"Hands are Not for Hitting"

CALLING ATTENTION TO CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH: THREE RED LAKE PROGRAMS COLLABORATE

The “Hands are Not for Hitting” wall at the Red Lake Boys and Girls Club

“Child abuse and neglect offend the basic values of our state. We have a responsibility to provide safe settings for at-risk children and facilitate permanent placement for children who cannot return home.” ~Matt Blunt

Darla Stillday, Red Lake Boys and Girls Club; DeWayne Dow, Jr., Boys and Girls Club Program Assistant at Ponemah; and Red Lake Public Safety Officers Francis LaPlant, and Robert Lynch prepare to put their handprints on the wall.

April was Child Abuse Prevention Month. To honor the children and to draw attention to the prevention of child abuse, the Red Lake Nation Boys and Girls Club, Family and Children Services, and Red Lake Public Safety invited people from the community to come and dip the palm of their hand in paint. This was followed then by participants putting their handprints on the “Hands Are Not for Hitting Wall” at the Red Lake Boys and Girls Club. Participants were also invited to sign the “Hands are Not for Hitting” Proclamation.

“Child abuse does not go away, but 90 percent of child abuse is preventable,” ~Karen Adams

Officer Francis LaPlant adds his handprint to the wall. He chooses yellow and high.

Though the activity took place over several days, a special recognition of the event took place at noon on Thursday April 22, 2010 at the Boys and Girls Club. Several community members and employees of Red Lake Public Safety came to leave their handprint in support of children. Many youth and adults, added handprints over several weeks.

“I believe the best service to the child is the service closest to the child, and children who are victims of neglect, abuse, or abandonment must not also be victims of bureaucracy. They deserve our devoted attention, not our divided attention.” ~Kenny Guinn

DeWayne Dow, Jr. chooses red and low.

Also in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, Red Lake Family and Children Services coordinated a community walk to encourage community awareness and support for healthy family living. The child abuse prevention walk was held on April 29, 2010. Prizes were awarded at all Red Lake schools which included bikes, digital cameras, and other prizes. All received special commemorative t-shirts.

"The only reason why child abuse is alive today, is because we as adults fail our children when we fail to listen to them. Listen to a child today!" ~Heather McClane

Officer Robert Lynch shows his red hand preparing to handprint the wall

Red Lake Family and Children Services, Red Lake Public Safety Department, and Red Lake Nation Boys and Girls Club have come together and are working collaboratively for children in several ways and will continue to do so.

Kelly Brunell, Crime Investigator at Red Lake Public Safety, Paula Woods, Executive Director Family and Children, and Beck Wierschke, Executive Director of Red Lake Nation Boys and Girls Club recently attended trainings in Albuquerque. The trio also attended the National Summit for missing children, where they heard presentations by Amber Alert and others in Washington, D.C.

“Molesters Do Not Wear an Ugly Mask. They Wear A Shield of Trust.” ~Patty Rase Hopson

Public Safety Officer Robert Lynch places his handprint

Some of the ideas for the Child Abuse Prevention Month came from working with the Native American Children’s Alliance NACA, (www.nativechildalliance.org) of Cleveland OH. NACA is interested in providing healing for tribal communities often using both traditional and western modalities.

As a beginning to this collaboration, members of these three Red Lake groups took this pledge:

“My pledge to help stop child abuse in my community: I (place name here) will make the following commitment to help create a safer environment for all children in my community:

~Print business cards that includes the web address netsmartz.org. (This is the address for National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, a website providing parents an on line safety training for child protection.)

~Participate with Children and Family Services (CFS) in the walk to prevent child abuse.

~Sign hands proclamations and affix handprints to the appropriate wall.

“Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.” ~Herbert Ward

Public Safety Officer Francis LaPlant signs the “Hands are Not for Hitting” proclamation while Red Lake Nation Boys and Girls Club Director Becky Wierschke awaits.

For more information about the this collaboration for children and it’s future activities, contact the Red Lake Department of Public Safety at 218-679-3313, Red Lake Children and Family Services at 679-2122, or the Red Lake Nation Boys and Girls Club at 679-2556.

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” ~Walt Streightiff