26 Apr Community Luncheon to Celebrate the Face It® Movement to End Child Abuse
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, April 24, 2017
CONTACTS:
Erin Jones Mara Powell
In.Mode Marketing, LLC Kentucky Youth Advocates
erin@inmodemarketing.com mpowell@kyyouth.org
502.774.0767 502.895.8167 x122
Community Luncheon to Celebrate the Face It® Movement to End Child Abuse
Community partners and leaders come together in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month
LOUISVILLE, KY (April 26, 2017) – Kosair Charities® Face It® Movement to End Child Abuse, initiated in 2013 in response to the unacceptable number of child abuse deaths in Kentucky, brings together community partners and leaders to celebrate recent successes and commit to being the faces that ends child abuse in the Commonwealth. The Face It Community Luncheon serves as the culminating event for Child Abuse Prevention Month efforts.
“Kosair Charities recognizes that there is no magic wand to end child abuse—and that is exactly why we have made such a comprehensive and long-term commitment to this initiative,” said Jerry Ward, Chairman of the Kosair Charities Board. “Today, there are over three dozen agencies involved in the Face It Movement, and we continue to expand statewide into areas like Northern Kentucky and Owensboro.”
The Face It Community Luncheon will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Louisville at 11:30 am EST on April 26th with Renee Murphy of WHAS11 as the event emcee. Eric Clark, Legislative Director of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, will serve as the keynote speaker for luncheon attendees, including child-serving agencies, Louisville Metro Council members, state officials, and Kentucky legislators.
“Volunteers of America Mid-States is proud to be a partner in this movement to raise awareness about child abuse in our community. We are absolutely committed to working with Face It to identify and implement solutions. Child abuse is a real problem that affects many families and we all should be working to protect our children,” said Jennifer Hancock, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Mid-States.
“Kosair Charities has already made a very real and significant difference in ending child abuse. But, what animates me about Face It is that we have just begun. While the Face It Movement recognizes the importance of on-the-ground efforts, it also tackles complex policy issues. As an example, nothing less than a revolution in the child welfare system will protect Kentucky kids. Face It stands prepared to begin that revolution to ensure that every kid in Kentucky grows up protected from abuse and neglect. That kind of commitment from the Charities deserves to be celebrated,” said Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates.
Face It will introduce the first ever “Fearless Advocate Committed to the End” (FACE) of the Face It Movement to End Child Abuse awards at the Community Luncheon.
Recipients of the FACE of the Face It Movement to End Child Abuse awards include:
- Debby Yetter, The Courier Journal
- Becky Harilson, Chief of Staff, Office of Senate President Robert Stivers
- Representative Addia Wuchner, Chair of Kentucky House Health and Family Services Committee
- Senator Julie Raque Adams, Chair of the Kentucky Senate Health and Welfare Committee
To learn more about the Face It Movement to end child abuse, how to recognize and report abuse, and prevention resources, visit faceitabuse.org.
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About the Face It® Movement: The Face It Movement, conceived and created in 2012 as a response to the public outcry against the increasing number of child abuse deaths in the Commonwealth, and officially launched in April 2013 as an initiative led by Kosair Charities®. Face It directly addresses the increasingly unacceptable number of child abuse deaths in Kentucky with the promotion of best practices in child abuse prevention and intervention, engaging the community, and advocating for effective policies to improve the child welfare system. For more information, visit faceitabuse.org, and socially on Facebook: www.facebook.com/faceitabuse and Twitter: twitter.com/faceitabuse.