Families across Pulaski County came together on April 20 for the Safety Carnival at Eastern Pulaski Elementary School. It was a day of education and fun that included carnival games, prizes, free food, a photo booth, a balloon artist, and interactive tables hosted by various community organizations.
Geminus and the local Department of Child Services (DCS) worked with several community organizations to create a safety carnival that aimed to raise awareness about child safety and child abuse prevention.
The fire department, sheriff’s department, Bowen Center, American Red Cross, and several other local organizations took part in the event. Each had a table with representatives who conversed with attendees, offering insights into the different resources available to them.
“As April is child neglect and abuse awareness month, we’re bringing the community together for this safety carnival,” said Michele Stowers, local office director for Pulaski County at DCS. “We have several tables providing safety equipment, safety training, and little things like Band-Aids or smoke detectors to overall raise awareness of child safety. Child safety is our number one goal, so being preventative and raising community awareness is what we're trying to do.”
Stower hopes that, as families are empowered with new safety information and tools, they will be able to create a safer environment for all children.
“Knowledge is power, and we’re spreading knowledge within the community so they can not only have that knowledge for themselves, but they can share it with others if they see someone in need,” Stowers said.
Pulaski County Sheriff Chris Schramm was excited to attend the safety carnival and connect with several families in the community. He saw the event as an excellent opportunity for everyone to learn more about child safety and become familiar with some of the local organizations that can provide them with meaningful resources.
“With both the fire department and sheriff's department here, it's important that we show families what we have to offer and allow them to see all aspects of safety,” said Schramm. “We also want to show them that we're regular people.”
The Safety Carnival provided opportunities to learn more about child safety and child abuse prevention by sharing information and resources with families and bringing the community together as a whole.
“It involves and engages the community in a positive way,” said Tabatha Creasbaum, Older Youth Services Clinical Consultant at Geminus. “Everybody is working together as one to provide a safe place for kids and parents to go and have fun but also learn something beneficial to them.”
For more information about Geminus’s services and upcoming events, visit geminus.care/.
