Because

Until that happens,

Suffering shall not

End.

If this mint green ribbon bearing our state flower, the forget-me-not, looks familiar, it’s because members of the nonprofit group "RID Alaska of Child Abuse" have distributed thousands of them throughout Alaska the past several years. The mint green ribbon stands for child abuse awareness, and the forget-me-not represents the children of Alaska. Wearing the ribbon serves as a reminder of joy and innocence lost when abuse happens, and the lives that can be saved by your awareness and support. It shows that we care about the children of our state, our country, and our world.

"RID Alaska of Child Abuse" was organized for the purpose of helping victims/survivors, and promoting child abuse awareness and prevention programs and campaigns to fight against child abuse. And since Alaska has the highest incidence of child abuse in the country, that fight is enormous! First called RID Alaska of Child Sexual Abuse, the Kenai based organization received its nonprofit corporation status with the state of Alaska on April 28, 1997, and was recently granted permanent 501C(3) status from the IRS. This means that people and corporations can receive tax credit for their donations to the organization. It also opens many doors for federal and state funding, which means we can do more to create programs that will help prevent child abuse.

The "Mint Green Ribbon-Awareness of Abuse" Campaign" was RID’s first fund-raising and Alaskan child abuse awareness endeavor. This campaign was started and copyrighted several years ago by childhood abuse survivor Holli Marshall http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Abuse/holli/who chose the color because when a baby is expected, mint green is a gender-neutral gift color. Holli has graciously allowed us to use her symbol pro gratis, so 100% of all donations to RID are used right here in Alaska to help survivors of childhood abuse, educate the public, and protect Alaska children from further abuse.

The "Mint Green Ribbon" campaign occurs in April, National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention month. The Alaska campaign started in 1997 when Kenai Peninsula residents Tia Rosenbaum and Joan Bauer got together and wanted to do something about child abuse. They made by hand 1,000 silk mint green ribbons with a forget-me-not in the center, and distributed them all over the Peninsula in April of 1998. The next year, Tia said, "Let's try to give out 10,000 ribbons." The others thought she was nuts and protested, "We are not making 10,000 ribbons!" But Tia persisted. She found a Hong Kong company that would make the mint green ribbon in pin form, and an educational pamphlet was developed to distribute along with the pins. The pamphlet contains information on identifying child abuse, what to do for the victim, area statistics and services available. Each town was able to individualize the pamphlet with their local resource numbers.

The 1999 "Mint Green Ribbon" campaign expanded to include Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, and the Mat-Su Valley, as well as the towns on the Kenai Peninsula. In 2000, joined by Angoon, Craig, Klawock, Ketchikan, Sitka, Wrangell, Kodiak, Bethel and Nome, RID succeeded in handing out almost 25,000 pins and educational pamphlets across our state! In 2001, almost 35,000 pins and pamphlets were handed out across the state, and participants included the communities of Angoon, Barrow, Bethel, Craig, Dillingham, Elemendorf AFB, Juneau, Nome, Haines, the Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan, Klawock, the Mat-Su Valley, Metlakatla, Petersburg, Sitka, Unalaska, Wrangell, Yakutat and Anchorage.

During last year’s campaign (2002), the communities of Cordova, and Valdez joined in to distribute over 33,000 ribbons/educational pamphlets throughout Alaska. In addition, people in different areas did area-specific activities during the month like creating giant posters and holding candlelight vigils.

The 2003 "Mint Green Ribbon" campaign needs YOUR participation to do even more to educate people about and prevent child abuse. The pamphlets and pins are free, so taking part in it does not cost you a dime. Participants simply ask businesses in their community for counter space to display the pamphlets and a donation jar. Most businesses are more than willing to help. For example, Tesoro collects donations all month from their customers in the Anchorage area, and some organizations like Tlinget-Haida Central Council give large cash
donations. We have also received cash donations from individuals like some of the employees of Phillips.

The members of RID and the children of Alaska are extremely grateful to all the individuals and businesses who have contributed and continue to contribute to this cause. If you would like to help, please mail your tax deductible contributions to: RID Alaska of Child Abuse, PO Box 35595, Juneau, AK 99803 E-mail: treasurer@ridalaskaofchildabuse.org

Founded by Survivors for Survivors, RID’s missions are:

(1) to compile, categorize, and disseminate information on child abuse in the State of Alaska for child victims, adult survivors, their families, and professionals working with them;

(2) to raise public awareness of the occurrence of child abuse;

(3) to help lessen the stigmatism and discrimination placed on child sexual abuse victims/survivors;

(4) to promote child safety and child abuse prevention programs.

(5) to promote child safety by researching and posting child safety tips including tips on personal safety and Internet safety for children.
We do this with our website and by distributing educational information to the public.

The organization’s Resource and Information Directory on child abuse in Alaska at www.ridalaskaofchildabuse.orglists dozens of services to make it easier for victims/survivors and their families to find the help they need. It contains detailed information on identifying, reporting, and preventing child abuse plus resources like Parents Anonymous, Inc., the self help organization for abusing parents. Also included are information and safety tips for parents and children including Internet safety. The starting point was Kenai, and the group has expanded the listings to encompass the whole state.

RID’s website also contains links to the Alaska Department of Public Safety's Sex Offender Registration Central Database, and you need only type in your zip code to get the names and addresses of registered sex offenders in your area. When I accessed the database a few years ago, I found 17 in Soldotna and 30 in Kenai! I also discovered that one lived right in my neighborhood and, while we tried to respect his privacy, everyone let him know that his actions were being closely monitored. The area children were also warned to avoid him and to immediately report to a trusted adult anything he did that made them uncomfortable.

RID members are prepared to assist in numerous ways organizations and entities like the recently created SART at Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna. In the past, sexual assault victims usually had to be driven to Homer, the closest appropriate facility. C.P.G.H. now has trained nurse examiners, a special exam room, equipment small enough to use for children, and other resources for the victims and the prosecutors (including the police and the D.A.’s office).

"Every community needs a trained, organized Sexual Assault Response Team to minimize the possibility of re-traumatizing an already traumatized victim," stated RID Founder and Past-President Tia Rosenbaum, "It’s also essential for convicting the offender. So far, for every victim examined by this process, the evidence was so overwhelming and conclusive that the perpetrator pled guilty. Not having to go to court saves thousands of taxpayer dollars plus tying up the court system."

"We’re also involved in activities like having a Halloween party or Fall festival for local children," Tia explained, "Helping children learn the difference between being scared for the fun of it, rather than living in fear, and teaching them ways to protect themselves from scary people and things . . . It’s so important to teach children the concept of personal safety, that they have the right to be safe, and to empower them with resources and tips on what they can do to protect themselves."

An adult survivor who went through 5 years of therapy, Tia is presently Vice President of the organization. The current President and Webmaster is Debra Gerrish, also a survivor of child abuse. The Secretary is Sandra Carmicheal and Treasurer Patti Fay Hickox.

Child abuse and incest affect not only the victim, but our society as a whole and they are promoted by silence and ignorance. When it comes to child abuse, silence is not golden and ignorance is definitely not bliss! We can help RID society of child abuse by working together with education, compassion and appropriate resources.
 
 

RID Board Members to contact for information:

Debra Gerrish - President/State Coordinator - president@ridalaskaofchildabuse.org
Tia M. Holley - Vice President - vicepresident@ridalaskaofchildabuse.org
Patti Fay Hickox, Treasurer /Secretary - treasurer@ridalaskaofchildabuse.org