April 1997
Los Angeles

CHEC debuts website:
www.checnet.org

Project Director,
Sandy Schubert www.checnet.org

"During my tenure as CHEC's Project Director, I was honored to be a part of CHEC's blossoming into the organization it is today. While remaining an organization whose heart and soul is the parents and friends that have nurtured it over the years, CHEC's efforts grew exponentially. For instance, CHEC launched several efforts to speak to family's concerns about their children's environmental health, providing parents an opportunity to communicate directly with medical, scientific and environmental experts, as well as other parents: its website, CHECNet; The CHEC Report, a newsletter written for parents; and The Household Detective, a booklet which gives families practical advice on steps they can take to protect their kid's from environmental threats commonly found in home. These outreach materials are vital to parents who hear of the threats to their children's health, but frequently do not know what they can do to improve the situation. CHEC also continued its efforts to spread the word through highly publicized events, including its second Mother's Day Tea and Poetry Reading and the premier of the re-release of Grease. We also continued work on the Children's Environmental Protection Act with Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) and Representative James Moran (VA), raising awareness of these issues throughout the nation and resulting in the legislation's introduction in front of the United States Congress. Although it has not yet been signed into law, CHEC, Senator Boxer and Representative Moran continue to work tirelessly for passage of this critical legislation. The most moving work I did while I was with CHEC surrounded CHEC's first Symposium: Bridging the Gap Between Children's Health and the Environment, both its execution and the follow-up report. Bridging the Gap brought together policy makers, and leaders in the medical and environmental fields with families whose children had been harmed by environmental toxicants. Some of their children had died, some were born with birth defects, some suffered through devastating illness. And yet, like Jim and Nancy, they were propelled into action. Instead of tragedy, they saw challenge. Their strength in the face of such pain continues to humble and inspire me. I carry with me their faces and their stories - the heart of CHEC - as I continue to work to protect public health and the environment."