Prevent Child Abuse New York's Blog

Happy Thanksgiving from Prevent Child Abuse New York

Next week, America's families will gather to celebrate Thanksgiving. The feast usually takes center stage, but the true purpose of Thanksgiving is to express gratitude for our most precious treasures: family and friends, health and wellness, food and shelter.

Unfortunately, many families have little to be thankful for this holiday. For the past few years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of families falling into poverty. These families suffer with insufficient access to food, shelter, health care and other necessities.

For those of us fortunate enough to celebrate Thanksgiving with the warmth of family, friends and a feast, one of the best ways to give thanks is to give back. Get your whole family involved, and use the Thanksgiving season as an opportunity to teach the kids in your life about the importance of gratitude and generosity. Here are some tips to get you started.

Take inventory. Before the holiday season shifts into overdrive, ask every member of your family to pick an item (toys, clothing, or household goods) to donate to a local organization that serves homeless or underprivileged families.

Do a family project. Make a Thanksgiving tree out of construction paper. Have each member of the family write down what they are thankful for on the leaves.

Share the bounty. The holidays can be an especially grim time for families struggling to make ends meet. Your donation to a local food bank or food pantry can help make Thanksgiving special for a family in need. The New York State Food Bank Association can direct you to your local food bank. You can also call our Parent Helpline at 1-800-CHILDREN or e-mail us for a referral to a food pantry near you.

Spread the love. Invite a neighbor or family friend to your Thanksgiving feast. The more the merrier!

Talk to your children about how to show thanks. Have them write a thank you note to teachers, grandparents, babysitters or others who have given them love and special attention.

Thank your kids! Tell your children how special they are. Show them that you're thankful for them by giving them extra hugs, kisses and special notes of appreciation.

Best wishes for a joyous and generous Thanksgiving from Prevent Child Abuse New York!

Walk for Children: Last Minute Reminders

We're ready for the Walk for Children tomorrow! The kids' games and activities are packed, the food is ordered, and the prizes are being packaged and wrapped at this very moment. In addition to having fun tomorrow, I hope you'll have a chance to learn more about our work. We'll have our educational materials available, as well as our signature line of Pinwheels for Prevention products

Here are some last-minute reminders as you prepare for the big day:

1. Registration opens at 10 a.m. inside the Lake House in Washington Park. You'll find a map of Washington Park and the streets around it on our web site.
2. The children's games and activities also start at 10. The walk is a rain or shine event.
3. Please bring your sponsorship cash and checks and turn them in when you register. Please be sure your name and team name, if you have one, is written on your collection envelope.
4. The walk kicks off around 11:15. We will walk once around the park. After the walk, please join us at the Lake House for refreshments and the awarding of fundraising and raffle prizes.
5. There's still time to raise money! A last minute e-mail or phone call to potential sponsors could make a big difference. Remember, every walker who raises over $50 gets a Walk for Children T-shirt.

Thank you for everything you're doing to prevent child abuse and neglect!

Walk for Children: One Week Away!

With the Walk for Children a little more than one week away, we're in the final stretch to raise funds and make this year's Walk the most successful yet. If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to create and personalize a fundraising page at FirstGiving.com. This is a simple and easy way to raise money and show your sponsors why preventing child abuse is important to you. This is also a good time to send a final email to friends and family that have not yet contributed asking them to donate and forward your message to others they think could help.

We have many teams raising funds to support the Walk for Children! Everyone is doing a terrific job, but we really need you to continue recruiting walkers and sponsors to reach our goal of $30,000!

We greatly appreciate your participation and fundraising efforts and hope you have found the process to be fun and rewarding! Child abuse and neglect prevention is the most critical issue we can address for the long-term prosperity of our state and nation. Thank you for stepping up to make a difference in your community!

Walk for Children At-a-Glance:

Where:
Washington Park Lake House

When:
Saturday, October 15
Registration & Kids' Activities 10 a.m.
Walk 11 a.m.
Rain or Shine

At the Walk:
Children's games, activities, crafts, music, food, refreshments, prizes and a short walk through the park in honor of the leaders of tomorrow - our kids! Proceeds from the Walk support our Parent Helpline and Kids Can't Wait, our legislative advocacy program.

More information:
Learn more about the event on our web site, including information about registration, organizing your own team, creating a personal fundraising page, fundraising tips, and volunteering.

Already busy on October 15?
That's OK! You can still support the Walk for Children by making a donation or raising money with a fundraising page on FirstGiving.com.

