# Rochester's Oldest Nonprofit Is 150 Years Old. Here's Why It Matters More Than Ever.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/rochester-speaks-7724327/rochester-s-oldest-nonprofit-is-150-years-old-here-s-why-it-matters-more-than-ever
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/rochester-speaks-7724327/rochester-s-oldest-nonprofit-is-150-years-old-here-s-why-it-matters-more-than-ever.md
Podcast: [Rochester Speaks](https://stenobird.com/podcast/rochester-speaks-7724327)
Published: 2026-05-15T13:51:21+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/rochester-speaks/2828251
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/375334/2828251/rochester-speaks/2026_05_15_13_49_45_55ac8075-8d7d-43bb-bf72-7be5c9eecda5.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1086

## Resource

Laurie Valentine, CEO of the Society for the Protection and Care of Children, joins the show to share the remarkable 150 year history of one of Rochester's most important nonprofits and to walk through the eight programs SPCC currently runs to support children and families across our region. Discover how SPCC was founded in 1875 following the case of a young girl named Mary Ellen, whose story sparked a national movement and led to the creation of the country's first and then second Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, with Rochester's chapter becoming the second in the nation. Learn how the organization evolved through the Great Depression, World War II and the opioid crisis, how Carl Rogers began his career at SPCC in the early 1900s and how Rochester helped develop the nation's first family court system. Laurie walks through all eight of SPCC's current programs including Family Trauma Intervention, Healthy Families Monroe, Teenage Parent Support Services, adolescent pregnancy prevention, therapeutic and supervised visitation and the WIC program serving 5,000 women, infants and children every month across five counties. She also shares the context behind the work, including Rochester's ranking among the top 10 poorest cities in the country, domestic violence rates 2.5 times higher than the rest of New York State and approximately 200 babies born to mothers 19 and younger each year, twice the national average. SPCC is now planning for its next 150 years with a vision where hope is not a privilege and every child's future is determined by potential rather than circumstance. Learn more and get involved at spcc-roch.org .

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