Pinwheel garden at Methodist Children’s Home highlights April as Child Abuse Prevention Month

Methodist Children’s Home is bringing attention to Child Abuse Prevention during the month of April by planting a pinwheel garden at the front of the Waco campus.

The Pinwheels for Prevention® grassroots initiative was started in 2008 by Prevent Child Abuse America, a national organization whose mission is “to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation’s children.” Every April they challenge individual communities to take a stand against child abuse and show support for local agencies that focus on the development of children and families. The pinwheel serves as the national symbol for child abuse prevention as it connotes the whimsy and childlike notions and is a reminder of the happy childhoods all children deserve.

Brooke Davilla, director of MCH Family Outreach in Waco, learned about the pinwheel initiative last year and helped to bring it to Methodist Children’s Home.

“We are a legacy organization that strives to make a positive, meaningful impact on children and families daily,” Davilla said. “However, most of our work is done in community members’ homes, homes on the Boys Ranch and Waco campus, and many foster homes across the state which is often unseen. I feel that is our responsibility to not only do quality work every day but to be a voice alongside those we serve and create opportunities for awareness about issues that are impacting our community.”

The initiative will be extended to MCH Family Outreach offices in Abilene, Albuquerque, Corpus Christi, Houston and San Antonio this year. Each office has partnered with a local organization or church to plant the pinwheels to raise awareness.

“The statistics around child abuse are staggering and need to be known,” Davilla said. “CPS investigated more than 176,868 allegations of child abuse or neglect in Texas last year. But that is not the full story. The message of HOPE is stronger. Our children are our future and as a community we can help make the future even brighter. Through our residential and community outreach programs we want to be a part of the message of hope across the state and New Mexico.”

Davilla continued, “Our children deserve a childhood that is full of joy and hope. It is our responsibility as a community to ensure that they have that opportunity. I support this national campaign because I appreciate the proactive approach to protecting children, supporting families and communities and the awareness that our children are worth it!”

Abilene outreach office's pinwheel garden is located at the
Onstead Building on the Abilene Christian University campus.

Albuquerque planted their garden at Wilson Middle School.

Corpus Christi partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
for their garden located at the CASA building on Prescott St.

Houston outreach planted their pinwheels at Westminster United Methodist Church.

San Antonio's pinwheel garden was planted at Yanagua Garden at Hemisfair.