Need Your Help with Book Donations
Team 10 “stars,” Lucile and me!
It’s been a while since I last wrote about our children’s books.
But I’m hoping you’ll help me with a project to donate books to Project Safe, the non-profit in my Athens community that works to end domestic violence in Northeast Georgia and across the state.
When domestic violence involves children, they can carry the trauma throughout their lives, even if they aren’t the targets of violence. There are 15 million children in the U.S. living in homes where domestic violence has occurred at least once, according to Project Safe’s research.
In the short term, children experiencing domestic violence exhibit behavioral issues, dropping grades, fighting with other children or family members, and experiencing extreme guilt or shame over the situation at home. Longer term, boys who witness domestic violence as children are 10 times more likely to abuse their partners as adults, and girls who witness domestic violence are more than six times more likely to experience abuse as adults.
Project Safe serves between 30-50 children in its shelter and transitional housing programs on an annual basis, and at any given time there are 10-15 children in these residential programs.
The kids are kept as closely as possible to their normal routines — they attend school or daycare, celebrate holidays, and enjoy time in our indoor playroom and outdoor playground. They also receive significant extra support. A dedicated Children's Advocate provides engaging, trauma-informed, productive activities at Children's Group on a weekly basis, and Project Safe provides activities during school breaks to keep kids stimulated and active.
How I’m Getting Involved
Project Safe’s executive director asked me to participate in their big annual fundraiser, called Dancing with the Athens Stars. Together with my daughter, Lucille (who is now 14 years old!) we’ll be one the local “stars” performing a tap dancing routine with professional instructor, Catherine Huff.
The event is at Athens Classic Center on Saturday, March 21. Between now and then, I have two jobs:
Learn the tap routine.
Raise money and awareness for Project Safe.
Unfortunately, you can’t help me with the tap dancing. But I hope you’ll help me donate books and funding to support the kids that pass through Project Safe.
The cost at which I can purchase copies of our books is roughly $10 after shipping. I’m asking people who know our books to consider sending $20 — half to pay for a book that will be given to a child at Project Safe, and the other half to support Project Safe’s work.
If you’re willing, please send the money directly to me via Venmo (@DWASteam10) or Paypal (brt.king@gmail.com or paypal.me/DWASteam10). Please include the note “books” with the funds, to help me differentiate from the other fundraisers I’m managing. I’ll take care of the rest!
If you’re interested, you can read more about Project Safe and my other fundraising efforts on my other website Regenerators.earth.
Thanks so much!
~Bart