New Orleans (WGNO) – There’s a new garden blooming in Audubon Park, right across from Loyola University. Students, tourists, community leaders came together to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention, by planting roughly 2,000 blue and silver pinwheels that will stay up for the rest of the month. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
It’s a beautiful vision to spotlight an ugly problem.
“Last year alone there were 12,000 victims of child abuse and neglect, and that’s just unacceptable. I mean that’s the equivalent of 500 something elementary school classrooms,” says Angela Vanveckhoven, Communications Director of Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana
PCAL is on a mission to educate parents and spread awareness throughout the state. These gardens are a reminder that when it comes to raising the next generation, we’re all in this together. Vanveckhoven says that parents who need help often don’t realize it—and beyond the horrible reality of suffering children, society as a whole suffers from child abuse.
But these gardens, planted throughout South Louisiana, are meant as symbols of hope—and optimism that the statistics will go down, or better yet, be erased.
“How can you not smile when you see a beautiful garden of blue pinwheels spinning in the breeze on a sunny day? It’s just wonderful with the children playing in the background. It’s exactly our message of hope and resiliency,” says Vanveckhoven.
Second-year Loyola law student Miranda Shaughnessy is happy to be a part of the unique planting.
“We definitely wanted to come out so that we support the cause. These pinwheels are supposed to represent the kids that are actually surviving and thriving today, and so it sends a hopeful message to the community,” Shaughnessy says.
The pinwheels are the national symbol of happy, healthy children. You can join the fight to prevent child abuse by purchasing your own pinwheels for $1 each, and planting your own garden of hope.
Click here for more information about Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana.
