestic violence shelter in Clearwater, FL. There has not been any media attention. But Laura is MISSING. And we need to find her before it’s too late.

Help is desperately needed to help find this young woman. Fliers need to be placed in local business’, bus stops, hospitals, shelters, churches, grocery stores, post offices, bars, restaurants, airports, places where NA meetings are held, and especially in the Tampa Bay area. Time is of the essence. Laura had been hospitalized in November, 2008 with kidney and heart failure. She may have still have medical problems as a result of this. She has a substance abuse problem and if she’s still alive, she’s in a horrible situation.

Print a poster: http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_LauraNimbach.pdf

Name: Laura Nimbach
Alias: Lora Marie Nimbach, Laura Marie Numbach, Laura Marie Nimback
Date of Birth: 08/26/1986
Date Missing: 02/17/2009
Age at time of disappearance: 22
City Missing From: Clearwater
State Missing From: FL
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 5 ft 6 in
Weight: 105 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Hair (other): May be very light blond
Eye Color: Brown
Complexion: Tan

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Laura Nimbach, please contact the Pinellas County Sherrif’s Office at (727) 582-6200 or dial 911.
Investigative Case #: SO09-71009

For additional information on Laura’s case, please visit Project Jason and Help Find The Missing. If you use Twitter, please follow @FndLauraNimbach.

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Amber Alert Cancelled for Florida Missing Child Sarah Norton

AMBER ALERT CANCELLATION
SARAH NORTON
Missing From: Bradenton, FL
County: MANATEE
Narrative: This is a cancellation to the Florida AMBER ALERT that was activated on 3/29/2009 for Sarah Norton. This message is to let you know that the case has been resolved and the child has been located. FDLE has no further information about the recovery/location at this time.

FDLE MISSING ENDANGERED PERSONS
INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE

1-888-FL MISSING
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us

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Amber Alert Issued for Florida Child SARAH NORTON

AMBER ALERT ENDANGERED CHILD
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has issued an Amber Alert for a 12 year old Florida child Sarah Norton (Pictured above). Sarah Norton was last seen around 10 a.m. Saturday. Norton is 5′ 3″ tall with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears glasses. She was wearing a gray sports bra, jeans and no shoes. Please keep your eyes open for this child who may have been kidnapped by an older man, described as being 45 to 50 years old. They may be traveling in a red Jeep Cherokee, see details below.
SARAH NORTON
Date Missing: 3/28/2009
Missing From: Bradenton,FL
County: MANATEE
Birth Date: 11/30/1996
Age Disappeared: 12 yrs 3 months
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5′ 03″
Weight: 093
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Narrative: Sarah Norton was last seen at approximately 10am yesterday in the area of 75th Street West and Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton. She was last seen wearing a gray sports bra, jeans, no shoes and wears glasses. She may be in the company of an unknown white male, 45-50 years old and wears glasses. They may be traveling in a red Jeep Cherokee.
If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of this child, please contact the Manatee County Sheriff at 941-747-3011 or 911.

. FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse 1-888-FL MISSING Internet: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us

Additional links:
Amber Alert issued for Missing Bradenton girl
Amber Alert for Missing Bradenton Girl

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Missing Children and Take 25 Campaign

May 25th is National Missing Children’s Day . Events are being scheduled across the country to raise awareness about the importance of safety and as a reminder of our nation’s missing children . The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Take 25 Campaign asks parents to take 25 minutes of their day to talk to your kids about safety.

National Missing Children’s Day is around the corner. It’s a perfect opportunity for law enforcement, public servants, advocates and volunteers to give back to the community. We all know violent crime (kidnappings, sexual assault, car jacking, murder) are a daily occurrence. Every day thousands of children are reported missing. Many are never found. Many of the kidnappings/abductions end tragically in rape, assault and death.

I’m pleased to announce that we will be hosting one of these events for the 2nd year anniversary of Lilly Aramburo’s disappearance, to coincide with National Missing Children’s Day in South Florida. Lilly went missing June 1, 2007 from Miami, FL. She is still missing. More about Lilly Aramburo.

More information about the upcoming safety awareness event coming soon. If you’d like to help out with the organizing/promoting of this event, please contact me or leave a comment on this post (or any post). If you’re a family member of a missing person and would like your loved one featured on our missing persons wall, please contact me or leave a comment. We’d like to partner up with local residents who care about the safety of our children and loved ones, as well as any like-minded organizations. Together we can make a difference.

