Yesterday, the Kempe ASPIRE Program received between 8,000 and 10,000 diapers from the BabiesNow! Foundation.   BabiesNow! received 100,000 diapers from Huggies and distributed them to non-profits throughout the Denver Metro Area including Kempe.

 

 

Thank you to the BabiesNow! Foundation, Huggies and all of the dedicated volunteers who transported and unloaded the diapers.

 

Kempe’s ASPIRE Program was also recenlty featured in the BabiesNow! Foundation video:

 

Click here to watch Kempe's ASPIRE Program featured in BabiesNow! Foundation video (available only in Windows Media Player)

Thank you to Jackson National Life employees for donating complete Thanksgiving dinners to families at The Kempe Center.  We appreciate your generosity!  Happy Thanksgiving!

By Desmond K. Runyan, MD, DrPH, Executive Director, The Kempe Center

The recent revelations from Pennsylvania about child sexual victimization by an assistant football coach at Penn State University are very troubling.  By report, a child was alleged to have been victimized within the Penn State football program facilities and other boys are alleged to have been victimized by the same person in other settings.

Make no mistake, sexual abuse is harmful for its victims.  Children who have been sexually abused are harmed by the traumatic sexualization, betrayal of trust, loss of control over their own bodies, and by the social stigma of having been a victim. 

The good news is that most children, with the support of their families, and, as needed, medical and mental health services, go on to lead full normal lives. The children in this case are not alone.  Studies reveal that nearly 25 percent of adult American women and 13 percent of adult American men were sexually victimized by an adult involving physical contact.  However, the majority of these children can recover and become normal, productive adults.

Recent research emphasized that abuse in childhood can have long-term repercussions including even heart disease and cancer.  These adverse effects are real but modifiable.  The strongest predictor of recovery is physical and emotional support by a parent, usually the mother.  Children whose mothers know about the abuse and take steps to help children understand that it wasn’t their fault, that they are believed, and that the family will take steps to make sure that they are protected in the future are the ones who are likely to do well.  Conversely, children made to feel responsible for the abuse or who are seen as “damaged goods” by family members are those who usually do poorly in life.

The victims at Penn State are not sentenced to long-term harm.  With family support, a strong commitment to their protection in the future, and mental health assistance when needed, these children have the capacity and promise of full recovery.

So, why is the campaign named, Where in the WORLD is Kempe? 

The Kempe Center’s mission is to provide and improve direct and clinical services, improve clinical service delivery systems, and provide training and consultation programs to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect throughout Colorado, the nation and even the WORLD. 

During fiscal year (FY) 2011, Kempe provided direct services to children and/or trained professionals from 47 Colorado counties, 30 additional states, Washington, D.C. and four other countries including Canada, South Korea, Iceland and China. 

In all, during FY 2011 Kempe trained, educated and presented to 7,284 professionals.

Steve Harrell, Kempe Foundation Vice President – Strategy and Corporate Advancement helps you identify the location of the first of many Kempe bus signs and billboards located throughout the Denver Metro Area this holiday season. Steve and this bus sign were photographed on Colfax Avenue traveling west in front of The Children’s Hospital Colorado and The University of Colorado near the Anschutz Medical Campus. How many Kempe bus signs and billboards can you locate?

It’s no surprise that The Kempe Center houses what is said by many to be the WORLD’S foremost team of experts on the issues of child abuse and neglect.  From our frontline Child Protection Team, to the Fostering Healthy Futures mentoring program, Kempe has pioneered programs designed to heal children and strengthen families as well as to train professionals WORLDWIDE.
 
Now it’s your turn to help discover, Where in the WORLD is Kempe? 
 
Dozens of bus signs and many billboards throughout the Denver metro area feature Kempe’s message of healing and hope this holiday season.  We invite you to have fun and join in the search to identify the location of as many bus signs and billboards as you can.  To enter, simply send an email to info@kempe.org. Include your name, telephone number and your list of as many of the bus sign and billboard locations as you can locate.  The prize winner is the person who most closely identifies by location the most correct locations. 
 
A second way to join in the fun!   When you locate a bus sign have your photo taken.  The most creative photograph that also clearly shows the Kempe signage will be selected and a prize awarded. 
 
The WORLD turns to Kempe for help, advice and strategies on how to prevent, treat and heal child abuse.  By supporting The Kempe Foundation, you ensure that the legacy of Dr. C. Henry Kempe continues to thrive.
 

 
When taking bus sign location photos please obey all traffic regulations.  Kempe accepts no responsibility for mishaps or harm that may result.

