Special Deliveries
A Support System of Families for Your Family 2300 Center Hills Drive, Building II. Opelika, Alabama 36801 (334) 742-2112 Family and Children’s Services of the East Alabama Mental Health-Mental Retardation Center
Susan Gaston Features Editor The Birmingham News Phone: (205) 246-8013 Fax: (205) 135-7924 Email: sgaston@bhamnews.com April 19, 2010 Dear Susan, I read your feature yesterday about charities that help disadvantaged women and children, and I have a timely follow up that may be of interest to you. Special Deliveries is a non-profit organization in Opelika, Ala. that helps to prevent child abuse by providing counseling, support and parenting skills to young mothers. To encourage participation from their patients, Special Deliveries awards its mothers with “baby bucks” for attending group sessions, counseling and having home visits each week. The mothers can use these “bucks” at the Baby Bucks parties given by Special Deliveries. Mothers can purchase such necessities as diapers, wipes and clothes for their children and small luxuries like lotion for themselves. This Thursday, we’ll be holding our spring Baby Bucks party and we would be honored to have you as our guest. You’ll be able to meet our staff and patients and watch one of our most treasured days at Special Deliveries. Our Baby Bucks party is a perfect way to show your readers the amazing things that can come out of their donations to organizations such as Special Deliveries. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at leslielake22@gmail.com or call me at (864) 590-3974. Sincerely,
Leslie Lake Director of Public Relations Special Deliveries
Contact Information: Leslie Lake, Director of Public Relations Phone: (864) 590-3974 E-mail: leslielake22@gmail.com
SPECIAL DELIVERIES FACT SHEET Special Deliveries is a non-profit organization in Lee County, Ala., committed to the prevention of child abuse and support of families in need. Special Deliveries is a part of the Family and Children’s Services Division of the East Alabama Mental Health-Mental Retardation Center. The mission of Special Deliveries focuses on ways to strengthen families and prevent child abuse through education, social support and therapeutic services. Special Deliveries challenges its’ employees and the families who participate to constantly nurture and protect the children in their lives. •
Special Deliveries was formally established in 2003 by combining various teen parenting support programs from Lee SCAN (Stop Child Abuse and Neglect) and East Alabama Mental Health-Mental Retardation Center.
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Special Deliveries was formed to function as a comprehensive home visitation program aiding pregnant or parenting teens and adults.
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The population served by Special Deliveries is Lee County women who are pregnant or have children under the age of 5.
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Patients may be referred to Special Deliveries by local pre-natal programs, hospitals, high schools, friends or by self-referral.
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Special Deliveries focuses on three aspects of child abuse prevention and the promotion of better parenting skills: individual case management, individual and group therapy sessions and parent skills training.
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Special Deliveries is funded by the Alabama Department of Mental Health-Mental Retardation, the United Way of Lee County, Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama and local city and county governments. -‐###-‐
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Leslie Lake, Director of Public Relations Phone (864) 590-3974 E-mail: leslielake22@gmail.com
SPECIAL DELVERIES HOLDS PARTY HONORING MOMS’ HARD WORK Moms purchase baby items with “baby bucks” OPELIKA, Ala. – A pink balloon lit up the plain exterior of the Family and Children’s Services building to mark the special celebration taking place inside. When Special Deliveries participant, Grace, and her son Andy, 9 months, walked through the balloon marked door and into the party room, she dropped her jaw with a with a look of shock exclaimed, “Wow!” Four times a year, Special Deliveries holds a Baby Bucks party for its participants. Baby Bucks may be earned throughout the quarter by participating in group meetings, attending counseling and having an at-home visit. The spring Baby Bucks party was held on April 22 at 3 p.m. Fifteen mothers attended and six of their children were there to join in the celebration. Special Deliveries Program Coordinator Gaye Hagan and Case Manager Linda Steed have been working tirelessly over the past week to prepare for the party. From ordering food, buying gifts and coordinating transportation for the participants, the two women had their hands full. Hagan and Steed had the help of two interns and four
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Page 2 of 3 practicum students from Auburn University’s Human Development and Family Studies Department. By 3:30 p.m. on the day of the party, all the mothers and children had arrived and were busy working on their arts and crafts activities. Everyone then helped themselves to Zaxby’s chicken fingers, Subway sandwiches, chips and dips, cupcakes, brownies and an assortment of soft drinks. While Special Deliveries usually has an average of 60 participants in its program, many of the mothers had never met before. Introductions were informal: Alisha met Brandy for the first time by simply saying, “I don’t know you, what’s your name?” Conversations around the table centered mostly on motherhood. The mothers discussed work, school and difficulties they were having with their children. Hagan and Steed visited each of the mothers to ask how their week had been. The interns and practicum students helped to keep the children engaged and happy while their mothers ate and visited with each other. Miller Folk, a senior HDFS student, has been interning at Special Deliveries for the past three months and has gotten to know the mothers and children involved in the program. “These children have tough lives, they just need some loving,” says Folk. After dinner, Hagan led the group in introductions, announced the number of Baby Bucks each mother had earned and then the shopping began. Items for sale included: diapers, packs of 10 for $5; baby wipes, boxes for $1; baby cups, bottles and bowls for $2; baby formula, $5; women’s and children’s clothes for $1-3; and a variety of toys ranging from $3- $15.