If you’d like to connect with me on Twitter my feed is here. Please share this blog to help raise awareness about Lilly and other missing loved ones. Don’t forget to Subscribe to the Justice in Miami feed to ensure you don’t miss any news or updates.

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Thank You New Mexico Lt. Governor Diane Denish!

I am very happy and proud that New Mexico’s Lt. Governor Diane Denish is taking a stand for missing persons and their families. Finally, a politician is doing something positive for the cause. A lot more need to follow her example. But she needs everyone’s support to make important changes happen. Watch the video and read all about it below.

Question: Do you think law enforcement should have a national protocol in handling missing person cases? Why or why not?

Denish calls for missing-person alerts
Mesa graves spur call for action

Reporter: Maria Medina

Web Producer: Bill Diven

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – The uncertainty linking dozens of missing women with remains unearthed from Albuquerque’s west mesa shows more needs to be done when someone disappears, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish said Tuesday.

“Let’s be frank about this,” Denish told KRQE News 13. “This is mostly women who go missing and are not found, and that’s really what caught my attention.

“I grieve along with all the other people in New Mexico not just for the families but for New Mexico. I think we can do better.”

She’s called a meeting for Friday to bring law enforcement, the media and other organizations together to talk about solutions.

Liz Pérez said she could’ve used more help when her daughter-in-law went missing. Nearly eight years ago Darlene Trujillo dropped her son off with Perez.

She said she was going on a quick trip to Arizona, but she never returned.

“(The police) said that they would file a missing persons report but that they couldn’t really do nothing on it because Darlene was over 18 years old,” Pérez said.

Trujillo is not one of the four women who investigators have identified so far from the west mesa graves. Forensics experts have said the remains are those of Victoria Chavez, Cinnamon Elks, Julie Nieto and Michelle Valdez.

All four young women disappeared in 2004, and all shared trouble in their lives involving drugs and prostitution. Eight sets of skeletal remains have yet to be identified, and investigators have yet to name any prime suspects in the case.

Denish said she doesn’t want to hear about limitations adding that she thinks a lot more can and should be done to publicize missing persons cases quickly.

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Where is ALLYSON CORRALES and TANGENA HUSSAIN?

Here’s another episode from the good people at TheMissingTV, featuring the cases of Allyson Corrales and Tangena Hussain. Both beautiful little girls are missing.

Tangena Hussain has been missing since 10/02/08. The 2 year old toddler disappeared from a gas station in Detroit, Michigan under mysterious circumstances.She was last seen wearing a brown long sleeved shirt with a cartoon character on the front, white cargo pants, and gold sandals. ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT: Detroit Police Department 313-596-2300 or National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST).

Allyson Corrales has been missing from her residence in Kansas City, Missouri, since March 6, 2009. She may be in the company of her father, Luis Corrales. A felony warrant has been issued for Luis. Allyson’s mother was found deceased on March 6, 2009. Allyson’s life is in serious and immediate danger. They may travel to Manassas, Virginia or Houston, Texas. ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT: Kansas City Police Department (Missouri) 1-816-474-8477 or National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) .
Please pay close attention to the posters and photographs of missing children. Be aware and stay vigilant. You never know when your observation could make a difference. A missing child is everyone’s responsibility. It’s a community issue. If you’re a parent or caretaker, make sure to do everything in your power to safeguard your children from predators and those who seek to do them harm. Make child safety a priority!
  • Search the National Sex Offender Public Registry at www.nsopr.gov.
  • Use age-appropriate activities to teach children ages 5 to 17 how to stay safer on the Internet with http://www.netsmartz.org/.
  • Take 25 minutes to teach your children about safety (online and off). Minutes of prevention can make a huge impact in the life of a child.
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Where is Teekah Lewis and Melisa Sloan

Just found this channel while looking at my YouTube subscriptions. TheMissingTV is a video show which features cases of missing children and adults. I applaud their efforts and dedication to missing persons. Check out their website at http://www.themissingtv.com/

This episode host Scott Davis visits two cold cases. One is that of Teekah Lewis she was a 2 year old toddler when she was reported missing from a Tocama, WA bowling alley on 01/23/93, she is 12 years old now. He will also introduce to you the case of missing adult Melisa Sloan, reported missing from Orlando, FL in 1994 she was 23 years of age when she was reported missing.

