Every year millions of children around the world are victims of abuse and neglect, and millions more receive preventative assistance to help avoid continuing abuse. Child Help is an organization dedicated to helping provide help to children who are in situations where they are suffering from neglect and abuse. The Day Of Hope is a day to remember these hidden statistics, and to do your part to help those in your community and throughout the world. Abuse comes in many forms, from physical violence, to sexual abuse, to sheer neglect where necessary medical care and food are withheld.
Yvonne Fedderson helped to establish Childhelp as the co-founder and president, and continues to serve in this capacity to this day. She focuses on helping to establish new chapters, auxiliaries, and to help them with their fundraising in their neighborhoods and abroad. She is active in a number of non-profits dedicated to humanitarian aid. She has received awards numbering over 100 from groups such as the National Children’s Alliance’s Champions of Children Award, and the Living Legacy award. She has been nominated multiple times for the Nobel Peace Prize Award.
Sara O’Meara serves with her as the co-founder of the organization, CEO, and Chairman. Along with Yvonne she spends her time developing the organization as the main spokesperson, helping to develop funds and maintaining oversight for the entire organization. Like her partner Yvonne she has received well over 100 awards for the work she does for abused children around the world.
The organization Childhelp has a long history covering over 50 years around the world, using its efforts and programs to help millions of children around the world. It was first established as International Orphans, focusing on assisting the children of American Soldiers and Japanese women in the 60’s. The organization was renamed Children’s Village USA, eventually becoming Childhelp USA before its final transition to just ‘Childhelp’ which it continues to be known as to this day. Childhelp stands today as among the largest of child abuse prevention organizations.
The organization has created the hotline “Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline” which is staffed year round at all hours by professional crisis counselors. The hotline services children at risk by answering cals from them, parents and guardians, and those individuals who believe they may have observed abuse situations in their neighborhood. By networking with thousands of emergency services, social and support resources they are able to provide the appropriate contact information in an air of complete anonymity. All of this is accomplished without any form of government funding.
They combine this by offering treatment to those who have suffered through child abuse through multiple methods. One of their most common are treatment centers located in residential areas, the source of their name ‘Children’s Village’, they provide treatment programs for at-risk children who have been referred to them by the court system. They serve some of the most severely abused and neglected children at these centers by providing therapists, social workers, therapists, and medical professionals.
Celebrate this Day Of Hope by volunteering at your local chapters, finding ways that you can work to help raise awareness of child abuse and how to approach those situations where you suspect it may be occurring. You can also light a five-wicked candle in a prominent place, serving as a symbol of hope to those who are dealing with the trauma of child abuse. Child Abuse is a worldwide problem, and only the efforts of an international village can serve to help protect these most innocent victims.
Supporting Day of Hope this 4th April, 2018
