PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) – According to the National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, more than 42 million people in the U.S. are survivors of sexual abuse. To help bring attention to the issue, Florida Senator Lauren Book and her non-profit Lauren’s Kids have dedicated the entire month of April keeping the conversation going.
“It is serious, and I think that a lot of people think this is just happening now. The reality is we’re just now talking about it which is really important,” said Senator Lauren Book.
Each April, Lauren’s Kids sets out on a 1,500 mile walk from Key West to Tallahassee raising awareness about child abuse and the resources available to those who need it. Letting survivors know they’re not alone. Friday, the group made its way through Escambia County, joined by supporters from the Pensacola.
“In Pensacola we have a big problem with abuse, neglect, human trafficking. It takes a village; it takes all of us to keep our children safe. It takes awareness, it takes prevention,” said Amy Stamiey, Prevention Specialist with the Gulf Coast Kids House.
It was an eight mile walk from the gulf coast kid’s house to Seville Square in downtown. Walkers wore shirts with personal messages, sharing their reason for walking. For some, it was deeply personal.
“I want to make change. I don’t want any kids to go through what I went to,” said Linda Alter. “It’s unbelievable. It shouldn’t be this way. It should be fixed, and it can be fixed.”
Senator Book knows that pain all too well. She started Lauren’s Kids years after surviving abuse herself.
“I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse from the time that I was 10 years old to the time that I was 16. I would have been able to access help differently, my parents would have been able to spot the signs in different ways,” added Book. “That’s not to say it’s my fault or their fault, it’s the perpetrator’s fault but how do we create a system where children feel safe to disclose”
That’s what this walk is all about. As they made their way through the streets of Pensacola, waves, honks and words of encouragement came from all directions. some even stopped to learn more about the cause.
“I told him I just kept getting the chills,” said Linda Alter and Mark Fetcenko. “I was getting goosebumps. People have a heart, and it gives me hope in mankind. We needed that”
“If a parent is driving down the road and has never had any of these conversations and they go check out the website and they learn what this is and what this means and become more educated I think that’s a win for us,” said Book.
If you want to learn more about Lauren’s Kids, you can visit their website here for more information.
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