Latest news with #ShannonPeduto
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Pinwheels prompting awareness in Luzerne County
LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. One local organization continues to help kids in need and raise awareness. Hundreds of pinwheels are being placed across Luzerne County to raise awareness for child abuse. It's something officials say is happening in our own backyards. Planting pinwheels for prevention. Ahead of national child abuse prevention month, the Luzerne County Child Advocacy Center is getting the word out about child abuse. It's an issue center leaders say continues to grow. 'In Luzerne County alone there were over 3,000 reports to ChildLine of abuse cases in Luzerne County and out of that we saw almost 500 of them. So each year the numbers are going up for the children who need our help,' explained Shannon Peduto, executive director, Luzerne County Child Advocacy Center. The pinwheels planted at the Luzerne County Courthouse and Hazleton City Hall serve as a reminder of these children. 'We ask that when you're driving by the courthouse in Wilkes-Barre or City Hall in Hazleton, that you picture one child standing in the place of every pinwheel, and that's how many children in our county need help because of child abuse each year,' said Peduto. Community organizations, leaders, and local law enforcement who work with the center joined the initiative. 'Events like this are so important in raising awareness within the community for everyone to be vigilant and to give child victims a voice in order to protect children and protect our community,' stated Tony Ross, first assistant district attorney, Luzerne County The Luzerne County Child Advocacy Center is a standalone nonprofit, and they provide services for families free of charge. This means support from the community is crucial in helping them keep their doors open. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Yahoo
Sponsor a pinwheel for child abuse prevention awareness
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Child abuse is an alarming issue happening across our nation and one non-profit is working toward raising awareness about it happening in our area. A pinwheel signifies childhood joy and playfulness but the blue one being held by Shannon Peduto represents child abuse prevention. 'Every year in Luzerne County, there are over 3,000 reports of child abuse happening in our community, so it's very important that we keep our doors open so we are here to help these children and these families.' Peduto is the Executive Director of the Luzerne County Child Advocacy Center in Wilkes-Barre. The non-profit has held a 'pinwheels for prevention' event annually – placing hundreds of pinwheels in the county to show the upward trend of child abuse. Paper plant alerts 100+ employees of closure '500 of these pinwheels will be planted at City Hall Hazleton and at the Luzerne County courthouse lawn next month, signifying 500 children who disclosed abuse.' . . . 'The sooner that we can get in and help the intervention early, we can turn a child's life around from what they experienced. Abuse is usually happening over years, not just one incident.' Operating for more than a decade, the non-profit gets called in to conduct forensic interviews and medical examinations if necessary to identify abuse. Work that's at no cost for families. That's why Peduto says they're in need of sponsors and community donors to keep its doors open. 'We want to make sure that we're here 10 years from now, 20 years from now because child abuse has only been increasing and we're trying to stop that. That is the mission of our center to help these children, but to stop generational abuse.' As April marks child abuse prevention month she says the most important thing the community can do is address the issue that's happening in our own backyard. 'It is very important, we tell people all the time, if you see something happening, please say something because you could save the life of a child.' The Luzerne County Child Advocacy Center's Pinwheels for Prevention event will take place on March 28th in Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