Walk for Children: Sample Email to Sponsors

As a participant in the 2011 Walk for Children, you play a key role in the success of the event! Please help us reach our goal of $30,000!

If you haven't already, please take a moment to create and personalize a fundraising page at FirstGiving.com. This is a simple and easy way to raise money and show your sponsors why preventing child abuse is important to you.

Below is a sample e-mail that you can send to anyone you think might sponsor you.

Dear Friend,

I am participating in the 2011 Walk for Children to benefit Prevent Child Abuse New York (PCANY) on October 15 at Washington Park in Albany. The Walk for Children is an event for the whole family that features games, activities, prizes, food, refreshments and a short walk around the park to honor the leaders of tomorrow - our kids.

Widely considered the state's go-to organization for information, activities and resources related to preventing child abuse and neglect, PCANY provides training, education and referral services to nearly 100,000 people each year. Countless more benefit from their legislative advocacy efforts, which have successfully established and sustained proven child abuse prevention programs for at-risk children and families.

PCANY has enjoyed many successes, but too few children benefit from them. The unfortunate reality is that so few resources have been dedicated to prevention programs that they are available to only the tiniest fraction of those who need them.

That's where you come in. I have created an online fundraising page to make it as easy as possible for you to contribute to my efforts. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to this very worthy cause.

Please visit [insert link to your page] to make a secure online donation.

Thank you in advance for your generous support!

Your friend,

[Insert Your Name]

Child abuse and neglect prevention is the most critical issue we can address for the long-term prosperity of our state and nation. Thank you for stepping up to make a difference in your community! Learn more about the event on our web site, including information about registration, organizing your own team, creating a personal fundraising page, fundraising tips, and volunteering.

Walk for Children: Let's Celebrate the Leaders of Tomorrow!

In an unpredictable world one thing is for sure: Today's kids are tomorrow's leaders. Child abuse prevention is the most urgent issue we can address for the long-term prosperity of our state and nation. I hope you'll join us at the Walk for Children on October 15 to celebrate the leaders of tomorrow and help create a world where all children are loved, nurtured and protected.

It's been a challenging year for PCANY and all signs point to another difficult year ahead. The success of the Walk for Children is more important than ever. We're depending on you to spread the word and raise money.

Please help us reach our goal of $30,000! Fundraising is a challenging, but rewarding activity. We're thankful for supporters like you as we push toward our goal. Here are some tips to help you achieve your personal fundraising goals:

Create a FirstGiving.com Page
Use FirstGiving.com to create a customized fundraising page. Tell your story with a photo, compelling message or video. Then simply email the page to your prospective sponsors. Your page is your place to show your friends, family and colleagues exactly why you're supporting Prevent Child Abuse New York.

Try Face-to-Face, Too
There's no denying the power of the internet to raise money, but people will find it harder to say no to you (or ignore you) if you ask them to donate in person. This also gives you the opportunity to immediately answer questions and explain why preventing child abuse is important to you.

Know Where the Money Goes
People want to know how their money will be spent and that it will be put to good use. Funds raised in the walk will support our 24-hour Parent Helpline and Kids Can't Wait, our legislative and policy advocacy program. You can read more about our work on our web site.

Aim High
Ask for more than you expect to get. If you think someone will donate $25, ask for $50. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Follow Up
Stay in contact with the people you ask to sponsor you. If they don't commit right away, follow up and remind them how important this is to you.

Give Thanks
Send thank you notes or emails to your sponsors. After the event, send photos of you and your team at the Walk. Be sure to let your sponsors know they are making a difference.

Walk for Children At-a-Glance:

Where:
Washington Park Lake House

When:
Saturday, October 15
Registration & Kids' Activities 10 a.m.
Walk 11 a.m.
Rain or Shine

At the Walk:
Children's games, activities, crafts, music, food, refreshments, prizes and a short walk through the park in honor of the leaders of tomorrow - our kids! Proceeds from the Walk support our Parent Helpline and Kids Can't Wait, our legislative advocacy program.

More information:
Learn more about the event on our web site, including information about registration, organizing your own team, creating a personal fundraising page, fundraising tips, and volunteering.

Already busy on October 15?
That's OK! You can still support the Walk for Children by making a donation or raising money with a fundraising page on FirstGiving.com.

Step Up to Prevent Child Abuse at the Walk for Children

As a supporter of Prevent Child Abuse New York, you know the Walk for Children isn't just a fundraiser. It's an event for the whole family that features kid's games, activities, crafts, music, food, refreshments, prizes and a short walk through the park in honor of the leaders of tomorrow - our kids.

