THUNDER BAY – Today, hundreds of people in Thunder Bay and District are going purple for prevention in support of Child Abuse Prevention Month. Businesses, organizations and individuals are wearing purple to demonstrate that everyone in the community can step up and take responsibility for the safety, happiness and health of children in our community.
October is Child Abuse Prevention Month across Canada. Go Purple for Prevention Day is a part of Dilico Anishinabek Family Care and the Children’s Aid Society of the District of Thunder Bay’s annual Step Up Campaign. The initiative encourages people to educate themselves with information on how to prevent child abuse and recognize the signs.
Those participating in the day are submitting team photosthat will be featured on the Step Up Facebook page. Participants are also creating new ways to step up, by baking purple cookies, having a canned-good food drive and creatively incorporating the colour purple into their day. Purple is the signature colour of child abuse prevention.
There are many other ways the community can participate in the Step Up campaign throughout the month of October. They include:
1. Schools and school children can step up by leaving their footprint on the travelling Step Up Banner.
2. Parents can step up by engaging in safe parent-child activities throughout the month of October. An activity sheet providing safe and budget friendly activity ideas is available at: www.dilico.com
3. Everyone can step up by liking the Step Up Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/StepUpThunderBay). The page has information about learning to recognize the signs of child abuse, reporting suspected child abuse and neglect, ensuring that children have safe and healthy environments in which to live and play, and how to prevent child abuse.
Last year Dilico Anishinabek Family Care and The Children’s Aid Society of the District of Thunder Bay served more than 7200 children in the region and provided services to almost 3500 families.
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