Raising awareness: Moses Lake organization launches dual campaigns

Apr. 14—Moses Lake's New Hope and Kids Hope, organizations focused on adults and children survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes, are keeping busy, as it's Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Congress first officially recognized Child Abuse Prevention Month in April 1983. According to National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Sexual Assault Awareness Month became observed nationally in April 2001.

According to the state Department of Health, approximately one of every six adult women has been a victim of one or more completed forcible rapes during their lifetime. One in five experiences injuries from domestic violence. Around 15% of men and women in state prisons for a violent crime are there for a crime against a family member.

In Moses Lake, the need for prevention services is rising, said Kids Hope counselor Elisa Adolphsen. In 2019, they conducted 110 child interviews. In 2020, it was 158.

So far in 2021, the organization already hit almost 70. At this rate it will well surpass the numbers of previous years, she said.

The 2021 Sexual Assault Awareness Month theme at New Hope is "I Ask For Consent," said New Hope community advocate Kate Hoch. The goal is to educate the community on the necessity to ask for consent in every aspect of a relationship: Do you want to go out with me? Can I hold your hand? Can we have sex?

Consent is a key component in preventing sexual assault, Hoch said. It empowers a person to know they have the right to say "no," and it educates on the importance of asking and respecting the response.

New Hope has placed baskets of blue rocks at its headquarters at 311 W. Third Ave. and several other stations across Moses Lake, Hoch said.

Survivors can take a rock for themselves or a survivor they know or just spread them out and get New Hope contact information around, she said.

"It's just about bringing awareness to our community about sexual assault," she said. "That it occurs, that we're here."

Kids Hope is continuing on the tradition of the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign, launched by Prevent Child Abuse America in 2008.

According to Prevent Child Abuse America, pinwheels became a symbol of child abuse prevention because of their whimsical nature and connotations of childlike happiness.

At Kids Hope, donors can purchase a pack of pinwheels for $50 to support the cause and spread awareness of child abuse prevention, Adolphsen said. People can even buy virtual pinwheels, if they just want to give.

The money goes to positive activities for the children who come through the door, she said.

"We hope that when kids come here they leave with some sort of resiliency activity, whether that be paint, coloring, yoga, some outside activity, journals, anything like that," she said.

In addition, kids are encouraged to participate in the Kids Hope Coloring Challenge, where they color their happiest day or just something that makes them happy, she said. Participants can drop off their art at Kids Hope, email it in or give it to their school counselor by April 30.

April 30, too, is Go Blue Friday; folks are encouraged to wear blue to spread awareness of these issues, she said.

According to the state Department of Children, Youth & Families, the top 10 things to do to prevent child abuse is volunteer your time, discipline your children thoughtfully, examine personal behavior, educate yourself and others, teach children their rights, support prevention programs, know what child abuse is, know the signs, report abuse and invest in kids.

To do one or more of these things, or to learn more about Pinwheels for Prevention and the Coloring Challenge, visit newhopewa.org.

Sam Fletcher can be reached via email at sfletcher@columbiabasinherald.com.

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