PARSIPPANY — During April the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany participated in Child Abuse Prevention Month by setting up pinwheel gardens and displays, with the first one set up at the Parsippany Town Hall and followed by a second display set up at the Parsippany IHOP on Route 46. They planted a total of 13 pinwheel gardens throughout Parsippany.
Karen DeChristopher, Co-Chair of Young Children Priority One, presented Pamela Stalcup with a $1,000 donation to Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey in support of “Great Childhoods” for all New Jersey children. Pictured with Karen is Committee person Joyce Garrow, Carol Tiesi, Julie Scarano-Debrossy, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation President Greg Elbin, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany President Frank Cahill. Co-Chair Nicolas Limanov is not pictured.
And while the pinwheel can do many things — bring smiles, lift spirits, call for healthy starts for all children — the one thing it cannot do is move on its own. Be the force that makes it move, bringing about real change for children in the United States. Protecting our children is everyone’s job…it’s your turn to make a difference!
Since 1983, April has been a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse. As we look upon the faces of the many children in our communities and think about all of the children around the world that suffer at the hands of others, let’s remember that April may be Child Abuse Prevention Month, but unfortunately abuse happens every day. That is why every year, during the month of April, communities across the country come together to focus on this startling issue and on the need for widespread prevention and public awareness campaigns to reduce the number of children who, sadly, are victims of abuse. Close to 700,000 children were victims of child abuse; and almost 1,700 children died as a result of abuse or neglect.
Karen DeChristopher, President-Elect and Co-Director of the Kiwanis “Young Children Priority One” program who has lead this campaign for the past four years explained, “As an organization that focuses on children, there is one goal that we are looking to achieve…to raise awareness of the many ways people can get involved in the fight against child abuse: First, we can get educated, so you can learn to recognize the signs of child abuse, so you can be that one person with courage to step up for these children and report abuse when you suspect it. Secondly, you can volunteer or support your child advocacy centers (Prevent Child Abuse-NJ) by calling to determine how you can support them, because every children’s advocacy center can benefit from your support for their programs and services they provide to child victims of abuse and neglect. And lastly, but most importantly we must help break the silence surrounding child abuse by raising awareness and spreading the word. These children deserve a voice, because this problem has been overlooked for far too long and you can open the doors on this crime of secrecy, because we can all make a difference for these children.”
To learn more about what you can do to help prevent child abuse, contact Pamela Stalcup, Director of Development & Communications for Prevent Child Abuse-NJ at (732) 246-8060 or click here.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. It is not religious based or partisan in any way. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany meets every Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at the Empire Diner, 1315 Route 46. We are 70 members strong and growing. New members are always welcome. (Click here for more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany).