Thank you for choosing us to be a part of your annual holiday giving!  Below is a list of items that the kids and families here at Kempe love to receive.  Kempe serves children and families of all ages, so please remember all ages in your giving.  Your generosity really can put holiday smiles on the faces of kids who are struggling with the aftermath of abuse and neglect – thank you again for thinking of us!  Please contact Tracie Sheppard, at 303-864-5312 or sheppard.tracie@kempe.org for more information on becoming a part of Holidays at Kempe.  We need items delivered on or before December 8, 2011.

Kempe Foundation Needs:

• Gift Cards (Target, Wal-Mart, etc.)
• Stuffed Animals, particularly bears
• Legos or other building sets
• Kid’s jewelry or jewelry kids
• Local sports team toys/balls/accessories
• Anything Cars II related
• Leapfrog /leapster yrs 3-6yrs old
• Remote control car
• Arts and Crafts
• Play-Doh
• Coloring books and crayons
• Matchbox/hot wheels cars
• Princess themed toys and dress ups
• Barbies/dolls and accessories
• Baby toys that light up and make noise
• Board Games
• Super hero action figures (hulk, Spiderman, etc.)
• Footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, other sporting equipment
• Doll houses
• Play dishes
• Games and puzzles (kids of all ages)
• Teething toys
• Soft blankets
• Toys with Handy Manny, Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Train, Disney, Elmo or Sesame Street
• Hand held games
• Video games for Wii
• Dress up clothes for boys and girls (all ages – especially teens and adults)
• Casual clothes (all ages – especially teens and adults)
• Warm clothes, jackets and coats (all ages – especially teens and adults)
• Adult makeup
• Adult jewelry
• Adult perfume

Please note that gifts donated should be new as well as unwrapped.  Thank you!

By Paul Heitzenrater, Kempe Foundation Alliance

Last night was our final Alliance meeting of the calendar year and we were hosted by Bob and Nancy Koontz at their new venture, Celebrity Lanes on Arapaho and Parker roads.  The meeting started with a business meeting with around 20 attendees.  Adrienne Fitzgibbons, the Chair for this year’s Gala, Kempe Takes Hong Kong, announced the Patron Party will be held in January, date and final venue TBA.  Also, hints were made about this year’s entertainment that Entertainment Chair Lark Katchur  is working on – stay tuned – it promises to be fantastic!
 
Upcoming events for the Alliance is their Holiday Event, “A Christmas Carol,”  on November 30th at the DCPA.  Tickets are only available until November 11th. this event has almost sold out and is geared for the whole family.  In addition, we are sponsoring families served by Kempe, to attend the performance.
 
The Four Seasons is partnering with Kempe during February 2012 and 15% of any Spa treatment will go to the Center, when reservations are made and Kempe mentioned.  Make plans to spend a day at the Spa, or treating your special loved one, while helping Kempe!
 
Our Annual Membership Drive will happen mid-January and we will be looking to renew Alliance Memberships, and bring in new members.  The annual membership will run thru the calendar year. 
 
After the regular business, the Alliance presented a check to Pat Peterson President and CEO of the Kempe Foundation for $30,000.  The check represented money raised by the Alliance since June of 2011 and included proceeds from The Annual Luncheon and an event at Dan Sharp’s Boutique in Cherry Creek, as well as Salt on the Rim, the Alliance’s annual garden and margarita party.  This year’s Salt on the Rim was held at Kent Denver and was a major success with entertainment provided by Soul School and over a dozen restaurants serving their culinary specialties.
 
The money presented to the Foundation will go to fund the programs provided by the Kempe Center for abused and neglected children.
 
After the business portion of the meeting, and the check presentation, Alliance members challenged each other in bowling at the new  Celebrity facility.  Prizes were awarded for many categories, and everyone had a blast,bowling or just cheering for those who were! 
 
If you would like to know more about the Alliance or the Kempe Center, please feel free to call one of the Co-Presidents:  John Farnam, Paul Heitzenrater, or Sandee Walling.

Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation staff present a check from the 6th Annual IP5280′s Climbing for Kids Event to staff at The Kempe Foundation. From left: Sanya Andersen-Vie, Jacqueline Owens Lindley, Christi Stafford, Tracie Sheppard, Pat Peterson, Gene Liffick and Anne Hanson.

More than 150 climbers participated in the 6th Annual IP5280′s Climbing for Kids event on August 12 at Mount Bierstadt to raise money for Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation and The Kempe Foundation for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect.  The event and follow-up fundraising raised more than $54,400.  On Friday, The Kempe Foundation received a check for $27,238.60 from the event.

