As an active auntie and my family meaning everything to me, the safety of my three nephews are one of the biggest priorities in my life as well as my family’s. When I was invited to a Cardboard Kids Campaign meeting along with other social influencers in the city, attending was necessary. The Cardboard Kids Campaign is a Child Abuse Prevention Campaign Happening in San Antonio, Texas. In 2015, there were 4,941 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect in Bexar County. And while that number is staggering, it’s just as shocking to learn that only 1 in 10 sexually abused children ever make an outcry, meaning thousands more children in and around San Antonio are victims of abuse, typically by someone the child knows, loves, and trusts.
To bring awareness to this incredibly urgent issue, ChildSafe created the Cardboard Kids Campaign. Cardboard Kids are 2-foot tall cardboard figures shaped like children that represent one of the thousands of children that are abused and neglected at the hands of adults in our community each year. This is ChildSafe’s fourth year to collaborate with local businesses, clubs, organizations, and individuals to decorate and display a Cardboard Kid representing one of the thousands of children who suffer from abuse and neglect at the hands of adults in Bexar County every year. Community members, businesses, and families are encouraged to decorate and display their own Cardboard Kids on “Reveal Day” on April 6, to create awareness about child abuse and neglect and our mission of ending child abuse in Bexar County.
My nephews love going to the library and with a brand new one located close by to them, I thought the perfect place for our family’s Cardboard Kids would be at the new Schaefer Branch Library so that they may see them when they visit. Samantha Gordano, adult services librarian, and assistant manager of the new branch, graciously accepted our Cardboard Kids for the new branch and will get the library involved with the campaign by spreading the word to the library’s visitors. If you see a Cardboard Kid around San Antonio, please read the information on the back, then take a picture of the Cardboard Kid and share him or her on your favorite social network with the hashtag #CardboardKidsSA.
Remember, April 6 is “Reveal Day” for decorated Cardboard Kids. Imagine the impact of Cardboard Kids placed all over the community! If you discover a Cardboard Kid, snap a photo and share the location through social media using #cardboardkidsSA when posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other media sites.
Thank you so much for supporting this community campaign! It means so much to me and to the team at ChildSafe.