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Hello {FIRST_NAME},
No one likes to think about
child abuse. No one wants to believe that it really happens, and they especially
don't want to think that it might happen in their own community. But, sadly for
all involved, abuse DOES happen, and it happens right here as much as anywhere
else. Kids First serves over 200 victims each year in Northeastern North
Carolina.
Your continued support of
our services is vital to the children whose faces we cannot air on television or
show at local events. They are real. They are your neighbors, the children
listening to the children's sermon at church, your child's best friend.
You know them... and they need you. I invite you to
make a difference for these children by logging onto our website to join the Kids First
Alliance. Your monthly contribution will support therapy, medical
examinations, and- most importantly- hope, for these anonymous victims.
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Join us for Celebrate! Kids
First
Saturday,
April 17th 11am-5pm
Waterfront
Park, Elizabeth City
During Child Abuse Prevention Month, Kids
First invites the community to come out and Celebrate! the lives we
impact every day through our services. Come be "a kid for a day" at our
fun-filled family event THIS Saturday! The event includes a
rock-climbing wall, bounce house, carnival games, and loads of
activities for "kids" of all ages! You can also chat with a Kids First board or
staff member about ways YOU can become involved in child abuse
prevention.
Please join us this Saturday! For
additional information, contact Courtney at Kids First at 338-5658.
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Liferaft in the Storm: Hope in the Darkness of
Abuse
Her father was well
respected in the community, and well-known- or at least people thought they knew
him. Only two people knew the secret: she, the frightened little girl whose body
he hurt and whose heart he broke night after night, and himself, the man who
under the cover of darkness and threats, made believe that she was a grown woman
in love with him. When she finally, fearfully, confided in a trusted friend, her
friend told an adult. And then a tidal wave of words and people and handcuffs
and courtrooms broke over her family, stopping the hurting, but also leaving the
wreckage in her soul exposed, like splintered deck on the surf.
But, in the midst of the
storm, Kids First became a life raft for her. There, people believed her when
she told her story, and cared for her. An interviewer listened to her story and
didn't judge her. A doctor made sure her body was healthy, nd reassured her that
she was not broken or damaged, and that no one else would ever know what had
been done to her. A trusted therapist kindly guided her, week after week, as her
heart began to heal. Advocates helped her to understand what it would be like to
go to court, so she was not afraid, and bravely tol dher story.
Now she is nearly grown
and strong, and able to extend her own hand to other kids who are fighting to
stay alive in storms like the one she endured. We know because not long ago,
when a friend finally revealed her own crushing secret, she came along with her
to Kids First, to walk beside her as a seasoned guide, to help her find the
courage to take those first tentative steps on the journey home.
To learn how you can
participate in healing stories like this one, visit our website to join the Kids First
Alliance. A monthly donation, however small, will add up to a huge difference in
the life of an abused child.
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