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Page 3 of 3 Mothers were able to buy necessities for themselves and their children and small luxuries as well. The next Baby Bucks party will take place at the end of summer, potentially with a trip to a nearby water park. For more information on Special Deliveries, please visit http://www.eastalabamamhc.org/family_childrens.htm.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Leslie Lake, Director of Public Relations Phone: (864) 590-3974 E-mail: leslielake22@gmail.com
SPECIAL DELIVERIES RECEIVES AWARD FROM TEACHING ORGANZATION Parents As Teachers honors Special Deliveries OPELIKA, Ala. – Lee County organization Special Deliveries was awarded the Best Parenting Program on Saturday, April 24, by the Parents As Teachers program. Parents As Teachers is a nationally recognized organization promoting good parenting skills through their curriculum. Special Deliveries is a program dedicated to providing parenting education, training and support to families of children under the age of 5. Special Deliveries is a part of the Family and Children’s Services Division of the East Alabama Mental Health-Mental Retardation Center, and use the Parents As Teachers curriculum in their parenting skills education courses. Every two years, Parents As Teachers recognizes the programs across the nation that best use its curriculum to educate parents and help prevent child abuse. The winners are announced at the Parents As Teachers national convention and the local programs are awarded in its own facilities. Sue Stapleton, president and chief executive officer of Parents As Teachers is coming to Opelika on April 29 to present Special Deliveries with its award certificate and $2,000 to further its good works.
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Page 2 of 2 “Special Deliveries is doing some amazing things down in Alabama,” says Stapleton. “Their program provides the right amount of support and meets the needs of each of their patients. We are honored that they are using Parents As Teachers curriculum in its program, and they are certainly very deserving of this award.” Special Deliveries Coordinator Gaye Hagan was thrilled to learn of the award. “So much hard work goes in to this program, and I’m honored that Parents As Teachers is recognizing us for all of our efforts,” says Hagan. Hagan said no plans for the prize money have been officially made, but it will probably go to purchasing supplies for participants and children. For more information of Parents As Teachers, visit www.parentsasteachers.org. For more information on Special Deliveries and EAMH, please visit http://www.eastalabamamhc.org/family_childrens.htm.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Leslie Lake, Director of Public Relations Phone: (864) 590-3974 E-mail: leslielake22@gmail.com
LOCAL SORORITY RAISES OVER $30,000 TO HELP PREVENT CHILD ABUSE Auburn University Kappa Delta Sorority holds 17th annual Shamrock Run AUBURN, Ala. – At first glance, it seems unlikely the participants of Special Deliveries and the members of Kappa Delta Sorority at Auburn University would have anything in common. The sisters of KD are Caucasian and come from middle to upper-class families throughout the Southeast. The participants at Special Deliveries are all relatively young mothers, mostly African-American, with very few material possessions to call their own. However, these two organizations are partners, working to help the prevention of child abuse in Lee County and across the country. Special Deliveries is a non-profit organization devoted to helping mothers and families in need. It is part of the Family and Children’s Services Division of the East Alabama Mental Health-Mental Retardation Center. Kappa Delta Sorority is a National Panhellenic sorority headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. KD is the only Panhellenic sorority to support four national philanthropies: Girl Scouts of
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Page 2 of 3 America, Children’s Hospital of Richmond, Va., Orthopedic Research Awards and Prevent Child Abuse America. The KD chapter at Auburn supports each of its national philanthropies, but its biggest event helps to sponsor Special Deliveries. The Shamrock 5K is held each March in Auburn to benefit Prevent Child Abuse America and Special Deliveries. KD and Special Deliveries have been partners for 17 years. Edith Jones, philanthropy advisor for KD, has worked on the past 17 Shamrock Runs. “The run has really grown over the years,” says Jones. “Our first Shamrock was quite a learning experience, but it has really improved over the years and the spirit of giving and caring is still there 16 years later.” In order for these two organizations to show their mutual gratitude and respect of one another, a few Special Deliveries participants make a visit to the KD chapter meeting each year before the race. “We love the KDs,” says Annie, a Special Deliveries participant and mother to Jarrell, age 3. “Its so sweet of them to help us out, even though they don’t know us.” Annie, Jarrell and another family came to visit the KDs this year, to thank them and tell them how much their hard work means to them. “It really makes Shamrock more meaningful when we see the women and their children in our chapter,” says KD member Lauren Coggins. “I respect these women so much for all the difficult things they’ve gone through, and it really makes our hard work for Shamrock worthwhile.” This year, KD raised $31, 892.40 through its Shamrock 5K. A portion of the money is given to Prevent Child Abuse America, but $22,376.91 was given to Special Deliveries.
