Child Abuse Prevention Month Report
May 2021
Dear Friend, We are so grateful for your support of our Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign. Please enjoy this special report for donors who participated in
Child Abuse Prevention Month.
In case you missed it-
Preventing Child Abuse Doesn't Stop Here
From Our Executive Director

Although Child Abuse Prevention Month is coming to a close, we encourage you to continue the conversations you've been having about preventing and addressing child sexual abuse. Whether donating, educating, or volunteering, everyone can do one thing to help a child in need. Your voice is powerful, and children are counting on you to continue to speak up.

The staff and board at Small Talk are honored to spotlight a local student who will not be silenced. Through her writing, Madilyn Merritt is determined to bring awareness to the reality and trauma of sexual assault, specifically among teenagers.

In her honest and unapologetic review of the Netflix documentary “Audrie and Daisy” for her high school journalism class, Madilyn has shined a bright light on victim blaming, rape culture, and the impact of sexual assault on teens. For her article and her persistence in addressing this topic, even as her school administrators have been slow to publish the review, Madilyn was recognized as a “Game Changer” by End Violence Against Women International.

Let’s honor the memories of Audrie and Daisy by watching this film, and reading Madilyn's powerful article, which we are proud to share with you here.

-Alex Brace, Executive Director of Small Talk
Madilyn Merritt

Madilyn Merritt, student journalist, wants people to start talking openly about sexual assault and to stop blaming victims. She's using her position on the high school newspaper to push the envelope and call attention to this issue she cares so...

Read more
evawintl.org
Pinwheels for Prevention
Thank you to the many individuals and local organizations who participated in our Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign including:
ASK
Bretton Woods Lioness Club
Ngage Marketing
Meridian Township Parks
Meridian Township Board
HOMTV
Mason Middle School Leo's Club
Mason Elementary Schools
Michigan State Police-Lansing Post
Holt Lion's Club
Delhi Trustees
Eaton County Prosecutor's Office
Ingham County Prosecutor's Office
Preuss Pets
Children's Protective Services
Sparrow Hospital
Neighbors of Scott Woods
The County Journal
Small Talk Board of Directors and Staff
Read the full resolution starting on page 114 of the meeting minutes or click to watch the video
"I Asked My Daughter to Plant the Pinwheel"
Seeing me open the envelope with pinwheels, my 10 year old daughter was happy and inquisitive about where they were from and why did I get it. When I told her about the idea behind it, the gravity of the context sank in and she became a bit more somber. However, her curiosity made me think of a way in which other kids in the neighborhood could get an opportunity to ask same question of their parents. With that thought in mind, I sent an email to the mailing list of my subdivision sharing with them the focus on Child Abuse Prevention in the month of April and if they are interested to get a pinwheel to show their support for this issue. I got few responses back, expressing interest in pinwheel as well as asking for ways to support Smalltalk. I then asked my daughter to plant the pinwheel on the front lawn of the people who responded to me. My wife and myself also used this opportunity to educate her on this issue. Since then, my elder daughter has also expressed her interest in volunteering for Smalltalk. In all, I never realized that a small thing such as a pinwheel could be such a powerful tool for creating awareness within my own house as well as in my community. -Pankaj Vij, Board Member, Jackson
The Impact of Your Gift
With your support we were able to raise $3,500 and reach more than 100 people with this campaign. The result: more than 100 conversations in our communities about Child Abuse Prevention. These conversations are critical to bringing the epidemic of child sexual abuse out of the darkness and into the light, so that children can share their truths and adults will react responsibly.

Funds of $3,500 are equivalent to supporting over 50 abused children during their first counseling session. Almost half of all donors to the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign were new to Small Talk. If that's YOU, welcome! If you are an existing donor who gave to this campaign, thank you so much for your ongoing support on behalf of children in our communities. We can't thank you enough.

All contributions to Small Talk support our General Fund and help our organization to provide hope, healing, and justice to children. For more details on our financials you can check out our Guidestar Profile where we are proud to have earned a 2021 Gold Seal of Transparency.
We want to strike the right balance of email communication with our supporters, and we welcome your feedback. Just reply to this email to reach our Development Director. Thank you!