We live in a land where children live abused and neglected.

We have many services through our DHS and law enforcement officers along with community organizations working overtime with too few funds. They can only do so much because thousands of children live in our area with predators and abusers lurking .

So what can we do?

Quit denying it exists, and move into the action phase.

Do you have more time than money? Volunteer your time and talents. (See suggestions below.) If you have more money than time? Donate. (See suggestions below.) After your tithe, consider what you are willing to sacrifice for programs in your area that help children not to be victimized physically, sexually and emotionally.

A Few Suggestions Because Children Need a Safe Place to Go

The Child Safety Center of White County is a safe place where children can share if they’ve been physically and sexually abused. The Child Safety Center of White County not only serves our county but surrounding counties. Our state has 15 regional Child Advocacy Centers. Trained forensic interviewers, nurses and therapists work with DHS and law enforcement officers–state, county and local. This is healing organization that strives to help the children heal and mend from such atrocities as child abuse–physical, sexual and emotional.Sadly we need more throughout our nation. As a member of the board of directors, I have been blessed to work with the executive director, staff and those invested in ending child abuse. They depend on donations. Check-out their Child Safety Center Facebook page and website for more information.

I am also privileged to have served on the board of directors for the Searcy Children’s Homes for seven years. They have a devoted staff who serve children in need, securing foster parents, training them, encouraging them, providing secure daytime care and other services with continual needs arising. The Searcy Children’s Homes staff, volunteers, foster and adopting parents invest their lives to care for children who are in the Department of Human Services system. Volunteers and donations are always needed. Donations of clothes, furniture, household and garden items to the resale shop–The Sharing Shop–provide additional income for their many projects and clothes and toys for the children in foster care. 

Women’s Shelters 

Another area of need is for women’s shelters. In our area The White County Domestic Violence Prevention and Rape Crisis Organization provides a hotline and a safe place for women and children who are in an abusive situation. They also have a resale shop that needs volunteers and donations. Call and see how you can give. 

If Home is Where the Heart Is Then Let’s Have a Heart

Do you have home repairing skills? Many organizations could use free or drastically reduced services.

Donate time to your local homeless shelter–ours is Jacob’s Place and Habitat for Humanity. They provide a place for those who find themselves out on the streets. I’m learning we can’t judge the reasons why some are homeless. Many are simply imprisoned by circumstances beyond them, without family or friends who could or would pitch in.

Our owners/managers of local businesses and artists generously give services, items and art for fundraisers. Thank you!

Local artists donate time and talents to some of these outreaches. Art is healing when one creates and when one observes it.

Form a team and play a round of golf with your buddies at one of their fundraising golf tournaments.

Do you cook? Could you take a meal to a foster family down the street? Could you gather up unused toys, art supplies, good clean stuff others could use but can’t afford and share them?

Are you an athletic, academic, arts-focused coach or educator, full-time or part-time? Please don’t just focus on the gifted ones, the ones whose family offer your team more prestige. Could you be that individual who cares for the unlovely, untalented, insignificant ones and prove to them they have value by your time with them? Can winning be more than outward achievement?

Schools need parents as volunteers along with packaged food for hungry children on weekends.

Our Literary Council for White County serves children by helping them strengthen their reading skills. 

Several local churches in small town have outreaches to serve those in the community with food pantries, clothes and household items as well as medical services. No child should go to bed hungry, sick, worse neglected and abused!

Almost daily in several articles our local newspaper’s front page reports the many rapists and pedophiles in our area. This is not just our area. It’s everywhere. That’s why we have to support trained and experienced orgainzations like those listed to support our overworked law enforcement officers and DHS social workers.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a great organization needing volunteers.

Donate food, clothes, toys, books, and household goods, smiles, hours, dollars.

We need to continue being uncomfortable as long as innocent lives go unprotected. We help those who can’t help themselves because it’s the right thing to do, because there are children out there like Zachary Holly who don’t have an opportunity to live a productive life on their own without support to change their past. These children grow into generations of adults who so easily can repeat their past.

A painful past doesn’t excuse a person as much as it explains a person.

“May their lives be a credit to You, Lord; and what’s more,

may they continue to delight You by doing every good work

and growing in the true knowledge

that comes from being close to you.”          

                                                                            Colossians 1:10 (The Voice)

If you are one who was abused and you are still hurting, will you ask for help? There are people who can help you have victory and live free. Send a message and I’ll do my best to find help in your area. You can trust that I will not post your comment.