Facebook cartoon profile craze increases awareness of child abuse
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. / The recent anonymous Facebook craze that asked users to change their profile picture to their favorite childhood cartoon in a stand against child violence brought tremendous awareness to an important topic.
On Friday, December 3, Childhelp asked Facebook fans to post the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline number (1-800-4-A-CHILD) and website (http://www.childhelp.org) on their Facebook pages during the final days of the campaign to give people a way to learn more and offer help to those who need it.
“Our web traffic over the weekend tripled to 10,000 hits both Saturday and Sunday and our Facebook page got 1,100 likes,” said Lorrie Henderson, executive director of Childhelp. “We continue to see donations coming in, now surpassing $9,000, so the response has been incredible.”
Although the origin of the campaign is unknown, the awareness that a viral campaign like this brings is important.
“Many people wanted to know how this campaign did anything for child abuse,” said Henderson, “and we are here to say that it has definitely made an impact in respect to increasing the dialogue and we will continue to work to educate, prevent and treat child abuse in America.”
About Childhelp:
Childhelp has brought the light of hope and healing into the lives of countless children for over 50 years. CEO and cofounder Sara O’Meara and president and cofounder Yvonne Fedderson started Childhelp in 1959, and established it as a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect and at-risk children. Childhelp’s approach focuses on advocacy, prevention, treatment and community outreach.
The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Childhelp’s programs and services also include residential treatment services; children’s advocacy centers, therapeutic foster care, group homes and child abuse prevention, education and training. Childhelp also created the Childhelp National Day of Hope, held each April during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The day mobilizes people across America to join the fight against child abuse.
For more information about Childhelp, call 480-922-8212 or visit www.childhelp.org.
CONTACT:
Megan Rose
Gordon C. James Public Relations
Email: mrose@gcjpr.com
Phone: (602) 274-1988/(602) 690-0801 (cell)
Website: www.childhelp.org
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