Above / During the Naperville Council Meeting on April 3, Councilman Benny White presented representatives from Project H.E.L.P. and the Exchange Club of Naperville with a Mayoral Proclamation stating that April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Update, April 5, 2019 / Exchangite Dawn Portner was named Project H.E.L.P.’s Parent Mentor of the Year and was honored at the club’s luncheon meeting. Executive Director of Project H.E.L.P. Peggy McGuire provided a few statistics.
Fiscal Year 2018: 51 families (213 individuals) were served in the Parent Mentor Program. 431 parents in 32 Parent Education Workshops represented 98 percent of families served in the Parent Mentor Program who fell below the poverty level.
Fiscal Year 2019: 4 months to go! 53 families (206 individuals) were served in the Parent Mentor Program (Including Diamond’s 13 families) 457 parents/caregivers in 23 Parent Education Workshops.
McGuire added that currently, six workshops are scheduled in April and one in May. On social media, Project H.E.L.P. is promoting a FREE parent education workshop next Tues., April 9, at Aurora Public Library. When you see posts or tweets about the workshop, please share! Also, please share the invitation and information about Project H.E.L.P.’s Community Begins at Home Breakfast on Fri., May 3.
Project H.E.L.P. was chartered in 1992 by the Exchange Club of Naperville and is a torch bearer for standards in Prevention and Intervention of Child Abuse in Naperville and surrounding communities.
“The Exchange Club should be very proud of its very own Project H.E.L.P.,” McGuire added, saying that more information on Project H.E.L.P. and its programs is provided at www.projecthelpdupage.org.
EXCHANGE HAPPENINGS
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a distinction that was first declared in 1983 by presidential proclamation. Since then, April has been a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse. Child abuse and neglect respects no racial, religious class, or geographic boundaries, and in fact, has been declared a national emergency. Child abuse and neglect is a complex and growing problem in our nation. The Naperville Exchange Club and the Naperville Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, d/b/a Project H.E.L.P., through its support of parent mentor programs, educational programs and community service activities, continually strives to prevent child maltreatment by reducing the risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect.
The Exchange Club of Naperville and Project H.E.L.P. will receive a proclamation from the City of Naperville at the April 3, 2019, City Council Meeting declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
April also is Autism Awareness Month and Fair Housing Month
Also that evening, the City Council will recognize April as Autism Awareness Month and Fair Housing Month.
New Exchange Club event will support scholarships
Mark your calendars for Exchange Club’s new event, Bingo, Bags & Brew from 5PM to 9PM Sat. April 13, at Players Indoor Sports. located at 1740 Quincy Ave. Zones will indicate where individuals and groups can join in rounds of bingo, toss some beanbags with a team, and enjoy food, beverages, and fellowship, all for a great cause, aimed to raise $10,000 to support the Exchange Club Youth Scholarships program.
Doors will open at 4PM for Registration and Check-In, with the Bags Tournament beginning at 5PM and Bingo beginning at 5:30PM. The event will conclude at 9PM. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and a 50/50 raffle will be held.
Two-person Bags teams can enter for $75 (which includes event t-shirts) for the double-elimination tournament; Bingo players are $15 per person entry plus $1 per Bingo card per game, excluding specialty games. “Cheerleaders” (spectators) are welcome for Bingo, Bags, or both, for a reduced ticket price of $15.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.exchangeclub.org.
4th Annual Community Begins at Home Breakfast is May 3, 2019
Getting back to Project H.E.L.P., the community also is welcome to the 4th Annual Community Begins at Home Breakfast with keynote speaker Shenandoah Chetfalo, foster care advocate, trauma skills trainer and author of Garbage Bag Suitcase. This year’s benefit breakfast for Project H.E.L.P. will be from 7:30 to 9:30AM Fri., May 3, at Abbington Distinctive Banquets. Tickets are $60. Find more information at www.projecthelpdupage.org.
The Exchange Club of Naperville meets on the first Friday of the month at Hugo’s Frog Pond, 11:45AM and the third Thursday at Traverso’s 5:30PM. Contact me at EmyTrotz@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more about Exchange.
