Mayor Williams; Surgeon General Introduce COG's New Foster Programs
Executive Director David J. Robertson was joined by D.C. Mayor and COG Board Vice Chair Anthony A. Williams and U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona to introduce COG's new Work of Heart Regional Recruitment campaign. The campaign, made possible by a federal grant and funding from the Freddie Mac Foundation, includes the nation’s first regional program to train foster and adoptive parents as full-time recruiters of other prospective foster parents, as well as a new Volunteer Respite Program that certifies families and individuals to care for foster children one weekend per month. Both programs were introduced at a press conference held March 30.

Regional Pawn Data Sharing System Among First in Nation
COG's new Regional Pawn Sharing Database System, introduced during a press conference held at the Alexandria Police Department, will help recover stolen property and solve crimes in the region. The database system, funded through a federal grant secured by Congressman James P. Moran (D-Va), connects law enforcement officers to items sold in pawn shops in jurisdictions other than their own. The system is one of the nation’s first.

Firm Selected to Begin Emergency Preparedness Education Campaign
In March, Burson-Marsteller was selected to develop a regional citizens’ awareness and education campaign to prepare individuals and families for a major emergency or disaster, including terrorism. The project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through the Urban Areas Security Initiative, and will be managed by the Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs with assistance from COG. The goal of the campaign is to increase the percentage of individuals in the National Capital Region who identify themselves as prepared for an emergency to at least 50 percent.