Dear Advocate’s Friends and Champions,
For many of us, childhood summer memories are happy ones. We fondly recall trips to the pool or family beach vacations. Sadly, for many of the children we serve at Advocates, summer can be a time of uncertainty, fear, and abuse. Nationally, child abuse reporting decreases during the summer months when children are out of school and no longer have teachers and school counselors to report abuse to protective services. While the reporting of abuse decreases, studies show incidents of domestic violence, sexual, and physical abuse increase significantly during summer months* (*National Institutes of Health). The reality of summertime abuse can be sobering, but we, at Advocates for Children, are working to protect children and build families so happier memories can be made.
Every year our friends at Iron Order Motorcycle Club ensure the children at Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter (FBCS) will be able to make memories during their annual summer trip. In addition to taking a vacation, our FBCS children’s summers are filled with day trips to amusement parks, their community swimming pool, and adventures around northwest Georgia. All of these memories are made possible by your generosity, whether by donating gift cards to area attractions or giving through our secure online giving page. Thank you for your support of Advocates and for partnering with us to build families and protect children in Northwest Georgia.
Warmest Regards,
Rachel Castillo
President/CEO