NOT EVERYONE IS QUALIFIED TO HAVE CHILDREN!!!
Helping children of jailed couple not easy
Privacy concerns limit information about children
May 11, 2011|By Matt Sabo
Gloucester Sheriff’s Department
Not a day goes by that Kathy Taylor doesn’t think about the children of Brian and Shannon Gore, the Hayes couple jailed following the horrific discovery of their starving daughter living in a makeshift cage in a darkened bedroom.
“I just can’t imagine what this little girl has gone through in her short life,” Taylor said.
From employees at the 7-Eleven the Gores visited, not far from the Waterview Mobile Home Park where they lived, to bank tellers and neighbors, people in Gloucester and around Hampton Roads want to help or reach out to the Gores children.
That’s not so easy, however.
The girl, who investigators say is 5 or 6 years old, remains in guarded condition at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk. Information about her is closely guarded since she was first hospitalized on April 28, but her status has been upgraded from guarded to stable.
Karen Mortensen, Gloucester Victim/Witness director for the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, said financial contributions for the girl aren’t being accepted at the moment. Due to privacy concerns, Mortensen is limited about how much she can share on why money isn’t being accepted on the girl’s behalf.
Mortensen said people who want to help the girl can send donations to CHKD or other organizations.
The infant boy removed from the Gores’ home is in the care of Child Protective Services through the Virginia Department of Social Service’s Gloucester office.
Taylor said she was organizing an effort to accept donations for the foster family caring for the boy. But that was stymied.
Bonnie Longworth, administrative manager for the Gloucester office of the Department of Social Services, said confidentiality rules prevent the office from acknowledging involvement with families it serves.
Anyone who would like to make a donation to the infant boy is encouraged to give to Gloucester organizations such as the Salvation Army, the CHKD thrift store or other groups.
Mortensen said she hopes to have more information about making donations to the children within four weeks.
Until then, people who want to help, such as Taylor, are in a holding pattern. Taylor has a connection to the Gores because every first Saturday night of the month she used to go to Carolina BBQ in Gloucester with her mother and other family members to hear gospel singing.
Shannon Gore used to wait on them.
“I recognized her face,” Taylor said. “I still am completely flabbergasted.”
Taylor said she works with several employees from Gloucester and a common refrain she hears from people when talking about the little girl is that they would take her in a heartbeat, even understanding the physical and emotional issues the girl likely faces.
“There’s a lot of love out there for these children,” Taylor said.
http://articles.dailypress.com/2011-05-11/news/dp-tsq-mid-gore-community-response-0520110511_1_gores-privacy-concerns-infant-boy
