April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making the Panhandle community a better place for children and families.
“April is a time to spotlight the important role that communities play in protecting children,” said Shelly Bohannon, Executive Director of The Bridge. “Everyone’s participation is critical. Focusing on ways to build and promote the protective factors, in every interaction with children and families, is the best thing our community can do to prevent child maltreatment and promote optimal child development. This is especially important during this time of high stress, as we begin to reopen communities in the Texas Panhandle. We are encouraging people to check in with family and friends, as we continue to see the effects of COVID-19”.
Activities
Pinwheels for Prevention
The Bridge plans many awareness activities during the month of April. A major project is the “Pinwheels for Prevention” campaign. Over one thousand brightly colored pinwheels will line the front of The Bridge’s office in Amarillo. “It takes a huge amount of courage for child victims to speak up and tell someone about their abuse”, Jackie Mikeska, Outreach Coordinator for The Bridge said. “The pinwheels represent the number of children who are interviewed at The Bridge each year. This year there will be 1,109 pinwheels in the display”, said Mikeska. 74 pinwheels will be planted at Happy State Bank to represent the number of courageous children from the county who told their story of abuse in 2020.
Blue Chain Display will represent the 74 courageous children of Gray County who disclosed their story of abuse in 2020. The Blue Chain Display will travel between the Pampa Regional Medical Center, The Coffee Shop, FirstBank & Trust/ AIM Bank, and Xtra Auto Care. The display will be up until the end of April in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month.
Other awareness month activities will take place when possible. Follow The Bridge on these social media platforms for updates on plans and activities as well as ways the community can help.
Facebook: The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center
Instagram: the_bridge_cac
Twitter: @TheBridgeAMA
The Bridge’s website: www.bridgecac.org
About the Bridge: The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center opened its doors in Amarillo in 1989 and was Texas’ first Children’s Advocacy Center. The Mission of The Bridge is to provide a Child’s Path to Healing and Justice. The Bridge is a comprehensive, child-focused program that offers a highly effective, one-stop approach to child abuse investigation. The facility allows law enforcement, child protective services, prosecutors and the mental health and medical communities to work together to best serve victims of child abuse and sexual assault. The center offers a comfortable, private, child-friendly setting where forensic interviews and sexual exams can be conducted.
