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Snoqualmie Valley Record • April 17, 2013 • 9
Breaking the cycle Pinwheels raise awareness of child abuse Pinwheels take on a new meaning this month. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness of child maltreatment and how to prevent it in our community. The Washington state Department of Early Learning uses pinwheels to represent its campaign urging people to learn more about prevention and supporting children and their families. “The health and well-being of our children is all of our concern,” Dr. Ronald Spiegel, pediatrician at Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic, said. “Medical providers rely on community members to report any treatment of a child they see that is concerning or inappropriate.” Child maltreatment is any type of abuse or neglect of a child, under the age of 18, that
Courtesy photo
Kasey George, age 5, and Sophia Robison, age 6, plant pinwheels at the Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic to show the hospital district’s commitment to healthy child development. results in harm or injury. There are four common types of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional and neglect or abandonment. Maltreatment causes stress in children that can affect school, family life, physical and mental health. “The goal is to stop child maltreatment before it starts,” Spiegel said. “The best way to prevent it is to seek help if you’re feeling
overwhelmed by circumstances in your life, including financial worries, marital problems and substance abuse. Counseling and community programs can help prevent things from escalating to the level of maltreatment.” Local programs to prevent child abuse and neglect also improve parent-child relationships and provide parents with
social support. A few local support organizations include LifeWire, Encompass and Friends of Youth. “We live in a great area with lots of family activities, good schools and excellent support systems to help in stressful times,” Spiegel said. “Our Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic providers are available through our call service 24 hours a day to help steer people towards the support they may need.” Each type of child abuse comes with its own unique symptoms. It’s up to adults who are in a position to notice recurring symptoms of abuse, to act before the situation escalates. If you suspect a child may be mistreated, call your medical provider, Child Protective Services or the police. Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic is located at 35020 S.E. Kinsey St., Snoqualmie. Go to www.svhd4.org or call (425) 3967682 for more information.
Church effort aids nutrition in Guatemalan village
Valley Christian Assembly Church hosts a fundraising event with a Mexican Fiesta dinner and silent auction, 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 5. The fundraiser is an opportunity to help change people’s lives in the small village of San Miguel Chamil, Guatemala. Valley Christian Assembly Church, partnering with Food for the Hungry, has made a commitment to support this village by sponsoring many children and helping with annual community projects for a 10-year period. Last year, a mission group from the Valley planted fruit trees in their village, combating malnutrition, a serious problem, and helping with trade. Vacation Bible School is also provided for the local children. Food for the Hungry focuses on the needs of the community and asked church members this year to help install new cooking stoves. The villagers keep warm and cook in open fires in the middle of their homes. With a fire pit in the middle of the home without proper ventilation, the villagers inhale smoke, causing serious respiratory problems. Therefore, a trip is planned to return in August this year to construct and install these new stoves, which will, in the long run, save lives. The church is located at 32725 SE 42nd Street, Fall City; call the church at (425) 222-5284. Tickets are $8 per person. Children under 3 are free. The church is seeking businesses to sponsor or donate goods for the fiesta. To learn more, e-mail to Samantha at svannyhuis@yahoo.com.
Snoqualmie Ridge Medical Clinic
Joanna Hagen MN, ARNP Family Practice
Alan Johnson, MD Family Practice
John M. Gray, MD Family Practice
Rachel Robison, MN, ARNP Family Practice
Ronald Spiegel, MD Pediatrics
M-F Hours 8-6 (425) 396-7682 www.SVHD4.org
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