Abuse awareness effort set to start

April 10, 2007

BY DIMITRA LAVRAKAS

Frontiersman

If you're driving the Parks Highway through Wasilla on Wednesday you may something unusual as you drive by the chamber of commerce building. Under the flagpole, in what will most likely be a stiff wind, 133 pinwheels will be turning.

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and the staff at The Children's Place in Wasilla wants the public to be aware of the number of children they have helped in the past year.

&#8220The Children's Place is an impartial place for families and victims of abuse to meet, be interviewed and receive medical exams so the children don't have to go from place to place, retelling their story,” said Jan Mariscal, administrative assistant at the center.

The nonprofit organization is an advocacy center where abuse victims are seen and referred to further services, such as mental health counseling. Staff there also work with local district attorneys to pursue cases.

&#8220This is a public awareness campaign to make the public aware of the issue,” Mariscal said.

The event is the first for the center.

The 133 pinwheels break down into three age groups of victims of sexual and physical abuse from Wasilla that the center has served over the last year, and each age group has a color.

In different colors, the pinwheels represent 49 abused children from birth to 6 years old, 68 in the 7 to 14 age group, and 16 in the 15 and older group.

The pinwheels will be placed by members of the multidisciplinary child protection team, which includes law enforcement, the state Office of Children's Services, The Children's Place, district attorney's office, the state Division of Juvenile Justice and local medical and mental health providers, according to Jen Downey, executive director of The Children's Place.

Downey explained that the local pinwheel initiative is part of a larger statewide effort by the Alaska Children's Alliance to heighten awareness of abuse and the issues that attend it.

&#8220People need to realize that children from every neighborhood and socioeconomic group are abused every day in our state and around the nation,” she said. &#8220And we need to do something about it.”

Downey said anyone who'd like to help or find out more can call The Children's Place at 357-5157.