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Lakeland, FL – On Saturday, April 23rd at 5pm, Heartland for Children, Child Advocates and other supporters of child abuse prevention gathered at Henley Field in Lakeland, Florida for the Lakeland Flying Tigers’ game against the Dunedin Blue Jays. Pinwheels in the Park is a celebration of healthy families and local child abuse prevention efforts as part of Prevent Child Abuse Florida’s (PCA Florida) Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. PCA Florida and its community partners have sponsored campaign activities during April in recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Florida Trucking Association and Rowland Transportation have partnered by wrapping a semi-truck with child abuse prevention messaging and sending the truck around the state to local events in support of the campaign. The Pinwheels for Prevention truck stopped in Lakeland for this celebration.
I began looking around, and saw something amazing. A group of people, all completely different, had found a place where they could be themselves, build relationships with other parents, let their children learn valuable social behaviors, and know that they aren’t doing this alone. A mom in pajamas just happy to be there, a dad whose wife passed away before their child was a year old, a grandpa wanting to spend some time with his grandchild, a stay-at-home mom, a stay-at-home dad, along with many other parents and caregivers, all had found a place to belong, sharing the one thing they had in common, caring for that child.
I left class that day in tears. Tears of joy. Joyful because I had seen families strengthened to take on the rest of their week.
Ashley Beckwith was a constant source of information and support during the two years and five months of our adoption journey. My husband and I completed the Adoption 101 (now MAPS) class in 2012. Ashley stayed in touch and available to us through the adoption newsletter and checking in via email. She was present at match meetings and adoption events. We finalized our adoption a month ago. I am finally a mother and I feel so thankful and blessed to have been able to work with Ashley through this process. Ashley, you are so dedicated and positive. It was a pleasure to work with you.
Mary Thomson-Marin Adoptive Parent