Donation drive offers opportunity to make positive impact for abused children
The Garvin County Sheriff’s Office is sponsoring a Donation and Awareness Drive to benefit the Mary Abbott Children’s House this month. The non-profit child advocacy center, located in Norman, serves children ages 3-18 in Garvin, Cleveland and McClain Counties, and provides a victim-centered, child-friendly environment to help children tell their stories after an instance of abuse has occurred.
“Even though we don’t want it to be, the fact is child abuse is happening in our communities,” Garvin County Deputy Athena Miles said. “We are hoping to gather needed supplies with this drive, but also to bring awareness to child advocacy centers in our communities that are helping children who have been victims of abuse. We want to help advocacy centers like Abbott House make an impact on children’s lives by redirecting the negative to something positive and reassuring.”
Miles has worked with Abbott House for more than two years as she’s investigated child abuse cases in her role as a deputy.
“They just amaze me with how they work with children and families to start the healing process,” Miles said.
The focus of Abbott House is to be a safe place for children to share their experiences regarding sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect, as well as being a witness to a crime or in a drug endangered situation.
Staff at the center work with families, law enforcement, child welfare investigators, mental health and medical professionals to help set children who have been abused on the path to healing. Last year 2,392 children began their healing journey after visiting the center.
Throughout September the Sheriff’s Office will be collecting donations of:
•Non-perishable snack and drink items that can be served to children and families when they visit Mary Abbott Children’s House.
•Comfort closet items including stuffed animals, blankets, boy/girl underwear, art supplies, journal supplies and toys. Items should be new and in original packaging. Handmade blankets and other items that might bring comfort to a child are also welcome.
•High-demand items of washable classic fat markers and Play-Doh. These items are used during each interview and then sent home with the child.
Donations can be dropped off at police departments in Stratford, Paoli, Maysville, Lindsay, Wynnewood and Elmore City, or at the Sheriff’s Office, 201 W. Grant Ave., in Pauls Valley.
Miles said Abbott House is also in need of seamstresses to sew and donate child-sized hospital gowns, for children who require medical evaluations while at the facility. The fabric gowns are more comfortable and allow children more modesty than the alternative paper gowns.
Monetary donations can be made through the Mary Abbott Children’s House website, abbott-house.org, or donors can shop for supplies for Abbott House through the center’s Amazon wishlist, if they prefer.
Abbott House also offers free educational presentations to child-serving businesses and organizations such as schools, churches, day-care facilities, and civic organizations. The presentations offer training on recognizing and responding to signs of child abuse and neglect.
For more information on Mary Abbott Children’s House visit abbott-house.org, or call Tara, Mary Abbott’s Educational Outreach Coordinator, at 405-579-5800. For questions about the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office Donation Drive contact Deputy Athena Miles at 405-238-7591.
