NEWS

Forest Hill woman lauded for charity work

Lynn Factor receives Stand Up for Kids Award
TIRELESS VOLUNTEER: Lynn Factor was honoured in October fas a voice for young victims of abuse.

Lynn Factor has made it her mission — for 35 years — to advocate on behalf of those who don’t have a voice.

The Forest Hill resident has worked with Boost at the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, the Covenant House and the Children’s Aid Society. It was because of those efforts she received the 2016 Stand Up for Kids Award, sponsored by Jewish Family & Child, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto and the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.

In a ceremony at Queen’s Park in late October, she and Jacqueline Jean-Pierre were honoured by Michael Coteau, Minister of Child and Youth Services.

With the Stand Up for Kids Award, Factor said she hopes it raises awareness for young victims of physical and sexual abuse.

“I realized this is a population that’s completely neglected. It’s a population that doesn’t have parents that advocate on their behalf,” she said in a recent interview. “People didn’t want to be associated with abuse or abused children.”

Factor prepares children to testify at criminal court proceedings, advises on issues of sexual abuse and sex trafficking, and acknowledges they’re all hard topics to handle.

She started her career as a frontline worker for the Durham Children’s Aid Society, and after 17 years there she continued being a voice for children. She currently sits on the boards for the Covenant House and the Children’s Aid Foundation.

“It is a very heavy topic. I think that I am really motivated to try and make a difference. If we can all do a little bit, hopefully it will make a big difference,” she said. “We’re not just helping that one child, we’re helping generations of children to come.”