Hodgenville, Ky.– Today, with the celebration of their first annual LaRue County Pinwheel Planting event, CASA of the Heartland announced they will be expanding their services into LaRue County. Currently, CASA of the Heartland serves the Hardin County and Fort Knox communities but will be adding LaRue County to their service area later this year.
The Pinwheel Planting event kicks off National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which is observed in April each year. Kentucky ranks fifth in the U.S. for the number of reported child abuse and neglect cases.
“The blue and white pinwheels are a national symbol for child abuse prevention,” said CASA of the Heartland Executive Director Michelle Kail. “Each pinwheel planted today represents a child that could have benefited from CASA’s services in LaRue County. They also represent the hope, health and happiness that these children deserve to experience throughout their childhood.”
A total of 433 pinwheels were planted in honor of those children in front of the LaRue County Courthouse. The pinwheels will remain planted until the end of April to raise awareness of the need for child abuse prevention and advocacy on behalf of impacted children in LaRue County.
“Pinwheel Planting is meant to inspire our community to take action to prevent child abuse, whether it is by educating yourself about the issue, having conversations with loved ones, or volunteering to help children in our community through CASA,” said Kail. “We also wanted to take this opportunity to announce that CASA will be able to provide additional support to this community in the near future, and we will need LaRue county residents to serve as volunteers for these children.”
CASA of the Heartland was organized in Hardin County in 2007 to recruit, train, and support community volunteers who advocate on behalf of abused, neglected and dependent children under the protection of the Hardin County Family Court system. The organization encourages residents to learn and recognize the signs of abuse.
To get involved with CASA of the Heartland or to learn more about their mission, visit casaheartland.org or call 270-982-2274.
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