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Director Michael Powell winner of the Darkness to Light Award Michael Duncan, Superintendent of Pike County Schools
(Photo courtesy of Pike Community Resource Network
By Guest Columnist Michael Powell
ZEBULON - To mark April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month awareness campaign, the Pike Community Resource Network has placed Pinwheels for Prevention display on the lawn in front of the Pike County School District auditorium. The display is part of the national Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign, which has seen more than 3 million pinwheels distributed nationwide since April 2008.
Child Abuse Prevention Month is a time when we ask people to think about children and what they and their families need to thrive. We all have a role to play and our goal this April is to help others recognize that role and the ways in which we can maximize our impact.
It is time to celebrate the good things our communities do to promote healthy child development, as well as to reflect on the work that still needs to be done to reduce the number of children who were involved in CPS investigations in Pike County. (In State Fiscal Year 2014 the number of Pike County children who were involved in Child Protective Services investigations: 62).
“Pinwheel gardens or displays planted in communities across the nation serve as powerful visual reminders that we all play a role in ensuring happy and healthy childhoods for all children everywhere,” said Michael Powell, Executive Director of The Pike Community Resource Network, your local Georgia Family Connection collaborative. “Our Pinwheel display symbolizes 62 children being wrapped around by our community’s wall of prevention. When communities come together to support our children and families, we all benefit: our fellow citizens are better educated, employees are more effective and miss less work, and we will see a profound impact on the quality of life in the communities in which families live.”
The Pike Community Resource Network mission is to connect resources to strengthen families which build strong communities. The network is focused on three areas (1) Child Health, Safety, Abuse and Neglect (2) Drug and Alcohol Prevention Awareness and Education, and (3) Older Adult/Senior Adult Issues.
The Pike Community Resource Network reached a new milestone in Fall, 2014. Pike County officially became the third county in Georgia to reach their initial ‘tipping point’ training goal for Darkness to Light Stewards of Children training. In March, 2013 the Pike Community Resource Network partnered with the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy to initially train 652 adults in Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children training within (5) years. As of January 2, 2015 751 adults have received the training. GCCA is leading a Statewide Prevention Initiative to train 5% of adults in Georgia to prevent, recognize, and react to child sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation of children. The initiative is a coordinated effort with local county organizations, such as the Pike Community Resource Network, to bring Darkness to Light Stewards of Children to leading institutions.
Eight (8) local organizations have received Partner in Prevention distinction through Darkness to Light by providing the Stewards of Children training to at least 90% of their staff and/or volunteers. The organizations are: J. Joel Edwards Public Library, Life Springs Church Pre-K program, Pike County Board of Education, Pike Community Resource Network, Pike County Health Department, Pike County Schools, R.E.A.C.H., and Pike County UGA Cooperative Extension.
“This milestone and award would not have been possible without one major factor: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS”, said Michael Powell, Executive Director, Pike Community Resource Network. “Our partnerships with the Pike County School District, Pike County Sheriff’s office, DFCS, Pike County Kiwanis, Pike County Chamber of Commerce, West Central Intensive Treatment Facility, Church of Joy, Concord Baptist Church, Harps Crossing Baptist Church-Hollonville Campus, Meansville Baptist Church, and the (8) Partner in Prevention organizations previously mentioned were the hands and feet reaching out to our community and promoting the importance of the Darkness to Light Stewards of Children training. I am thankful to serve alongside our partners and look forward to achieving our next goal of providing the training for the next 652 community members.”
The Pike Community Resource Network meets on the first Wednesday of each month, 9 AM – 10:15 AM, at the Pike Memorial Annex, 7450 Hwy. 19, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. This is the old Pike County Middle School building next door to RUTH’s Restaurant.
Helpful resources: www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org; www.pinwheelsforprevention.org; www.preventchildabusega.org D2L.org; and georgiacenterforchildadvocacy.org