About Us

The Charis Charitable Foundation was founded by its president and board member, Ondrea Ondrea Faillace received her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, where she was awarded, “The Certificate of Academic Excellence in Social Work.”  She furthered her education at Fordham University in New York where she earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work, specializing in Social Work and The Law and, she is a trained Solution-Focused Life Coach through Erickson College. Ms. Faillace has professional experience from the state level as a Child Protective Service Worker for the State of Connecticut, where she was responsible for some of the Department’s most high profile Domestic Violence and Child Abuse cases, to the private sector- providing group therapy for clients in the Dual Diagnosis, Eating Disorder, and Adolescent Units at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut.  She briefly served on the Leadership Committee of Women of Vision (World Vision local chapter) in CT. Ms. Faillace is also a trained Instructor of The Healing Species Program (www.healingspecies.com) , an 11 week school based program that teaches students to stop the cycle of violence through the lessons and presence of shelter dogs.  She volunteered as an Instructor and student mentor for The K9 Connection (www.k9connection.org), another school based program for at-risk youth, that teaches teens to train homeless shelter dogs in basic obedience, so to ultimately be adopted.    Ms. Faillace has also volunteered for The Best Friends Animal Society and had spent time at their Animal Sanctuary in Utah, volunteering in “DogTown,” where the hit series is located and filmed. She also attended their workshop on “How To Start an Animal Sanctuary,” a lifelong dream of hers.

Our other board member, Andrew Whelan, received his Bachelors degree in Social Work at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. He furthered his education at Fordham University in New York, by earning a Masters in Social Work. Since 1997, Mr. Whelan has been employed at The Department of Children and Families (DCF) as a Training Supervisor and Investigations Supervisor. Mr. Whelan was nominated for a national award by the Department’s administration and received, “The Adolescent Social Worker of the Year” award in 2004. He has received a Post Masters Certificate from Southern Connecticut State University in ‘Trauma and Cognitive Related Disorders with Adolescents and Adults,’ and a Post Masters Certificate in ‘Child and Adolescent Therapy’ at Fordham University. Additionally, Mr. Whelan is a part-time Case Manager in the Emergency Room at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut.