Child Advocates of Fort Bend and the City of Richmond are working together to kick off 2023 April Child Abuse Awareness Month 2023. The City of Richmond’s monthly Movies at the Park Series will host Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s annual Light of Hope Ceremony on Friday, March 31 at Wessendorff Park located at 500 Preston St in Richmond. This free community event is fun for the whole family. There will be food, games, a treat walk, inflatable bounce house, face painting, music, prize giveaways and MUCH more. Festivities begin at 5:30pm. The movie Peter Rabbit2 – The Runaway starts at 7:45pm. The public is encouraged to bring their friends, family and a lawn chair or blanket and join in the fun!
“This is the second year we have teamed with the City of Richmond on this event and we are so grateful for their partnership and commitment to helping to strengthen our community through awareness and education,” stated Child Advocates of Fort Bend CEO Ruthanne Mefford.
Child Advocates of Fort Bend served 3,833 children and families last year who were victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse or neglect. Although child abuse knows no season, April is designated as National Child Abuse Awareness Month. Some of the ways to participate in
Child Abuse Awareness Month include wearing a blue ribbon, helping to pass out blue ribbons, posting child abuse prevention materials in your place of business, learning how you can be a safe adult for children by attending a Darkness to Light Training (for upcoming training dates go to https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/darkness-to-light-stewards-of-children-2023-190199) and inviting Child Advocates of Fort Bend to talk to your group about child abuse. To request a speaker or see a list of speaking topics, go to https://www.cafb.org/programs/community-education/speaker-requests/.
About Child Advocates of Fort Bend:
Child Advocates of Fort Bend is a non-profit agency dedicated to ending child abuse by Strengthening the Voice of the Child, Healing the Hurt, and Breaking the Cycle of abuse and neglect for children and families in Fort Bend and surrounding counties. Through its Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (CASATM), Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) and more than 200 trained community volunteer advocates, Child Advocates improves the lives of more than 400 children each month and has served 22,000 children since opening its doors in 1991.
The agency’s Charlie’s Chocolate Factory Gala which supports its programs for children is set for April 29, 2023. Sponsorships of $500 – $15,000 are available. For more information about the Gala or to sponsor contact Tarina Sheridan at 281-344-5109 or tsheridan@cafb.org.
For more information on how you can get involved with Child Advocates of Fort Bend, contact Volunteer Services at 281-344-5123 or jbrown@cafb.org or log onto www.cafb.org.
Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s 2023 Light of Hope Ceremony to kick off April Child Abuse Awareness Month is set for Friday, April 31 at Wessendorff Park in Richmond. Shown L to R are: Makayleigh Adams, Snehal Johnson, Alli Waterwall, Dana Mersiovsky, Luisa Bowers, Angela Lewis, Tarina Sheridan, Maxi Schultz and April Shaver.
Photo courtesy of CAFB