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Missing Child Alert for Jacoysha Horne Cancelled

MISSING CHILD ALERT
CANCELLATION

JACOYSHA HORNE

Missing From:   Winter Springs, FL    
County:   Orange
Narrative: This is a cancellation to the Florida MISSING CHILD ALERT that was activated on 03/11/2008 for Jacoysha Horne. This message is to let you know that the case has been resolved and the child has been located. FDLE has no further information about the recovery/location at this time.

FDLE Missing Endangered Persons
Information Clearinghouse
1-888-FL MISSING
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us

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Missing Endangered Child Alert Issued For Jacoysha Horne

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has put out a missing child alert for a teenage girl from central Florida. 16-year-old Jacoysha Horne was last seen in the area of the 150 block of Cory Lane in Winter Springs, FL. She may be in the company of 2 Hispanic males, one whose name may be “David”. They may be traveling in a large silver or gray SUV. One of the subjects may have a yellow patch on his right shoulder. Another vehicle that may be involved is a green Volvo with a New York tag on the front. The direction of travel is unknown at this time.
Date Missing: 3/11/2009 Missing From: Winter Springs,FL
County: SEMINOLE
Birth Date: 3/10/1993
Age Disappeared: 16 yrs Race: Black Sex: Female Height: 5′ 09″ Weight: 165 Hair: Black Eyes: Brown

If you have information about this child, please contact the Winter Springs Police Department at 407-327-1000 or 911.

FDLE Missing Endangered Persons
Information Clearinghouse
1-888-FL MISSING
Internet: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us

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Austin Davis Missing from Jacksonville, FL Since June 2007

austin davis flyer
Michael “Austin” Davis, age 26, has been missing from the Argyle area of Jacksonville, Florida since June 26, 2007. He was suffering from depression. It is devastating when a loved one goes missing. But to learn about the purchase of a shot gun? Not easy to deal with at all. Let’s hope someone comes forward with information. Take a look at the video below. It’s Austin’s sister, Anita describing the circumstances surrounding Austin’s disappearance.
Austin Davis
Last Seen June 26th, 2007
DOB: 04/24/81
Height 5′ 8″ / Weight 180 lbs.
Brown Hair/ Blue Eyes
Scar on right cheek / Dimples Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville, FL, October 18, 2007 – Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has released information regarding the disappearance of Michael “Austin” Davis, 26, from his Westside home on the morning 0f June 26, 2007.

“We now know,” said Anita Sullivan, sister of the missing man, “that Austin’s mysterious taxi ride ended at Jax Jewelry and Pawn Shop at the intersection of 103rd Street and Blanding Boulevard around 12:30pm on June 26th.

JSO has confirmed Austin bought a shotgun there and the clerk said he put the gun in a duffle bag and left the shop on foot. “We have searched the area but found nothing”. “The pawn shop clerk said the gun barrel was protruding from the duffle bag when he left the shop. As busy as that area is midday, we think it is likely someone saw him and would remember something as unusual as a young man walking on Blanding or 103rd with a gun in a duffel bag”, the missing man’s sister said.
“We are hopeful someone will come forward, possibly with information regarding his direction of travel and help us target other areas to search”, Anita Sullivan said.
Anyone who may have seen a man walking with a duffle bag on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 26 in the area of Blanding Bvd. and 103rd Street, which includes Wesconnett Blvd., Timuquana Road, Jammes, and surrounding areas, is urged to step forward.
He may have been walking in any direction, and may have been seen on side roads up to several miles away from the intersection. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.


IF SEEN Please Contact:
JSO Missing Persons Unit 904.630.2627
Family: 904.446.0740

For the full story please visit the Find Austin Davis Website.

This case pulls at my heart strings because Austin disappeared in June 2007, just like Lilly. The family has been waiting for answers as long as we have. The month of June will never be the same for us.

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Thank You Miami New Times!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Miami New Times for including our blog, Justice for Lilly Aramburo on their local blog links. We are very grateful to the Miami New Times Blog for linking to us! Another reason we love the Miami New Times. First, Francisco Alvarado writes the only article ever printed about Lilly, a cover story published last September and now this. It’s a very big deal and I’m extremely humbled.

If you use Twitter, please be sure to follow the Miami New Times.

