April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and due to the current pandemic, we are living in and the stay at home orders in place
There has been an increase in phone calls to the National Child Abuse hotline.
With kids not going to school and interacting with counselors, there has been a concern on how children can be protected physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Amigos for Kids is a local nonprofit organization whose core mission is the prevention of child abuse and neglect. But with COVID-19, Amigos for Kids had to quickly adapt to the new normal.
“It was not even a question. We were going to shift to virtual after school programming and parenting programming. That gives us an opportunity to stay engaged in our families and to keep supporting them. Many of our families are dealing with job loss, food insecurity, and financial stressors. We know that those factors can help create an environment where abuse can occur,” said Karina Pavone, Executive Director of Amigo for Kids.
The organization has canceled all their community events due to Coronavirus so in ordering to continue working with families, Amigos for Kids is launching their first virtual run.
“All you have to do is go to AmigosforKids.org and register for the run. Your registration fee is a contribution to Amigo for Kids to help families in need. Then you do your 3,500 steps, which equals 5K. For those who run or jog on a regular basis, you can run or jog whenever you want. Let us know you completed your run and that’s it, you’re completely finished. Posting your results on social media helps create awareness about child abuse prevention and also helps Amigo’s for Kids,” said Pavone.
If you or anyone you know want to report abuse or ask for services, you can call 1-800-422-4453 and if you want to know more information on Amigos for Kids and their the virtual run you can visit AmigosforKids.org.
