Each time we hear the phrase “children are our future,” we pause to agree and gently remind, “they are now.”
We need this proper mindset; if we are not moved to act now as much as we may be later, we will fail them. And that’s something Bladen County is more than equipped to prevent.
We have terrific resources in place for our children and their parents. Among them are our county Department of Social Services, our houses of faith, and the counselors and administrators in our schools.
Better still, we have a lot of friends and neighbors. Our community is a big part of the nurturing environment that extends from home and school.
Child Abuse Prevention Month began Monday, and it runs throughout April. Here and across the country, we’ll see the blue pinwheels for prevention — sometimes planted by small hands on the grounds of special places, sometimes worn as lapel pins, other times sent through various forms of social media.
Come the final Saturday this month — and a busy one it is with everyone invited to Kelly, and to Elizabethtown Middle for Relay for Life — the annual child abuse prevention gathering on the courthouse lawn takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. An awareness walk, from the parking lot of San Jose restaurant to the courthouse, is within that beginning at noon.
Last year, DSS incorporated a new element. Rather than releasing balloons with the reading of children’s names, butterflies fluttered into the air.
Our plea today is simple. Be aware all year rather than just this month or even one day for a special event, and find a place to help children.
This can be any number of ways, from donations to causes on their behalf to giving of one’s time and talent. Volunteers are needed in so many areas, from the nonprofits and civic organizations that support causes for children to the schools themselves.
Just pick up the phone, call one of them, and ask how to get plugged in.
The rewards can be priceless.
The smiles and laughter that our children bring to all of us is a big part of who we are as a community. We know that’s not always the case at home. There are tough situations, and many causes for why children become victims.
When they hurt, we all do.
Our responsibility is to have a layman’s understanding that enables us to detect possible abuses. State law requires us to act if we see something; our moral compass should be even better.
Society’s tide is tough to withstand, what with children themselves often becoming parents, with social media and the internet not having much of a filter. A child’s developing mind takes in a lot, and we as a community need to step forward with positive offerings.
We can’t wave a wand with a magic fix. But we can take steps, starting with awareness.
Yes, children are our future. And yes, they are now.