By the way, let’s keep our fingers crossed for a follow-up article on Lilly Aramburo’s disappearance. Feel free to help make it happen by contacting the Miami New Times directly.

Missing Person: Lilly Aramburo  Missing from: Miami, FL

As always, we appreciate the ongoing support we have received from everyone. Please continue to spread the word about Lilly’s disappearance. And help us bring her home!

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National DataBase for Missing and Unidentified Persons NamUs

Is your missing loved one registered in the The NamUs Database?

The Justice Department has unveiled a computer database that will help families locate the bodies of lost loved ones. Families, law enforcement agencies, medical examiners and coroners, victim advocates, and the general public are encouraged to register their missing loved ones with The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), the first national repository for missing persons and unidentified decedent records. NamUs consists of two databases that anyone can search. The Justice Department hopes that law enforcement officials and the public will use the databases to share information to solve cases.Feb 2009
Let’s just hope law enforcement start to use it. Families deserve closure.

Read more about NamUs
National site helps ID remains, Find the Lost

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Florida Missing Child Haleigh Cummings

5-year-old Haleigh Cummings was snatched from her own bed just after 3am, February 9th, in a mobile home in northeast Florida. The girl’s parents are divorced. She was being watched by her father’s 17-year-old girlfriend when she disappeared. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said investigators think Haleigh was abducted because house-to-house searches of the neighborhood Wednesday found no evidence that she wandered away. Haleigh’s father, Ronald Cummings also said he didn’t believe she had left their home in the middle of the night. “I know somebody took her. I know for a fact she didn’t wander off. She’s afraid of the dark,” Ronald Cummings told several reporters.

It’s been 9 days since Haleigh vanished. The ground search has subsided and police are focused more on the investigation at this point. Some of her family members were given lie detector tests but the sheriff’s office won’t discuss the results. Almost 1,200 tips have poured into a Crimestoppers hot line. One of those tips claim that Haleigh’s father’s girlfriend, 17-year-old Misty Croslin, may not have been at home the night Haleigh disappeared.

Authorities ask anyone with any information to call Crimes Stoppers at 888-277-TIPS or the FDLE’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse at 888-FL-MISSING.

If you pray, please keep Haleigh Cummings and her family in your prayers.

Latest news about Haleigh’s case:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,495384,00.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29236594/
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090218/ARTICLES/902181008/1002/news?Title=Police-follow-leads-in-missing-girl-case#
 

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The Search for Missing UF Student Tiffany Sessions

February 9, 1989, 20 year old University of Florida student, Tiffany Sessions told her roommate she was going for a jog and never returned. That was the last time anyone ever saw Tiffany. This week marked the 20th year anniversary of Tiffany’s disappearance from Gainesville, Florida.
tiffanysessionsposter

Earlier this week, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office announced new leads in the case. Tiffany’s father, Patrick Sessions, a Miami resident and dedicated missing children advocate told the Miami Herald he does not expect to find Tiffany alive. He just wants closure.

The Sessions Family launched the “Official Tiffany Sessions” Website, http://tiffanysessions.com/. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip. It’s also a resource for other families coping with the disappearance of a loved one.

The Sessions family is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the remains of Tiffany Sessions and the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her abduction. Anyone with information about Tiffany’s disappearance should call Detective Bob Dean at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office at (352) 367-4161. Callers can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest by calling Crime Stoppers at 372-STOP (7867). Anonymous tips can be left on the web site at http://www.alachuasheriff.org. Please help this family get closure.

One of the most devastating events that can happen to a family is the disappearance of a child. Can you imagine the agony this family has suffered for 20 long years? Think about it. Almost a lifetime of not knowing what happened to your child, your flesh and blood! The not knowing is simply torturous. If you know anything at all about Tiffany’s disappearance, please come forward and help this family get the answers they’ve been waiting for.

In most likelihood, Tiffany is probably gone. Her family may never have the chance to see her smiling face and get to hold her in their arms again. But her name and memory lives on.

Last year, the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 502, the “Jennifer Kesse and Tiffany Sessions Missing Persons Act.” Governor Charlie Crist signed the bill, which broadens the authority of FDLE’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse to provide assistance on investigations involving missing adults younger than 26 and missing adults age 26 and older who are suspected by law enforcement to be in danger.

