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February 26, 2005
Income tax donations vital to child abuse prevention program
February 26, 2005 [The Charleston Gazette]
By Chandra Broadwater
With nearly $14,000 in grants from the state Children’s Trust Fund last year, workers at the East End Family Resource Center were taught about child abuse prevention.
Children and families in the community were provided resources they could not get on their own, said center Director Derrick Gibson. What’s more, programs like those at the center create awareness about a problem community members often deal with, he said.
“They come to us for help,” he said.
The East End Family Resource Center is just one example of many in the state that benefit from the state Children’s Trust Fund, said Jim McKay, development coordinator for the fund.
It supports more than 300 statewide partners in 22 teams that help children grow up free from child abuse and neglect. It is primarily supported with contributions of state citizens and businesses, in addition to matched federal funds.
The trust fund is also part of the Partners in Prevention Project, which includes groups like the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the state Department of Health and Human Resources and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources.
Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia administers the trust.
This year, McKay said, the group wants to remind people to donate, simply by marking a box on their state income tax forms.
“We take in about $60,000 a year this way,” McKay said. “And we’d like to grow that as much as possible.”
The fund receives about 90 percent of money through $5 to $10 tax donations, he said. This program turns 20 this year.
Posted by Nancy at February 26, 2005 03:17 PM