Lori Lumsden appreciates what social workers do more than most people. As executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Cherokee County, Lumsden works with social workers on a daily basis.

“They are almost like first responders to possible child mistreatment,” she said.

They are the ones who answer the call at 3 a.m. when hospital workers suspect child abuse, Lumsden said.

“They see the worst. A lot of people may not be able to fathom it,” she said, referring to the abuse cases social workers investigate.

To say “thank you” for their service, Lumsden and the Advocacy Center recently hosted a lunch for the county’s social workers to honor them during National Professional Social Work Month, which is this month.

“There’s a lot of after hours work,” Lumsden said. “They miss things with their family.”

The Advocacy Center works with social workers as partners, Lumsden said.

Advocacy Centers provide a neutral environment where children who are victims of sexual and physical abuse can receive counseling and other services.

The good work that social workers do “is typically not what you hear,” Lumsden said, but they are crucial to keeping children safe.

“There are a lot of success stories,” she said.

Lumsden said she sees first-hand how they go the extra mile to work with families, which range from very affluent to mentally challenged. One social worker drew a picture book to help a family understand how to care for and work with their children.

“We appreciate them,” she said