Mayor-elect Martin J. Walsh and UMass Building Authority Executive Director Katherine Craven were named Man & Woman of the Year by Friends for Children, a local nonprofit whose mission is to provide compassion and guidance to families in need of care for their children. The awards were presented at the charity’s annual holiday celebration at Philips Old Colony House in Dorchester before a gathering of more than 150 Friends for Children supporters on Dec. 6.

The two were honored for their many years of dedication and leadership on issues affecting children. Craven, who has a sister and a son with Down Syndrome, is on the Board of the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and is a long-time advocate for children with special needs. Mayor-elect Walsh is a long-term Friends for Children Board member and advocate.

Friends for Children is a non-profit organization that offers warmth, compassion and direction to families in need of care for their children. Friends for Children, based in Dorchester, MA, funds many local programs including: Parents Helping Parents, Children’s Trust Fund, Cushing House of South Boston, Healthy Baby, Healthy Child/Boston Public Health Commission, Ruth Darling Child Care Center and Dorchester Youth Academy. For more information, visit friendsforchildrenma.org.