The 2011 Walk for Children is just four weeks from Saturday! This is the perfect time to shift your efforts to recruit team members and raise sponsorship money into high gear. Recruiting walkers and raising money is hard work, but you can do it! Remember, you're making a difference for a cause you believe in. You'll find many helpful tips in our Fundraising Handbook and Team Leader Handbook (both documents are PDFs).

Please remember to register and create a personalized fundraising page at FirstGiving.com. This is a simple, easy and effective way to raise sponsorship money.

Walk for Children At-a-Glance:

Where:
Washington Park Lake House

When:
Saturday, October 15
Registration & Kids' Activities 10 a.m.
Walk 11 a.m.
Rain or Shine

At the Walk:
Children's games, activities, crafts, music, food, refreshments, prizes and a short walk through the park in honor of the leaders of tomorrow - our kids! Proceeds from the Walk support our Parent Helpline and Kids Can't Wait, our legislative advocacy program.

More information:
Learn more about the event on our web site, including information about registration, organizing your own team, creating a personal fundraising page, fundraising tips, and volunteering.

Already busy on October 15?
That's OK! You can still support the Walk for Children by making a donation or raising money with a fundraising page on FirstGiving.com.

 

PCANY Joins the Movement for America's Children

Prevent Child Abuse New York has joined the National Movement for America’s Children, a fast-growing grassroots initiative of organizations and people, who are collaborating on a comprehensive national strategy to ensure that all of our children have healthy, nurturing homes, schools, neighborhoods and communities. Movement leaders will go to Washington in November to introduce this strategy and promote its implementation across the country. In the meantime, they’re gathering public input from across the nation.

The Movement for America’s Children is spearheaded by Prevent Child Abuse America, whose CEO Jim Hmurovich will travel to our state in October, to listen to New Yorkers’ ideas about a nationwide strategy for every child. He’ll be at the Walk for Children on October 15 in Albany’s Washington Park; Union College later that day for Sigma Delta Tau’s gala luncheon; and SUNY Albany School of Social Work on Monday afternoon October 17. All events (except Sigma Delta Tau’s luncheon) are open to all. Additional details will be announced in Prevent Child Abuse New York’s e-news and on our web site.

Founding Partners of the National Movement for America’s Children include Zero to Three, American Humane Association, National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Voices for America’s Children, Children’s Leadership Council, CLASP, Child Welfare League of America, National Healthy Start Association, The Washington Children’s Foundation, General Federation of Women’s Clubs, and the National Exchange Club Foundation.

Step Up to Prevent Child Abuse at the Walk for Children

Imagine a world without child abuse - a world where all families live in prosperous communities that value kids and support parents in the important job of raising their children. You can take a step toward creating that world by joining us at the 2011 Walk for Children on October 15 at Washington Park in Albany.

The walk is an event for the entire family that features games, activities, prizes, free food and refreshments and a short walk around the park to honor the leaders of tomorrow - our kids. You can learn more about the event on our web site, where you'll find information about registering, organizing your own team [pdf], and creating a personal fundraising page.

Please register today. Every step you take and every dollar you raise will benefit PCANY's child abuse prevention programs!

This Father's Day Be a Dad

National Fatherhood Initiative has launched a new campaign, Be a Dad, to inspire dads to be involved in their children's lives.

The campaign includes many practical tips that can help fathers be the dads their kids need them to be. Tips include: Respect Your Child's Mother, Spend Time with Your Children, Earn the Right to be Heard, and Disciline with Love.

This terrific PSA is also part of the campaign.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Enjoy your special day with your kids.

Conference Aims to Advance the Dialogue on Working with Domestic Violence Perpetrators

New York City's Coalition on Working with Domestic Abusive Partners (CoWAP) is presenting a one-day conference that highlights the broad range of approaches being used to work with people who abuse in intimate relationships. The conference will explore the complex issues related to the prevention of abusive behavior and intervention with domestic violence perpetrators. National and local experts in domestic violence will discuss the research, strategies and controversies surrounding abusive partner intervention and prevention.

The conference is designed for anyone whose work brings them into contact with domestic violence perpetrators, victims or child witnesses—those working directly to combat domestic violence, child welfare, preventive services, social services, health and mental health professionals, legal service providers and fatherhood programs.

The event includes three plenary presentations and two breakout sessions. More about the conference schedule and program is here (pdf).

Registration and conference information is here. Space is limited and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, so register now.

Date: Thursday, June 2, 2011
Time: 8:30 pm - 5 p.m.
Place: The Conference Center at JP Morgan Chase
One Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, NY 10003