Latest news with #LauraMcKenzie
CBC
26-05-2025
- CBC
This teen was admitted to an anti-trafficking shelter to keep her safe. Then, she went missing
A couple from Flesherton, Ont., say a youth home that specializes in combatting human trafficking didn't do enough to protect their 15-year-old daughter, who went missing from the facility last month. Laura McKenzie and Erik Dixon say they entrusted youth home Studio Blue at the Women's Centre Grey Bruce in Owen Sound, Ont., with their daughter, Jillianne Dixon, who they say had previously been a victim of online luring. Less than three weeks into the program, she went missing. "Our hearts were pounding. It was terrifying," Dixon said about the early morning call from police about her disappearance last month. The Owen Sound Police Service (OSPS) says it is investigating the disappearance along with police units in the Greater Toronto Area. OSPS say the teen was last seen at 8 p.m. local time on April 28. McKenzie, 40, and Dixon, 41, allege the youth home did not act on a tip it received about Jillianne's plans to meet a man from Brampton days before she disappeared. The tip came from another parent, but Jillianne's parents say they were not informed about it by the youth home. They also raise concerns about oversight and security measures at the home being inadequate to keep residents safe. CBC Toronto contacted the facility with a list of questions relating to the parents' concerns, including why the youth home did not inform the parents about the tip. In an emailed statement, the non-profit's executive director said the organization won't be answering any questions while the disappearance remains under police investigation. "Our thoughts are with Jillianne's family and we are hoping for her safe return," Heather Sheldrick wrote. Local police are asking for public assistance in finding the teen and say she is believed to have known associations in the Greater Toronto Area. McKenzie and Dixon say they are speaking out because they want their daughter to come home safely, and to caution other parents with vulnerable children. "She went there because she was sick. That's what we were offered for our daughter who was struggling with mental health, who was vulnerable," McKenzie said through tears. "We love her, we miss her terribly. We want her home." Teen communicated with a man online: tipster During her stay at the youth home, Jillianne befriended another teen resident from Owen Sound. The teen's mother, Christine St Coeur, told CBC Toronto Jillianne came over to her house on the evening of April 22. She described Jillianne as kind and polite. CBC Toronto is not naming St Coeur's daughter to protect her privacy as she has previously been a victim of human trafficking. The next day, St Coeur's daughter asked via text if St Coeur could drive Jillianne and her to Brampton a few days later. CBC Toronto has reviewed the text messages. St Coeur said she called the girls right away and Jillianne told her she had been invited to a birthday party by a 20-year-old Brampton man she met online, who she referred to as her boyfriend. "My response … was that it's very dangerous," St Coeur said. The legal age of consent in Canada is 16, with an exception for 14- and 15-year-olds if their partner is less than five years older. According to the federal government's website, other factors may be taken into account to determine if a young person is being exploited, including if the relationship developed over the internet. CBC Toronto has not been able to independently identify the man Jillianne was communicating with, or his age. Organization didn't act on tip about Jillianne being at risk, St Coeur says Given what St Coeur knew about Jillianne already being at risk due to mental health struggles and previous online luring, she said she called the facility to alert them about the dangers of Jillianne meeting a man she knows from social media, but said the worker did not appear to take the tip seriously. Call logs reviewed by CBC Toronto show a 10-minute-long call between St Coeur and the youth home at about 8:30 a.m. on April 24. Later that same day, McKenzie said she did a welfare check with a social worker at Studio Blue and spoke with her daughter, but was not informed about the tip from St Coeur. Jillianne was last seen four days later, on April 28. "If we had any idea that was going on, boom, I would have gone and got her," McKenzie said through tears. St Coeur said she contacted Jillianne's father on Facebook a few days after the teen went missing to share the information she had. "It's just horrific," Dixon said. "When they found out that she was in danger, they should have picked up the phone right away, they should have called us and said, 'You need to come pick up your daughter. Something horrible is going to happen if we don't intervene.'" St Coeur said she was disappointed to learn the facility didn't relay her tip to the parents. Her daughter has since left the program and returned home, she said. "She feels very guilty … she wishes she could have done more to stop her." Not enough security at youth home, parents allege The seven-bedroom home is advertised as being a safe place that provides protection and mental health services for youth. and according to the youth home's contract with Jillianne and her parents, staff were supposed to perform room checks every shift and contact her parents if she was missing, followed by local police. Jillianne was last seen at 8 p.m. on April 28, but McKenzie said she received the first call from the shelter more than eight hours later, at 4 a.m, and then from the police at about 5 a.m. The facility also has a cell phone policy, which CBC Toronto reviewed. It says residents will only have access to facility-owned phones, which will have pre-installed safety features like a location tracking app, banned apps and staff having access to passwords. However, Jillianne's parents say the home provided their daughter with a cell phone without their knowledge, and without any security features. They also say it does not have an active SIM card to make or receive phone calls, meaning she would only be able to use it on Wi-Fi. "They withheld important information that would have stopped this from ever happening … information that's going to put my child in danger and at risk," Dixon said. CBC Toronto asked about these concerns and others in email to the home, which it did not answer. The Women's Centre Grey Bruce is a non-profit organization with an annual budget of about $2 million. According to its financial statements, about three quarters of its funding comes from the provincial government. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services said it "requires all community partners to have policies and procedures designed to protect the safety, rights and well-being of the individuals who receive services from them," but added the organizations are responsible for their own governance. Jillianne is 5 feet 6 inches tall, has medium-length red hair and brown eyes, according to a release from Owen Sound police on May 16. She was last seen wearing loose grey pants, a dark long-sleeved top with light circular designs and dark socks, with a lavender hard-shell Swiss Gear suitcase and a leopard print crossbody bag. Police are asking anyone with information to contact local police or Crime Stoppers.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Lifelines Of Hope' On The CW Showcases Selfless Acts Of Heroism
