The Clarkesville Kiwanis Club is doing its part to fight child abuse in Habersham County. The club recently donated $3,610 to buy 361 training books for the Darkness to Light abuse prevention program sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse Habersham (PCAH). With the donation, PCAH will now be able to reach its goal of educating 5% of the county’s adult population to effect meaningful, cultural change in how the county perceives and deals with abuse issues.
PCAH Executive Director Jennifer Stein accepted the donation October 15, saying that training books for the Darkness to Light program are designed for “all adults concerned about the safety of children.” The two-hour training course is now a requirement for newly-hired teachers in the Habersham School System, for college students in School of Education training at Piedmont College, and for all students in childcare focused programs at North Georgia Technical College, she said.
The Darkness to Light training is “the only evidence-based training proven to increase knowledge, improve attitudes, and change child protective behaviors,” she added.
Both PCAH and Clarkesville’s Kiwanis Club are encouraging “clergy, coaches, leaders, parents, grandparents and caregivers” to sign up for the upcoming free training sessions, to be held on November 10 and 11, Stein said. Two-hour training times will begin as early as 6:00 a.m., and as late as 7:00 p.m. on those days.
PCAH can be found on Facebook, and registration is available online at www.preventchildabusehabersham.org or by calling 706-968-9637.
Kiwanis fundraiser to help abuse victims
In addition, Clarkesville’s Kiwanis Club is making efforts that directly affect abused children. The club is making donations to Power House for Kids – Habersham. Mark Smith, Director of the local Power House – which serves sexually abused children from Habersham, Rabun, and Stephens counties – said it is the goal of Power House, after a child is sexually abused, to “make the child safe,” while law enforcement “gets the perp off the street,” and to provide therapy, using Habersham County therapists … enabling the abused child to return to society.” There were 264 abused children served at Power House last year. 119 of them were sexually abused and all of those were from Habersham.
The Clarkesville Kiwanis Club plans to make a donation to Power House through a unique fund-raiser.
The third annual “Zombie Fun Run” will be held on Saturday, October 24, at 5:00 p.m. at the Old Clarkesville Mill. Proceeds from registration for the “Run, Walk, Creep, or Crawl” will go to the Power House, said Kiwanis Past President Glenda Smith.
The first year the Zombie Fun Run was held, there were 225 “runners.” Smith said there will be a “family fun” area, with games, jump houses, and other “fall festivities,” she said. The run itself is a course to a finish line, dodging costumed “zombies.” There is a Facebook photo page from prior races, which my be found at “Kiwanis Zombie Fun Run.”
You may register by email at [email protected] or register on the day of the event.
More information about the Power House fund-raiser is available at 706-754-9231.
Correction: This article previously stated Power House handled 264 abuse cases from Habersham in 2014. The correct number is 119. Power House served a total of 264 abused children in Habersham, Stephens and Rabun Counties combined last year.
