How you help move victims of violence from crisis to confidence	Fall 2008

Hope Shining Across the Nation Nationwide Launch

Hope Shining Across the Nation Nationwide Launch Raising Awareness Research and Reporting An Alliance of Partners

With a press conference in New York City on September 25, Safe Horizon officially launched Hope Shining, our breakthrough initiative to raise awareness of the effects of child abuse as well as improve prevention and enhance support for its victims.

Hosted by actress and Safe Horizon board member Stephanie March, the press conference brought together child abuse experts and survivors as well as representatives from New York City government and Capital One, Hope Shining’s proud national sponsor. The event reinforced the importance of knowing the signs of child abuse and taking action against it.

“We all have a stake in building safe, healthy and vibrant communities. Raising the public’s ‘child abuse IQ’ for identifying the signs of child abuse is an important part of that belief,” said Carolyn Drexel, Executive Vice President, Branch Distribution. “Corporations have a critical role to play in engaging bystanders to help children in need. At Capital One, our core values of 'Excellence’ and ‘Doing the Right Thing’ guide the choices we make, from how we operate our business to how we engage with the communities we are a part of.”

View Photos from the National Launch

Experts from Safe Horizon and the New York City Administration for Children’s Services discussed findings from the Bystanders and Child Abuse survey, a nationwide study commissioned by Safe Horizon to assess public knowledge and perceptions surrounding child abuse. The findings reveal that a surprising percentage of Americans have a difficult time identifying abuse and are reluctant to contact authorities when they suspect a child has been abused. Hope Shining aims to overcome those hurdles by educating the public on how to recognize abuse and by exposing myths and facts about the process of reporting abuse.

NEW ORLEANS A second press conference was held on October 2, at the New Orleans Children’s Advocacy Center at Children’s Hospital, where results from the New Orleans portion of the Bystanders and Child Abuse survey were released to the press. Dr. Yameika Head, a forensic pediatrician at the hospital’s Audrey Hepburn CARE Center, spoke of the effects of abuse on children that she has witnessed as a clinician, and the cases that have shaped her as a doctor and a staunch advocate for child abuse awareness.

HOUSTON Less than a week later, on October 7, the Hope Shining launch continued with the partnership of the Children’s Assessment Center in Houston. The day began with Harris County Judge Edward Emmett reading a proclamation in Commissioners Court recognizing Hope Shining and the need for child abuse awareness. Houston-based survey results were released at a press conference soon after, where U.S. Representative Ted Poe of the Second Congressional District of Texas spoke of the importance of the government’s role in protecting children, and the life-saving work being done at child advocacy centers across the country.

LOS ANGELES A final launch event took place the evening of October 19 in Los Angeles, hosted by the Joyful Heart Foundation, one of the many organizations that have joined together to form the Hope Shining Alliance Network. Co-hosted by actor Hilary Swank, the event coincided with the release of the Los Angeles-based results of the Bystanders and Child Abuse survey, and marked the culmination of the Hope Shining national launch.

To read more about each event and to view photos, visit Hope Shining online at http://www.hopeshining.org/.