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Page 3 of 3 “I’m so proud of our run and the amount we raised for Special Deliveries,” says Brittany Rickert, assistant chairwoman of the Shamrock run. “We’ve been planning for months and its great to see our efforts make a difference in the lives of others.” Special Deliveries uses the money donated by KD to fund its Baby Bucks parties given throughout the year. Baby Bucks are awarded to participants for their involvement in the program. The parties allow participants to spend their Baby Bucks on baby items such as diapers, wipes, bottles, clothes and toys. All of the items for sale are purchased through the donation made from the Shamrock 5K. “We’re so thankful for what the KDs do for us,” says Linda Reese, case manager at Special Deliveries. While these two groups of women seem unlikely to ever cross paths, they actually share a special relationship. For the KDs, Special Deliveries provides them with a reason for their hard work and efforts preparing for the Shamrock Run. For Special Deliveries, KD gives them the opportunity to help their family and provide necessities for their children. For more information of Special Deliveries, visit www.eastalabamamhc.org For more information of Auburn KD or the Shamrock Run, visit http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/greeks/kappa_delta/philanthropy.html. -###-
Contact Information:
Leslie Lake, Director of Public Relations Phone: (864) 590-3974 E-mail: leslielake22@gmail.com GAYE HAGAN COORDINATOR Gaye Hagan is the program coordinator of Special Deliveries and has been with the Special Deliveries program for five years. Originally from Atlanta, Hagan came to Auburn University to earn her bachelor’s degree in family and child development. After graduating, Hagan stayed in Auburn and began working as an outpatient therapist for abused children for the Lee County Department of Human Resources. Hagan went on to earn her master’s degree in clinical counseling and psychology in 2001 from Troy State University. After earning her master’s, Hagan came to work with Special Deliveries. After 13 years of working with victims of child abuse, Hagan wanted to stop child abuse. Working as both program coordinator and a case manager, a typical day for Hagan is as varied as the many books in her office – ranging from the “Abnormal Psychology” textbook to the children’s book “Stellaluna.” Hagan leads a teenage mom group session focusing on motherhood and parenting skills. Hagan manages an average of 25 cases at a time, helping transport her patients to various doctor appointments and making visits to their homes during the day. Hagan has two sons and a 21-month old grandson, and lives in Auburn with her husband, Stan. -‐###-‐
FOR EDITORIAL CONSIDERATION April 27, 2010
Contact Information: Leslie Lake, Director of Public Relations Phone: (864) 590-3974 E-mail: leslielake22@gmail.com
CAN YOU SPOT THE WARNING SIGNS OF CHILD ABUSE? Last year, in the state of Alabama, over 9,000 children were the victims of child abuse, maltreatment or neglect. This is 9,000 too many. Child abuse is prevalent in every race, ethnicity and class, and can take the form of physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, neglect or sexual abuse. Being able to spot the warning signs of child abuse is critical in the prevention of this heinous crime, and reporting these signs is not just a duty, but the right thing to do to protect a young life. As a therapist for the Lee County Department of Human Resources and as program coordinator of Special Deliveries, I have seen many cases of child abuse that could have been prevented if a teacher, neighbor or friend had intervened. If you encounter a child displaying any of the following symptoms, he or she may be the victim of abuse. For cases of abuse, the child may have a sudden change in behavior or unexplained learning difficulties. The child may seem overly cautious or anxious and may try to avoid going home after school. An abusive parent commonly shows a lack of concern or caring for the child or might rely entirely on the child for his or her emotional needs.
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Page 2 of 2 In instances of neglect, the child may rarely attend school; lack proper personal hygiene or appropriate clothing; beg or steal from other children; or show an obvious lack of medical care. Children may be victims of sexual abuse if they are unwilling to participate in physical activities, have difficulty walking or sitting or have unusual knowledge of sexual behavior for their age. Emotional maltreatment may be occurring if the child: isn’t developing physically or emotionally at a normal pace; his or her behavior varies in extremes (extremely passive to extremely aggressive); or he or she exhibits abnormally mature or immature behavior. Physically, abuse may be shown through: unexplained bruises, burns or injuries; extreme shyness around adults; or fading bruises after an extended absence from school. Of course, if a child says that he or she is being harmed emotionally, sexually or physically by an adult, this claim should be reported immediately. By quickly reporting signs of abuse, maltreatment or neglect, you could save the life of a child. If you suspect a child may be a victim of abuse, please contact the Department of Human Resources in your county. To find contact information, go to www.dhr.state.al.us/counties.asp.
