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

Hope Shining Across the Nation Raising Awareness

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

A critical component of the success of Hope Shining is our public awareness campaign. By reminding the viewer that very young children cannot speak for themselves, the ads urge individuals to get involved and to educate themselves on the signs of abuse.

Though much of the ad space was donated or heavily discounted, the national scope of the Hope Shining public awareness campaign would not have been possible without the generous support of Hope Shining Proud National Sponsor Capital One. The New York campaign received additional support from our local sponsor, The New York Community Trust.

“Most New Yorkers know the name of Nixzmary Brown, but far fewer know that more than 100,000 other children in the City were also abused that year, and fewer still know what they can do to prevent it,” said Joyce M. Bove, Senior Vice President of The New York Community Trust. “That’s why we are helping Safe Horizon launch this important public awareness campaign that will help people understand the pervasiveness of child abuse and give them the tools to stop it.”

View Slideshow of Public Awareness Campaign

The ads first appeared in early September, on video screens in elevators across the country. With the September 25 launch of Hope Shining, the ads began appearing in national magazines such as People as well as on buses, billboards and an array of other visible outdoor spaces.

In addition to supporting the public awareness campaign, one of the many ways in which Capital One is contributing to Hope Shining’s education and outreach efforts is by distributing the “10 Signs of Child Abuse” tip cards in all branches of the New York region, to encourage customers to take action.

Our new Hope Shining website, http://www.hopeshining.org/, provides access to the same signs as well as information on how to report abuse anywhere in the United States. Adding an interactive component to Hope Shining, the site offers printable versions of the public awareness campaign ads as well as other downloadable materials to further inform the public. The site also allows users to send e-cards to friends, encouraging them to learn the signs of abuse and get involved.