April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Childhelp® National Day of Hope April 2nd kicks off month long awareness efforts.
Childhelp.org - March 13, 2008
(PRNewsChannel) / Phoenix, Ariz. - Four children will die today in the United States from child abuse. Every month we lose the equivalent of a Boeing 737 filled with kids.
Childhelp®, a national nonprofit, has been leading the charge against child abuse. Childhelp® is dedicated to meeting the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused and neglected children and was instrumental in designating April as National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month.
Established in 1999, Childhelp® National Day of Hope® is the first Wednesday of every April and seeks to mobilize mothers, fathers, business leaders and politicians across America to stop child abuse. It is a day that encourages people to observe a moment of silence and say a prayer for the four children who die every day from abuse and neglect in their own homes.
In honor and memory of those children, Childhelp® has created a four-wick candle as the symbol of the Childhelp® National Day of Hope that can be ordered online at www.childhelp.org for $10.
There are many ways to make a difference in preventing child abuse and neglect, which include:
• Learning the signs and symptoms of abuse. Report known or suspected child abuse to the local police department. If you have questions about child abuse, call the Childhelp® National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD®.
• Organizing an event to raise money for programs serving abused children.
• Encouraging a local restaurant to donate the proceeds from a specific menu item, hour or day to Childhelp.
• Helping out a stressed-out parent by offering to baby-sit, make dinner or just lend an understanding ear.
• Volunteering your time and talents by finding the nearest Childhelp® chapter, auxiliary or facility that utilizes community volunteers.
What Happens on National Day of Hope?
• People across the country light a 4-wick candle and observe 4 minutes of silence or prayer in recognition of the 4 children who die each day as a result of abuse and neglect in the home, and the millions more who suffer
• TV stations in selected U.S. cities display a National Day of Hope candle on their news anchors desks, and air stories on the subject of child abuse
• Governors and mayors and members of the U.S. Congress are asked to open their meetings or legislative sessions on the first Wednesday of April with the lighting of a 4 wick candle and prayer or moment of silence.
About Childhelp: CEO and Co-Founder Sara O’Meara and President and Co-Founder Yvonne Fedderson started Childhelp® in 1959, establishing it as a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect and at-risk children. Childhelp’s approach focuses on advocacy, prevention, treatment and community outreach.
The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD®, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Childhelp’s programs and services also include residential treatment services; children’s advocacy centers; therapeutic foster care; group homes and child abuse prevention, education and training. Childhelp also created the National Day of Hope®, held each April during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, that mobilizes people across America to join the fight against child abuse.
Media Contacts: Megan Rose
Gordon C. James Public Relations
602-635-1449 / 602-690-0801 (cell)
Derrek Hofrichter
Gordon C. James Public Relations
602-636-1449 / 703-402-3435 (cell)
This press release was issued by PRNewsChannel.com. For more information, please visit https://prnewschannel.com.
Source Web Site: Childhelp.org
