Community pinwheel ceremony Monday to raise awareness during Child Abuse Prevention Month

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Community members are invited to attend a community pinwheel ceremony at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 7, at the Hannibal Riverfront in Rotary Pavillion in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least one in seven children have experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year. Within the 10th Circuit District, made up of Marion, Monroe and Ralls counties, nearly 250 children are in foster care.

Child abuse and neglect have long-lasting effects. Prevention of child abuse and neglect is vital to building stronger families and communities.

The pinwheel is the national symbol for child abuse prevention. A pinwheel display will be assembled at the ceremony to raise awareness and encourage our community to work together to support and strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect.

The ceremony will highlight the work of United Way community impact agencies that respond to and prevent child abuse within our local community.

Testimonials of those agencies — Coyote Hill, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) at Douglass Community Services, The Child Advocacy Center of Northeast Missouri, Birthday Blessings and Hannibal Parents as Teachers (who provide a parenting class for the local children’s division office) — will be shared.

Community members who work in the field of preventing and responding to child abuse will be honored.

For more information about the community pinwheel ceremony, visit http://unitedwaymta.org or call 573-221-2761.