The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida today received a generous donation from the community of New Covenant United Methodist Church (NCUMC) in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Located in The Villages, NCUMC held an April Family Event on April 2, the first weekend of Child Abuse Prevention Month. Attendees were asked to wear something blue (the official color April’s campaign) and bring a donation to the Ounce of Prevention Fund because of its work strengthening families. The event’s service project was making 100 Easter baskets for daycares in the Wildwood community. Families also enjoyed brunch, an Easter egg hunt, face painting, pony rides, photos with the Easter Bunny, and live music. Attendees of this inaugural event donated $373 toward child abuse prevention, and the church hopes to collect even more contributions next year.
“Thank you to the NCUMC community for helping us spread the word that everyone can help in the mission of supporting families and preventing abuse,” Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida President and CEO Jennifer L. Ohlsen said. “We greatly appreciate faith-based organizations for the important role they play in protecting Florida’s children.”
“One of our church’s main values is caring for each other, especially in times of need, but really it’s something we practice every day,” NCUMC Senior Paster Rev. Harold Hendren said. “We are glad to support families in our community and statewide with this donation.”
Another core value of NCUMC is hospitality, believing all people are worthy of dignity and respect, which helps them continue to be a multicultural and multigenerational church. The Ounce of Prevention Fund thanks NCUMC for creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds to learn from and support each other.
One stable, caring adult can make a difference in a child’s life. Whether it’s doing a household chore for a new parent, supervising children while they’re swimming, volunteering with a youth organization, or educating caregivers about the safest way for a baby to sleep, every person can do something to help. For parenting tips and other resources, visit https://www.ounce.org/prevention_resources.html.
About the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida
The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida is a private nonprofit that identifies, funds, supports, and tests innovative programs to improve the life outcomes of children, preserve and strengthen families, and promote healthy behavior and functioning in society, recognizing that the wisest money spent is on prevention. Using proven evidence-based strategies, programs focus on improving educational achievement; improving maternal and child health outcomes; promoting health, nutrition, and physical activity; building strong families; and helping keep communities drug-free. Learn about the Florida Children’s Initiatives and Innovation Initiatives on the website.
The Ounce of Prevention Fund administers Healthy Families Florida, a nationally accredited voluntary home visiting program proven to prevent child abuse and neglect by building on family strengths to promote healthy child development and family self-sufficiency. The Healthy Families Florida program has helped thousands of children by empowering parents with education and community support.
The Ounce of Prevention Fund also houses the Florida chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. The chapter implements primary prevention activities and advocates for policies and initiatives to strengthen Florida’s families and communities so children can grow and develop through healthy, safe, and nurturing experiences. A major focus for the chapter is the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign.
To learn more about the Ounce of Prevention Fund, the safe infant sleep materials, water safety campaign, the team’s Research, Evaluation, and Systems capabilities, and Training Institute opportunities, visit www.ounce.org.
About New Covenant United Methodist Church
New Covenant United Methodist Church of The Villages, Fla., has a vision “to be a thriving body of Christ by being His hands, feet, and voice in the world.” Since New Covenant began as a new church plant in 2001, it has grown into a large, multigenerational church with thousands of weekly worshipers, millions of dollars invested in missions and outreach efforts, and diverse ministries for everyone from retirees to children, youth, and families. Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Harold Hendren, the church continues to pursue excellence in worship, missions, and discipleship. For more information, please visit the church website at ncumcfl.com.
