HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – April is Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Pathways in Ottawa and Allegan County have dedicated this month to bringing awareness to the community.
Easlier this month Pathways teamed up with several organizations to plant pinwheels to bring awareness. The pinwheel is a happy and uplifting symbol of childhood. The Pinwheel is now recognized as a national symbol to bring community awareness of child abuse prevention efforts.
New this year is the campaign “The Polished Man.” Lee Moerdyke, Community Youth Development Director of Pathways, says it first started in Australia and it was such a huge success they decided to give it a try. It encourages men in the community to paint their one of their fingernails blue and the other fingernail teal. Blue is for child abuse prevention and teal is for sexual assault awareness month. By painting one’s fingernails, Moerdyke says you make a commitment to learning more about child and sexual abuse and ways to prevent it. Anyone can paint their nails Moerdyke says.
They will have several other programs to bring awareness to several issues such as a Question and Persuade Refer on April 14, 2016 about suicide and how to prevent it.
From mental health services to substance abuse counseling to adoption and foster care programs, Pathways in Holland offers a wide range of resources and expertise, all dedicated to enabling children, adults and families achieve change in their lives and communities.