Kempe volunteers Sue Fontanese and Angela May represented Kempe at the Colorado Clothesline Project: Stop the Violence Against Women and Girls  on October 29 at the St. John’s Episcopal Church.

The event brought together girls (6th grade and older) and women to create a compelling T-Shirt art exhibit acknowledging the existence and effects of widespread violence against women and girls in our society, along with efforts to break that cycle via education and empowerment of our generation as well as the next. 

Thank you volunteers and attendees!

Donations from caring people, like you, allow us each year to rescue hundreds of children from the tragedies of abuse and neglect. The young brother and sister pictured here are two such children.

Emma and Jacob came to the Kempe Child Trauma Program (CTP) last year, shortly after their mother discovered that a close family friend had sexually abused both children on multiple occasions.

It was easy to see that something was wrong. The children had problems in the classroom and fell behind in their schoolwork. They had difficulty making and keeping friends, had nightmares and were extremely fearful.

Facing the abuse wasn’t easy, but both children worked hard in therapy, learning to understand and cope with the horrors they had suffered and start the healing process. Eventually, they were able to talk directly about the abuse, something that is often difficult for children. Thanks to The Kempe Child Trauma Program, the young siblings are now overcoming their fears and doing well in school.

Finding out about the abuse was also deeply disturbing to the children’s mother. CTP clinicians provided individual therapy for her to help deal with her feelings so she could fully support her children’s recovery.

Today, because of donors, like you, who support the Kempe Foundation, we have been able to offer great hope for a full recovery to the entire family.

The Child Trauma Program provides mental health treatment to children and families who have experienced trauma or other difficult life events. It provides evidence-based care by dedicated clinicians who help assess, treat and console child abuse victims and their families, including families like Emma and Jacob’s.

The upcoming year is a proud moment for all of us at the Kempe Center. It marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. C. Henry Kempe publishing his landmark paper, The Battered Child Syndrome. This singularly important paper enhanced worldwide awareness of abuse and exposed the public to its harsh realities. Dr. Kempe was a relentless advocate for changing policy, laws and perceptions to better protect our children.

The new year also marks the 40th anniversary of The Kempe Center itself. With the help of donations from friends who share our vision, the Kempe Center has helped thousands of children overcome the effects of abuse and go on to live satisfying lives.  During 2012, the Kempe Center will honor both of these important anniversaries, and the people who have helped make our work possible, through special events.

In the tradition of service exemplified by Dr. Kempe, we continue to look for new ways to make a difference in the lives of abused children. Our new Executive Director, Des Runyan, M.D. spoke recently about his goals for Kempe:

“I envision The Kempe Center as a place that produces nationally and even internationally prominent research to address the causes and consequences of child abuse and its prevention. I also see it as a beacon for effective treatment. Kempe, in partnership with a great children’s hospital and a great university, needs to build specialized mental health services to match its research and medical expertise.”

Only a few short weeks into his new role, Dr. Runyan is already fully focused on getting the new walk-in mental health clinic for child abuse victims open by February 2012.  What an enormous advancement this clinic will be for our children at their hour of greatest need. Your gift today moves us closer to raising the $400,000 needed to fund this program each year.

Clearly, these are exciting times at the Kempe Foundation, but they are also economically challenging. Resource cuts, brought on by our struggling economy, make your gifts more important than ever.

And, just as we are impacted, so are the people we serve. A difficult economy puts strain on families and typically, abuse increases. Our services are needed more than ever today. Over the past two years, 1,236 more children in Colorado suffered abuse and neglect than in previous years.

We again look to you, our caring and compassionate friends, to help us continue to reach out to children so in need of our help. The holidays seem the perfect time to help our children. Please give the gift of hope this holiday. Children like Emma and Jacob depend on you for a second chance at a happy childhood.

For the children,

Patricia L. Peterson, B.S.N., J.D.
The Kempe Foundation President and CEO

P.S. The holidays are a time to give thanks for all our blessings. They are also the perfect opportunity to help children suffering from abuse and neglect. You can make a difference for good today through your gift to The Kempe Foundation.

November is National Adoption Month, a time to raise awareness about the adoption of children and youth from foster care. This year’s initiative focuses on building capacity of adoption professionals to recruit and retain parents for the 107,000 children and youth waiting for permanent families in the U.S. foster care system.

Click here to find out more about National Adoption Month.