Gaye Hagan is the Coordinator for the Special Deliveries program in Opelika, Ala. Hagan spent 13 years working with victims of child abuse at the Lee County Department of Human Resources. -###-
CLIENT: SPECIAL DELIVERIES Time: :30 April 1, 2010
Contact Information: Leslie Lake, Director of Public Relations Phone: (864) 590-3974 E-mail: leslielake22@gmail.com
APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH
ANNOUNCER: LAST YEAR, OVER NINE THOUSAND CHILDREN WERE VICTIMS OF ABUSE IN ALABAMA. APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH AND THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOU CAN HELP PROTECT THE CHILDREN OF ALABAMA. VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME WITH A LOCAL CHILDREN’S ORGANIZATIONS OR THE UNITED WAY. FAMILY AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES AND SPECIAL DELIVERIES ARE ACCEPTING VOLUNTEERS AND MENTORS FOR THEIR PATIENTS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW DOT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA DOT COM.
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CLIENT: SPECIAL DELIVERIES Time: :60 April 1, 2010
Contact Information: Leslie Lake, Director of Public Relations Phone: (864) 590-3974 E-mail: leslielake22@gmail.com
APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH ANNOUNCER: APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH AND THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOU CAN HELP TO STOP CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. THE UNITED WAY OF LEE COUNTY, THE LEE COUNTY BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND SPECIAL DELIVERIES ARE ALL LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR MENTOR PROGRAMS. AUBURN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS MAY PARTICIPATE IN PROJECT UPLIFT AND MAKE AN IMPACT ON A CHILD’S LIFE. IF YOU CAN’T DONATE YOUR TIME, THEN MONETARY DONATIONS CAN ALSO GREATLY HELP EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS. LAST YEAR, OVER NINE THOUSAND CHILDREN WERE VICTIMS OF ABUSE IN ALABAMA, AND THAT’S NINE THOUSAND TOO MANY. ALABAMA IS RANKED 48TH IN THE NATION FOR CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING, AND THIS FACT IS
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Page 2 of 2 UNACCEPTABLE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHILD ABUSE AND HOW YOU CAN HELP STOP IT, PLEASE VISIT WWW DOT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA DOT COM. -###-
How Special Deliveries Can Help You and Your Family
Special Deliveries
Transportation to medical appointments and group meetings at Special Deliveries. Parenting skills classes taught with curriculum from the Parents as Teachers program.
Weekly group sessions with other mothers, to discuss and learn about motherhood. Providing you with clothing and baby items when needed.
Finding other organizations to assist you with education, employment, health insurance, child support, housing assistance, childcare and therapeutic services.
Personal at-home visits to provide parenting education in your own home.
Special Deliveries is sponsored by Family and Children’s Services and East Alabama Medical Center. The Alabama Department of Mental Health-Mental Retardation, Children’s Trust Fund, United Way of Lee County and local area city and county government provide funding.
A support system of families for your family.
2300 Center Hills Dr, Building II. Opelika, Alabama 36801 (334) 742-2112
Family and Children’s Services of East Alabama Mental-Health Retardation Center
MISSION Special Deliveries focuses on ways to strengthen families and prevent child abuse through education, social support and therapeutic services. We challenge ourselves and the families we serve to constantly nurture and protect the children in our lives.
Testimonies from Special Deliveries participants… “The Special Deliveries program has done more for my family than I ever thought possible. From driving me to my doctor visits when I was pregnant to giving me baby diapers when I needed them. Special Deliveries was with me every step of the way.” L. F. “Special Deliveries is a great program for moms and moms-to-be. It taught me how to be a better mom.” G. R. “Special Deliveries has given my child a chance to meet and play with children their own age. It’s given me the chance to talk with other moms about parenting.” C. K.
At Special Deliveries, you can become a part of a family that helps to support other families. Your children need so many things from you: Love Guidance Support A Safe Place to Live Friends Clothing Healthy Food Attention Opportunities to Learn
You have needs as a Mother, too: Love Support Advice Friends to Talk to Other Mothers to Give you Parenting Tips
Special Deliveries can give you all these things. We want to help your family, not by giving you a “handout,” but by giving you a “hand-up.”
How do you sign up? Special Deliveries is a program for pregnant women and mothers with children ages 5 and younger. To find out more information on how to become a participant, call (334) 742-2112 and ask about the Special Deliveries program. A Special Deliveries staff member will talk to you about our services and help you to decide what you want and need. Referrals to Special Deliveries can be made by your doctors, high school guidance counselors, friends or teachers.
PARENTS AS TEACHERS Parents as Teachers is an award-winning early childhood parent education curriculum. Their mission is to provide the information, support and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.