Deirdre's House Virtual Wine Tasting/Silent Auction-April 24th

During the Covid 19 crisis, Deirdre's House, the child advocacy center for Morris County's child victims of abuse and/or neglect, continues to be open for digitally recorded forensic interviews and trial preparation by law enforcement, medical examinations and treatment, and assistance from one of our bi-lingual child advocates. Through a secure telehealth application, we are providing individual and group clinical counseling to over 60 child victims and their non- offending caregivers. By participating in our Virtual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction you can help Deirdre's House raise critical funds to ensure that child victims continue to receive the services that only Deirdre's House can provide (log onto deirdreshouse.afrogs.org).

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. In addition to asking the community to help raise critical funds, Deirdre's House is reaching our to our community to help raise awareness of the signs and risk factors of child abuse. It is important to connect with friends and family that may be struggling with stress and isolation that has resulted from ongoing Covid 19 disruption of academic, work, and social life. Just a quick phone call to let a friend, family member, or co-worker know that they can count on you if they need a friendly ear, can help those that may be suffering. To learn more about the signs of child abuse, especially in cases of children that you make be connecting with through remote learning or otherwise -- please log onto deirdreshouse.org.

During Covid 19, child victims have been suffering in silence, forced to isolate with their abusers, without access to the trusted adults they normally disclose to-teachers, counselors, family friends. Now, as child victims are returning to classrooms, playing fields, and playdates they are disclosing the horrific abuse that occurred in their own homes while they were in isolation. Demand for the forensic interviewing, medical examinations and treatment, and clinical counseling services that only Deirdre's House can provide to child victims will increase exponentially. Referrals for mental health services for child victims who are also suffering the effects of anxiety and depression due to Covid isolation and school disruption is also at an all-time high. Please help us meet the need of child victims in our community by supporting our April fundraiser-logonto deirdreshouse.afrogs.org.