"Lifelines of Hope," a one-hour special on The CW, offers a potpourri of life saving moments that ... More elicit involvement from ordinary individuals, often risking their own lives, to save others Ordinary people with extraordinary courage. Celebrities who use their influence to make a positive difference. Unity in the face of adversity. A community spirit at a time of considerable challenges. And a foundation, The Marine Toys for Tots, which provides year-round leadership, funding, and emotional support to economically disadvantaged children. In the content arena of today where sensationalism in storytelling is the norm, tonight's one-hour special Lifelines of Hope on The CW, airing at 9 p.m. ET, is an immediate reminder of the value of true heroism. In the category of non-scripted reality, it is a rare example of an entry with an uplifting theme. Hosted by Dean Cain, Laura McKenzie, Elizabeth Stanton, and Montel Williams, Lifelines of Hope offers a potpourri of life saving moments that elicit involvement from ordinary individuals, often risking their own lives to save others. And it features a roster of personalities, including Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, Gwen Stefani, Billy Crystal, John Stamos and Sean Penn, who use their influence for the good of the community. From a food delivery driver rescuing four children from a burning house to a man jumping off a bridge to save a drowning infant to the first responders battling the Eaton and Palisades fires this past January in Los Angeles, Lifelines of Hope from Associated Television International (Masters of Illusion, The Hollywood Christmas Parade), a production company dedicated to uplifting programming and topical storytelling, highlights the unity in activities that benefit the community. From January 7 to 31, 2025, a series of 14 destructive wildfires affected the Los Angeles ... More metropolitan area and San Diego County. 'These are particularly challenging times; fires, hurricanes, violence, and so many tumultuous issues impacting our world. So, through Lifelines of Hope, we want to remind the audience of the value and the importance of these acts of kindness and heroism,' said Laura McKenzie, who also executive produced the special. 'We want to stress how many people there are, from everyday individuals to noted personalities, who are willing to simply step in.' 'When you help somebody else, something positive is going to come back to you,' believes Montel Williams, who for 17 years was a direct connection to the general public through his eponymous syndicated daytime talk show. 'We showcase these compassionate stories in Lifelines of Hope as a testimonial to the value and the importance of this community spirit.' Other situations featured on Lifelines of Hope include a neighbor who fearlessly steps in to protect a six-year-old from a wild dog; Monaco's Prince Albert II as he devotes himself to defending the planet's oceans; the devastation from of Hurricane Helene, which caused widespread catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the Southeastern United States last September; and Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis in an appearance on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon during the California Wildfires. 'Do anything you can: anything in your community to help people. Give blood, donate, whatever you can do…animal shelters,' said Curtis. Hurricane Helene was a devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread catastrophic damage and ... More numerous fatalities across the Southeastern United States in late September 2024. 'Sometimes challenges bring out the best in people. Even today, and maybe at this very moment, somebody is going way outside their comfort zone,' noted actor Dean Cain, who addressed the personal struggle his parents faced after losing their family home in the California fires. 'These are the heroes who became the lifelines of hope.' Dean Cain and Laura McKenzie host The CW special "LIfelines of Hope" alongside Montel Williams and ... More Elizabeth Stanton. The Marine Toys for Tots For The Marine Toys for Tots, Lifelines of Hope offers an opportunity to highlight its charitable initiative following its participation in the annual Associated Television International-produced The Hollywood Christmas Parade. Last fall, the foundation, which brings children a moment of hope amid uncertainty, was honored at The 27th Annual Family Film and TV Awards for its commitment to supporting families and children in need across the country year-round. 'In 2024, we reached a record 13 million less fortunate children in the United States. And the majority of what we do is now through civilian volunteers,' said General James B. Laster, USMC (Retired), President & CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. 'We could not reach this goal without volunteers and the generosity of people dropping a toy or book into a collection box or opening up their wallet to make a monetary donation to us.' LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In this image released on January 24, (L-R) Major General Len Anderson IV, ... More Dean Cain, Elizabeth Stanton, Laura McKenzie, Montel Williams, and Lieutenant General James B. Laster pose for a portrait during the 26th Annual Family Film And TV Awards in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Family Film and TV Awards) Founded in 1947, the initial mission of the Marine Toys for Tots program was to collect new unwrapped toys, books, games and other items and distribute them to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas. Rated as one of the top charities in the nation with a program support ratio of 98 to 2 (which measures how efficiently a nonprofit is using its resources to achieve its goals), the Virginia-based foundation now operates year-round. 'Unfortunately, there are just too many negative things in the media these days and on television in general. But I do believe that Americans, overall, are good people and are inherently willing to lend a hand and stand up to any challenge,' noted General Laster. 'And telling these stories in a special like Lifelines of Hope only accentuates our mission.' 'America has been a country of heroes since its very beginning,' said Dean Cain. 'And there is no shortage of individuals that stand up and make a positive difference.' While presented as a one-hour special, Lifelines of Hope would be a welcome addition for The CW (or any outlet – broadcast or streaming) as a regularly scheduled weekly television series. From the origins of broadcasting to modern days, the backbone of original content accentuates kindness, empathy, and teamwork. And, for an advertiser, there is no value greater than a positive option like Lifelines of Hope that emphasizes just that. It's a win-win for everyone. 'We had to turn people away this past year because we had so many volunteers,' noted General Laster from Marine Toys for Tots. 'This is a testimonial to the endless people ready and willing to contribute to the community. There is no better feeling than helping others.' Marine Toys for Tots collects and distributes toys, games, and books to children in need for the ... More holidays as well as other year-round initiatives.
