Contact: Jenni Brockman
Telephone: 804-443-3357 (w); 804-443-2703 (h)
Fax: 804-443-6781
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Margaret's Joins Community To Recognize Child Abuse
On Wednesday, April 28, St. Margaret's lead community service group Basic Needs held a special chapel service in recognition of child abuse prevention month.
Basic Needs faculty sponsor ViAnn Farmer and organization president Hillary Pugh, of Warsaw, planned the service which featured an address by Liz Smith of Richmond County Social Service's Department, an acappella performance by the Basic Needs Choir, a teddy bear offertory, and blue awareness ribbons.
(pictured l. to r.) Liz Smith, of Richmond County Social Service's Dept., Lois Ward, of Essex County Public Library, and Basic Needs members Sara Newman and Hillary Pugh stand beside St. Margaret's teddy bear alter at a special child abuse awareness chapel service last Monday.
Approximately 75 teddy bears, from big and brown to small, white and winged, were donated and will be forwarded to child abuse victims in area communities. SMS chaplain Ann Reeder Riggs asked in prayer that the teddy bears symbolize the need to fight child abuse and neglect in this world and that the stuffed bears lift the spirits of those children who will receive them.
Ms. Smith briefly spoke to the faculty and students about social work in Richmond County. Statistics were given to raise awareness about the serious and immediate situation at hand across the nation, including Northern Neck, VA; advice on how to help someone who might be suffering from child abuse was also discussed. In addition, Ms. Smith stressed that child abuse is not biased but includes people of all ethnic backgrounds.
"I think it is important to continue to have programs like this chapel service that raise public awareness of this problem. Every one here today can make a difference and those present have all started by being here and being an active part in the solution," said Smith.
According to VA Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention Month statistics, based on July 1997 - June 1998 studies, 6,567 cases of child abuse and/or neglect were reported in Virginia alone; as a result, 36 children died and 26 of these children were two-years old or younger. Every 10 days a child dies from abuse or neglect; every 54 minutes a child is abused or neglected. The VA Department of Social Service's toll free child abuse hotline number (800) 552 - 7096 is available for anyone who might need help or have further questions.
Sophomore Sara Newman, of White Stone, presented Recognizing Child Abuse, a book that addresses warning signs and protocol for how to recognize and handle child abuse, to Lois Ward of Essex County Public Library. Ms. Ward was glad to accept the donation and thanked Basic Needs for its special gift.
"Special chapel services like this really aim to educate and I think we all leave knowing something we didn't know before…which is great," said junior Mary Emery. "We do that sort of thing here at school but it's something we need to make sure we continue to do more."
1998-99 Basic Needs members are: seniors: Jessica Arnest, Erica Ell, Haden Halprin, Stephanie Hinson, Katie Horsley, Lesley Newman, Hillary Pugh, Chesley Vaughan, Ann Wang, and school president Ann Worthington; juniors: Garnett Ashworth, Laura Austin, Whitney Bowen, Latane Crittenden, Mary Emery, Katie Farmer, Jessica Fram, Jeong Min Kim, Amy Laskar, Melissa Mancusso, Ginny Moncure, Sara Pirtle, Catherine Redfearn, Kym Register, Cameron Sgroi, Jamie Shelor, Carolyn Stephenson, Pie Terry, and Carver Weakley; sophomores: Carol Combs, Dwann Cutler, Tess Duncan, Sara Newman, Cathy Ryan, Maria Schimizzi, Claire Stephenson, and Allison Wasserman; freshmen: Shannon Davis, Olivia Longest, Mary Burke Parker, and Sarah Taliaferro; and faculty sponsor Viann Farmer.
