1715 Division Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561) 655-8530 Ph • (561) 832-8962 Fx
info@wpbha.org

PRESS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE
Monday, May 17, 2010
Contact : Shandra Dawkins
561-848-8383

Take 25 for Safety and Health Community Event Promotes Safety and Wellness Prevention for Families in West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach, Florida – West Palm Beach Housing Authority, Florida Resource Center for Women and Children, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), National Coalition of 100 Black Women and Avon Foundation for Women will promote National Missing Children’s Day on Saturday May 22, 2010 from 11am till 2pm by promoting Safety and Health prevention education through a Safety and Health Community to be held at Dunbar Village located at 1714 Douglas Ave, Dunbar Village, West palm Beach, FL.

Take 25 is a national child safety campaign that encourages parents and guardians to take time to talk to their children about ways to stay safer. Created by NCMEC, Take 25 promotes an ongoing dialogue between children, families and communities about child safety.

“We are excited about our partnership with National Center For Missing & Exploited Children, National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Avon Foundation for Women” said FRCWC Executive Director Shandra Dawkins. “We look forward to working with these groups to raise awareness about Safety and Health by providing parents and guardians with the vital prevention tools and information they need to talk with their children and other family members about ways to be safer and lead a healthier life.”

Admission is free to all. The health and safety fair will offer families a wealth of health information from a variety of sources including CAP, Understanding Health Plans and Look At Me I’m Violence Free ,an initiative to stay violence free. There will be complimentary health screenings, safety demonstrations and information presented by Safe Kids and the Drowning Coalition. For a special treat, kids will enjoy Squared Force Obstacle Course, bounce houses, popcorn, hotdogs, cotton candy and much more.
Photos for Children’s Identification Kits will be taken in an effort to protect your children should they be lost or abducted. National Missing Children’s Day was created by Ronald Reagan in 1983 to serves as an annual reminder to the nation to renew efforts to reunite missing children with their families and to remember those who are still missing and make child protection a national priority.

“National Missing Children’s Day calls attention to the estimated 2,200 children reported missing every day in this country,” said Allen. “Although the vast majority of these children are found quickly, we must keep hope alive for the many who are still missing and use this opportunity to educate families about how to help keep their children safer from abduction and sexual exploitation.”

One in nearly six missing children in recovered as a direct result of someone recognizing that child’s photograph in NCMEC’s photo-distribution program and contacting authorities. This is why it is so important that everyone pay close attention to posters and photographs of missing children.

ABOUT FLORIDA RESOURCE CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN (FRCWC)
The Florida Resource Center for Women and Children, Inc., was founded in July, 1999 and serves as advocates for battered women and children in Palm Beach County, Florida with a concentrated effort for those who live in Riviera Beach and north as well as the Belle Glade area and provides
emergency shelter and support services to victims/at risk of family violence. Our mission is to provide individuals with the opportunities for safety, positive life changes, personal growth,
esteem building, education, technical assistance, case management and policy development/leadership roles in our community. We aspire to provide a standard of excellence in our
programs and services that inspire mutual trust, respect and an understanding that the violence perpetrated against our clients is grounded in an abuse of power by an offender and reinforced through
intimidation and coercion. We are committed to helping, healing and ending violence against women and children in our community.

CONTACT
Shandra Dawkins
561-848-8383

Mission Statement: To provide safe, decent and affordable public housing to persons and families with limited financial resources and to provide residents with access to programs, which will assist them in making the transition to greater financial security.