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Florida’s children and down trodden have lost an advocate. Budd Bell, know throughout the child advocacy community as a pioneer has died at age 94. Ms. Bell lobbied the state capitol without pay for more than 30 years. She is credited with forcing state lawmakers to better fund children’s programs and once held a bake sale in front of the House Chamber to make her point. Karen Woodall interned with Bell in 1979 and says she chose to be an advocate after learning from Budd Bell.

“She was brilliant and she cared deeply for all kinds of people,” Woodall said.  “Everybody who was kind of left out of the mix. In addition to that, Budd was a teacher, she was a trainer. She didn’t just do her work.”

Bell moved to Florida in 1969 and founded Kids Incorporated as well as the Clearing House on Human services.