Up & Coming Weekly

DEC. 30, 2009 - JAN. 5, 2010 UCW 5 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Child Advocacy Center Offers Training to Stem the Tide of Child Abuse in the Community Dear Editor, The tragic death in our community of Shania Davis has brought to the forefront such words as child trafficking, child abuse and sexual exploita- tion. These are subjects that most people in our community do not normally talk about nor want to even think about. That this could happen in our community has alarmed and shocked so many people and has caused many of us to wonder what can be done to protect children from child abuse and sexual exploitation. Most would like to think of this as an isolated incident but unfortunately that is not the case. In State Fiscal Year 2007-2008, more than 120,000 children were reported as abused or neglected in North Carolina. Some experts estimate that as many as 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they reach the age of 18. We, as adults, must take responsibility for protecting children. The Child Advocacy Center is re- sponding to the outcry from our commu- nity for more information about what can be done by offering two free educational programs in January for all concerned adults. On Saturday, Jan. 9 from 9 a.m. to noon, Recognizing and Re- porting Child Abuse will be offered at the Pate Room of the Cumberland County Headquarters Library, 300 Maiden Lane in Fayetteville. The training will cover types of and risk factors for abuse and neglect, indica- tors that abuse and neglect may be occurring and the appropriate process for reporting. On Saturday, Jan. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon, the Child Advo- cacy Center will present Darkness to Light Stewards of Children, a nationally-recognized, evidence-based prevention program that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. This training will also be held at the Pate Room of the Cumberland County Headquarters Library. The program emphasizes seven steps for protecting children: learn the facts; minimize opportunity; talk about it; stay alert; make a plan; act on suspicions; and get involved. Both of these programs are designed for parents, educators, youth leaders and other concerned adults. The Child Advocacy Center provides this training free of charge, but due to space limi- tations, advance registration is required. Please call the center at (910) 486-9700 to make your reservation for one or both sessions. Additional resource information on protecting children from abuse may be found at the Child Advocacy Center's Web site: www.childadvocacycenter.com. Get involved. Learn more. The future well being of a child may be at stake. Roberta Humphries Director of the Child Advocacy Center LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Annual Grinding of the Greens Slated American consumers. We enjoy our stuff — especially this time of year with all the presents, candy and decorations. What's not to love? The aftermath though can sometimes be overwhelming. Just drive through most any neighborhood on the trash pick-up day after Christmas. The wrappings and trappings are left in a pile (or hopefully, a recycling container) by the curb, a truck comes by and evidence of recent indulgences vanish without a second thought. As the Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC), the City of Fayetteville and Progress Energy gear up for the 16th Annual Grind- ing of the Greens it is easier than ever to be a good steward of local resources. Environmentalism and politics aside, when an opportunity arises to do the right thing, it behooves the community and citizens alike to act on it. On Jan. 16, at 8:30 a.m. piles of retired Christmas trees will be transformed from trash into a treasure that Cape Fear Botanical Gar- den uses all year long to enhance not only the garden, but in turn the community, as well. "The day of the grinding, after all of the trees have been de- livered to the garden, volunteers come out and feed the trees into mulchers," said Angela Dennis, Cape Fear Botanical Garden devel- opment officer. " We end up with huge mounds of mulch and it smells just wonderful." The mayor comes out every year and says a few words before the heavy lifting begins. With fi ve or six wood chippers running, Davis said that the work goes fairly quickly and the day turns into a wonderful community event. "It is a really nice way to start the new year," said Carolyn Hinson, PWC community relations manager. "It makes people feel good that they are not just throwing the trees away. There is a lot of landfill space that this has freed up in the past 15 years and that is significant." All of the mulch gets put to good use. Cape Fear Botanical Garden volunteers spend about two weeks spreading the mulch over the 79 acres of the facility. Through the years it has been used for everything from refresh- ing walking paths to mulching the flower beds. Never mind all the money it saves, sometimes there is joy in just doing the right thing Dennis noted. " We use it everywhere," said Dennis. " When you walk through the garden in January it just smells delicious." If you've never participated, here is how it works: Jan. 4-15 old Christ- mas trees should be placed out by the curb (no plastic or aluminum trees please — live trees only and they must be free of all lights and other decora- tions), the City of Fayetteville will come by and pick them up and take the trees to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. The good folks at Progress Energy, along with PWC volunteers grind the trees into mulch. The mulch, in turn, is then used to enhance the grounds, leaving a legacy that lasts for years. Trees can be dropped off at Cape Fear Botanical Gardens, too. The signs are already up by the fire tower parking lot and the gate is open, ac- cording to Dennis. For more information, call 486-0221.

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