Family Resource Center in Tuscaloosa to Match Donations for Preventing Child Abuse
A family resource center will recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month by matching donations to support the cause and hosting a free event later this month.
Tuscaloosa's One Place is one of about two dozen Family Resource Centers in the state of Alabama, and their mission is to strengthen broadly defined families, build resilience and prevent the abuse and neglect of children.
Executive Director Kevin Besnoy explained the mission like this.
"If you think for a moment about those times in your life when you were successful, what it took for you get there and the people who were around you when you achieved that success and congratulated you and cheered you," Besnoy said. "Now think about those moments in your life when you were in your darkest hour, facing obstacles you thought were insurmountable. Who were the people around you at that time? I bet it was a lot less than when you were successful. Those people who are with you, who picked you up in those dark times, that's your family. What we do is help people who are in those moments, we are a resource for them to identify those people in their lives and teach them how to be that person in somebody else's life."
During the month of April, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Besnoy said TOP will be matching up to $20,000 in donations to prevent child abuse and neglect.
More than $5,000 has already come in, and Besnoy said TOP will continue to match another $15,000 in donations thanks to a gift from an anonymous donor.
TOP will also host their Safety First event on April 26th to bring parents together and teach them strategies to prevent abuse - identifying and reducing stressors and teaching emotional regulation so when an adult is under pressure, they take a step back instead of taking it out on a child.
Money raised will fund parent education classes, help stock a baby pantry with diapers, formula and clothes, and also support an in-home visitation program.
"When we have strong families, we have a strong community and everything we do at Tuscaloosa's One Place really goes to strengthen the families in a way that can ultimately strengthen the community we live in," Besnoy said. We love the community of Tuscaloosa, it's such a giving community, and we just encourage people to know that we are here as a pillar of the community and as a way to make Tuscaloosa and the surrounding area a vibrant place to live."
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