“In addition, the Act requires that local law enforcement authorities transmit missing child and adult reports to the state and federal criminal databases within two hours of receiving the report. The local law enforcement agency investigating the case must also attempt to obtain a DNA sample if the child or adult has been missing for more than 90 days. These DNA profiles will be analyzed and uploaded into the FBI’s National DNA Index System and continuously searched against unidentified human remains.”

What a huge leap for missing persons in my hometown state of Florida! Just a year ago, if someone over 18 went missing, law enforcement could easily say the missing person has every right to disappear. The law didn’t require police to do much. Having dealt with the disappearance of my friend, Lilly Aramburo, I can tell you that the Jennifer Kesse and Tiffany Sessions Missing Persons Act is of immense benefit to missing persons! And an ode to Tiffany.

Website: http://tiffanysessions.com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/tiffanysessions

Additional links:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/894835.html
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/09/091828/20-years-later-family-still-searching-tiffany-sess/

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The 17 Year Search for Abducted Child Sigourney Chisholm

Sigourney Teresa Chisholm is missing. She was abducted by her mother, Patricia O’Byrne May 1993. Patricia is wanted for child abduction. Sigourney is 17 now. Her grief-stricken Dad, Joe Chisholm, has been searching for his daughter for 17 long, painful years. But he’s not giving up!

Sigourney Chisholm Poster
Age-enhanced

MissingSigourney (6) copy

From Joe Chisholm’s blog:

“Sigourney was abducted by her non-custodial mother, Patricia Joan O’Byrne, on May 17, 1993 from Toronto, Ontario. Patricia, also goes by the name Trish or may be using an alias. On the 15th of May 1993, following a custody dispute with the father, O’Byrne left a message stating that she was leaving the country with her daughter, Sigourney. Patricia is wanted on charges of child abduction; there is a warrant for Patricia’s arrest. Abduction is a crime, even if the child is your own. The only consideration of the Chisholm family now, however, is to be reacquainted with Sigourney. The family treats this not as a legal or criminal matter, but as a family dispute – a solvable family dispute. They have been traced to London, Tunbridge Wells, Kent and Devon. It is believed they could be in Spain now.”
Help this family reunite! Visit the website for more information http://www.missingsigourney.com
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Help Save the National Center for Missing Adults

Who would you turn to if your loved one went missing? The Police? The mainstream media? If that was your answer you have a rude awakening coming to you. Police departments are either way too understaffed, un-educated or just focusing on high profile cases. If your missing loved one was over the age of 18, police may say they have every right to “disappear”. And the media, you can forget about it, unless your loved one falls into a certain category like Caylee Anthony or Natalie Hollaway, then you’re probably not going to have any luck getting any attention or help from them.

Thankfully, for 15 years there has been the National Center for Missing Adults. The NCMA is a division of the Nation’s Missing Children Organization, Inc. (NMCO) a 501c(3) non-profit organization, formally established after the passage of Kristen’s Law (H.R. 2780) by the United States Congress on October 26th, 2000. The NCMA operates as the national clearinghouse for missing adults, providing services and coordination between various government agencies, law enforcement, media, and families of missing adults. NCMA also maintains a national database of thousands of missing adults determined to be “endangered” or otherwise at-risk in the US. But not for long.

Since 2005, NCMA has been waiting for Congress to reauthorize Kristen’s Act to provide the funding so crucially needed to continue its work. Due to its failure, the country’s only national clearinghouse and missing adult database is in such extreme distress some believe only a miracle can save it. NCMA founder, Kym Pasqualini and her small staff of less than 5 volunteers, have kept the agency alive despite many difficulties including critical shortage and loss of funding, in 2006 they were

financially forced to vacate and close the doors of the facility they had operated from for nearly ten years

and going 2 years without pay and mounting debt, in order to continue providing services to those in need. Time is dangerously close to running out for NCMA. To make matters even graver still, Kym (a single mother) is facing eviction.

This doesn’t seem right to me. Not for anyone but especially not for Kym and the National Center for Missing Adults! The loss of the NCMA would mean no more support for families of the missing!

How can this happen?

Days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf coast region, Bureau of Justice Assistance; United States Department of Justice (DOJ) requested the immediate assistance of the National Center for Missing Adults. In the weeks following, NCMA received 13,502 reports related to Hurricane Katrina and Rita, in addition to cases normally registered with the agency involving missing adults who are determined by the investigating law enforcement agency to be “at risk” due to diminished mental capacity, physical disability, medical conditions, suspected foul play or suspicious circumstances of the disappearance. NCMA resolved 99.8% of all reports with costs to the agency in excess of $250,000 and depleted the agency’s non-federal reserve of funds. NCMA has only received $50,000 to cover the work they did at the request of the Dept. of Justice. The DOJ still hasn’t released the funds owed to the NCMA for their work related to Hurricane Katrina.

