Victoria Beeson, a mom, who spends her days helping other moms and children in her rural community of Alpaugh, Calif., got a surprise acknowledgement of her efforts this past Mother’s Day.
Credit/Copyright: Tamar Levine/Save the Children
Victoria has been named a “changemaker for children” by global humanitarian organization Save the Children and was recently recognized for this honor by actor and Save the Children Ambassador Dakota Fanning who posted about Victoria on her Instagram. Victoria is an early childhood coordinator for Save the Children working with new and expectant moms and children under age five in her own community. Victoria helps moms become their child’s first and best teacher. She provides mothers with knowledge and suggested activities to help children learn language and literacy and to have the skills they need to enter school.
In celebration of Save the Children’s 100th year of changing children’s lives, the organization is honoring changemakers for children – individuals who have raised their voices and used their influence to drive change for the world’s most marginalized and deprived children in the United States and around the world.
Dakota recently visited with Victoria at Save the Children’s programs in the Central Valley of California and saw first-hand Victoria’s impact on her community. Dakota joined Victoria on a home visit to a mom with two toddlers at home, aged 2 and 3. While on the visit, Dakota observed Victoria doing a book exchange and praising the mom for making reading an important part of their daily routine. Victoria also shared a no-bake cookie recipe for the mom to make with her boys to build their skills like counting and following directions. Victoria goes above and beyond her duties with Save the Children to serve her community. One example of this is a food distribution that Victoria brought to Alpaugh and in which Dakota took part by handing out fresh fruits to families. The food distribution not only provides healthy foods, it also offers information to moms on the importance of including the right foods in a young child’s daily diet to help with the growth of their brains and bodies.
“It’s a privilege to be named one of the changemakers for children,” said Victoria, a mother of two boys. “It’s a surprise. I love my job and I don’t do it for the recognition. But it feels special to be recognized.”
“I am proud to recognize Victoria as a Save the Children changemaker,” said Dakota. “It was a privilege to shadow her and witness the huge impact of the amazing work she is doing for new moms and her entire community.”
As a changemaker for children, Victoria joins the ranks of CEOs, philanthropists, policymakers, educators and advocates. To see the current list of changemakers for children, go to savethechildren.org/changemakers.
Save the Children has been working in California since 2004. The organization partners with 31 schools in five counties, including Tulare County, to deliver education and health programs to more than 9,000 children in the state.
