Our Active Causes
You Are The Power focuses on several specific programs where abuse is rampant, and we take individual cases as they fit our mission.
The Family Reunification Program
The Anderson Family
Massachusetts
Kristy Anderson fights to reunite with her son Oliver after DCF removed him following hospital errors, strokes, infections, and ongoing health struggles; accusing her of being the cause of his problems. After Oliver was removed and a “sitter” required during Kristy’s visits, Oliver’s health problems continue.
The Freeman Family
Georgia
Like many parents caught in Georgia’s family policing system that You Are The Power advocates for, Jaicobi and Kaliyah’s story begins at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). It continues with the involvement of a Child Abuse Pediatrician (CAP) and the premature diagnosis of non-accidental trauma or abuse.
The Patterson Family
Florida
The Patterson case has led to the proposal of Florida Senate Bill 304 and Florida House Bill 511. These bills aim to give parents the right to a second medical opinion in cases involving allegations of abuse. Despite these efforts and the fact that lawmakers have declared Michael and Tasha to be factually innocent, they are still without their children.
The Savely Family
Tennessee
The Mason and Madalyn Savely have spent over $100,000 on legal fees and medical experts, an overwhelming financial burden resulting from CPS relying on the opinion of a CAP rather than doing its due diligence and adequately investigating the allegation of abuse. CPS has taken an opinion and represented it as a fact, fracturing another innocent family.
The Tallon Family
Bartow County, GA
The Tallons’ youngest daughter, Josie, accidentally fell off the couch. As a precaution and at the family pediatrician’s request, Wyatt and Rachel took her to CHOA. There Dr. Keely Iannelli, a fellow undergoing training and Dr. Stephen Messner, a child abuse pediatrician (CAP), examined x-ray evidence. Soon thereafter, the Tallons’ lives were turned upside down.
Civil Liberties
Assistive Mobility Device Registration Law - Rights Infringement
Cortland, NY
The City of Cortland is voting on a law that would require registration of Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices (EPAMDs). Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices are legitimate mobility aids for people with disabilities. Under the ADA, public entities must permit wheelchairs and other mobility devices, and they must make reasonable modifications for devices used as mobility aids. It is not lawful to require fees, permits, or special registration for mobility aids.
Freedom Fund
The Henry Family Farm - Eminent Domain Seizure
Cranbury, NJ
For 175 years, the Henry family’s farm at 1234 South River Road has been part of Cranbury, NJ. Generations have worked the land, raised livestock, and preserved a piece of the Garden State’s heritage. Now, the Township wants to erase it. Without warning, officials voted to use eminent domain to take Andy Henry’s farm for a multi-family housing project. Andy never wanted to sell. Developers tried, and he refused. Because you don’t sell your family’s roots.
Todd Combs - Zoning Dispute
Kettering, OH
Todd Combs, a U.S. Army combat veteran, and his family in Kettering, Ohio, are facing an unjust threat to their beloved pet fowl. The family has 18 hens, which they keep as pets and companions, not for food production. Due to allergies, they cannot have traditional pets like dogs or cats, so their pet fowl provide comfort and companionship. Despite this, the City of Kettering has cited them for a zoning violation, claiming their hens violate the local code under Section 1139.04-6.
Frogtown Road - Eminent Domain Seizure
Union, KY
For over 50 years, families have built their lives along Frogtown Road in Union, Kentucky. Now, many of them are facing the unthinkable — the forced loss of their homes under the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) proposed Frogtown Road Expansion project.
Mill Creek Mountain Prison Project
Charleston, AR
In the small town of Charleston, Arkansas – home to just 2,600 people – residents are facing a battle they didn’t choose. Without their knowledge or input, the Arkansas Department of Corrections and the Governor decided to build a 3,000-bed prison right in their backyard, purchasing 800 acres on Mill Creek Mountain in secret.
Charity Defense
One Love Longview
Longview, TX
Amanda and the staff of One Love Longview have recently been the focus of a concerted effort by the City of Longview to shutter their facility since city officials and the Longview Police Department co-hosted an official meeting at a local church as a public stoning of the organization. This was followed by law enforcement physically arresting One Love Longview’s clients at alarmingly higher rates under local ordinances. At the same time, other citizens received only verbal warnings or citations for the same offenses, which included walking against the flow of traffic, riding a bicycle against the flow of traffic, and jaywalking.