We cannot allow this valuable resource to die.

I feel strongly about this as my own friend, Lily Aramburo, went missing and has been gone for almost 2 years now. Following Lily’s disappearance, I contacted NCMA. Tanya, the volunteer who assisted us, was working from home on these cases because of the agency’s funding situation. Despite these obstacles, she was comforting, professional and understanding. She was steadfast in her efforts contacting law enforcement in order to get Lilly’s case confirmed and didn’t stop until she finally succeeded. I’ve had the privilege of working with Kym and her faithful team of volunteers. I admire them for their selfless efforts on behalf of our missing loved ones and the families who are left behind, searching for them.

My goal is to show Kym that people do care, we recognize their work is valuable. The NCMA doesn’t need to wait for a MIRACLE

It’s within our power to save the National Center for Missing Adults. I urge you to stand with me and help in any way you possibly can. What can you do to help, you ask?

First and foremost they need money! Click on the FirstGiving fundraising widget below and visit my NCMA Fundraising Page Tax-deductible donations can be made online safely and securely through FirstGiving.

The NCMA accepts donations on their website as well. You can give as little as $5 using Google Checkout. Or if you prefer to send a check directly to NCMA, please mail to:

National Center for Missing Adults
PO Box 6389
Glendale, AZ 85312 US

If you commit to giving just $5 (the cost of a Starbucks coffee) we would be that much closer to achieving the goal.

If you can’t give money, no problem. Maybe someone you know can. Please share this post via your email list and IM.

Do you use Twitter?

Follow the NCMA! Share this post and ask your friends and followers to retweet it (Join the NCMA RT RALLY starting NOW!).

Are you on Facebook, Myspace, Ning, or other social networking sites?

On Facebook, support the NCMA by setting your status to display a short message with a link to this post. Join the NCMA Facebook Group and invite everyone you know. Use your social networks to spread the word! You can get your very own fundraising widget or badge to add on your profile and encourage others to do the same.

Do you have a blog or website?

There are several ways to help by using your blog/website:
1. Place the FirstGiving Fundraising Widget or badge on your site
2. Take a few minutes to write a post about the crisis, link to this and include the NCMA donation page
3. Add the NCMA badge on your site

I hope you take this opportunity to turn your compassion into action by donating to Help Save the National Center for Missing Adults…prevent thousands of families and missing people from being negatively affected and losing their only national resource. You can also help tremendously by signing the Support the National Center for Missing Adults petition.

Here’s an article about Kym Pasqualini and NCMA recently published in the Phoenix Times, “The National Center for Missing Adults’ Funding Was Slashed by the Feds, but Volunteers Are Keeping It Alive” By Sarah Fenske.

Don’t forget to bookmark, Stumble and share this post. RT on Twitter. Link to post. Share on your social networks and most importantly… GIVE GENEROUSLY & SPREAD THE WORD!

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Lilly Aramburo and Missing Minorities Campaign

Dear friends, I was recently surprised to find Lilly Aramburo listed on a site called Missing Minorities Campaign. How awesome! It’s a great site and very helpful for the benefit of missing minorities. As we all know, missing minorities rarely make the news. And if they do, they don’t receive the same type of in depth coverage. (God knows how hard I’ve tried to get media coverage for Lilly!) But with sites like Missing Minorities Campaign and others using the internet to advocate for missing people, the more eyes we have looking out for our loved ones and the better chances we have of finding them.

Although most of us live very busy, sometimes hectic lives, a little time and effort goes a long way. You’d be surprised to know how easy it is to help. As I always do when I find a website, blog or organization doing good works, I stumbled their site, bookmarked it and shared it on Twitter and a few other networking sites and aggregators like Friendfeed. And it really helps! After reading the stories of the missing people on the Missing Minorities site and others, it’s very helpful to DIGG or STUMBLE the story or share on whatever social network and news submission sites you use. I joined their community, as well. After all, that’s what social networking is all about: community.

One last thing, if you use Twitter, please follow the Missing Minorities Campaign.

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