Sept. 11, 2008
September Is 'Every Child Matters' Month
From the First Lady's Desk
A Monthly Message by First Lady Gayle C. Manchin
September is a hectic time of year as we anticipate the beginning of school, fall sport schedules, and all of the zillion and one activities that seem to all revolve around CHILDREN.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the Every Child Matters Education Fund, in Washington is conducting a nation-wide event to raise the visibility of children's issues during this important time of year.
This group is a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization working to make new public investments in children and families a priority. On issues like this, it is about being responsible citizens first and foremost.
All 50 states will be hosting Step Up For Kids Day on Tuesday, Sept. 16, with events at their capitols. Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia, under the direction of Jim McKay, will be coordinating our statewide event.
He is using this day as a starting point20for a community dialogue about our kids and West Virginia's future. "We will have a distinguished panel participating in a joint discussion affirming the importance of children to West Virginia's future and offering ideas for ways to ensure a brighter future for our children," Jim explained to me when I called to get the details.
The focus will certainly be around access to early care and learning opportunities, after-school programs, preventing child abuse and neglect, alleviating child poverty, and promoting children's health, which continue to be the same issues that have and will continue to have the greatest impact on our children.
While the plan here is to videotape the panel discussion at the Clay Center in Charleston, which would then be shared online, it is hoped that many communities will want to utilize the opportunity to provide for community members and elected officials to discuss solutions together at town meetings, candidate forums and in general programs.
In addition, Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia will be sharing resources (bumper stickers, posters, suggested questions for candidates, etc.) with our community partners, Children's Trust Fund grantees, Family Resource Networks, etc. and anyone who can use them. I think the diversity of business, labor, faith, and policy makers affirming their support that children should be a priority will be very compelling.
If you would like to be a part of this nation al movement and particularly to participate in an event on Sept. 16, please contact Jim McKay, State Coordinator, Prevent Child Abuse WV at PO Box 1653, Huntington, WV 25717, or call 304-697-0340 or emailpcawv@teamwv.org. Their web site is http://www.preventchildabusewv.org.
I would like to encourage every community in West Virginia to get involved in this effort to heighten the awareness of how we can collectively provide more and better resources to level the playing field for every child in West Virginia. As local events occur in your area, it becomes a great venue to distribute information and encourage discussions. In West Virginia, the governor and I join with YOU in affirming our belief that EVERY CHILD MATTERS!
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September Is 'Every Child Matters' Month
From the First Lady's Desk
A Monthly Message by First Lady Gayle C. Manchin
September is a hectic time of year as we anticipate the beginning of school, fall sport schedules, and all of the zillion and one activities that seem to all revolve around CHILDREN.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the Every Child Matters Education Fund, in Washington is conducting a nation-wide event to raise the visibility of children's issues during this important time of year.
This group is a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization working to make new public investments in children and families a priority. On issues like this, it is about being responsible citizens first and foremost.
All 50 states will be hosting Step Up For Kids Day on Tuesday, Sept. 16, with events at their capitols. Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia, under the direction of Jim McKay, will be coordinating our statewide event.
He is using this day as a starting point20for a community dialogue about our kids and West Virginia's future. "We will have a distinguished panel participating in a joint discussion affirming the importance of children to West Virginia's future and offering ideas for ways to ensure a brighter future for our children," Jim explained to me when I called to get the details.
The focus will certainly be around access to early care and learning opportunities, after-school programs, preventing child abuse and neglect, alleviating child poverty, and promoting children's health, which continue to be the same issues that have and will continue to have the greatest impact on our children.
While the plan here is to videotape the panel discussion at the Clay Center in Charleston, which would then be shared online, it is hoped that many communities will want to utilize the opportunity to provide for community members and elected officials to discuss solutions together at town meetings, candidate forums and in general programs.
In addition, Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia will be sharing resources (bumper stickers, posters, suggested questions for candidates, etc.) with our community partners, Children's Trust Fund grantees, Family Resource Networks, etc. and anyone who can use them. I think the diversity of business, labor, faith, and policy makers affirming their support that children should be a priority will be very compelling.
If you would like to be a part of this nation al movement and particularly to participate in an event on Sept. 16, please contact Jim McKay, State Coordinator, Prevent Child Abuse WV at PO Box 1653, Huntington, WV 25717, or call 304-697-0340 or emailpcawv@teamwv.org. Their web site is http://www.preventchildabusewv.org.
I would like to encourage every community in West Virginia to get involved in this effort to heighten the awareness of how we can collectively provide more and better resources to level the playing field for every child in West Virginia. As local events occur in your area, it becomes a great venue to distribute information and encourage discussions. In West Virginia, the governor and I join with YOU in affirming our belief that EVERY CHILD MATTERS!
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