VOLUNTEERS ARE needed to conduct the highly sue-
cessful Child Abuse Prevention Program offered to North

Shore schools by the Canadian Red Cross.

Runaways, truants, juvenile
delinquents, teen prostitutes and
substance abuse are some of the
results of child abuse in our socie-
ty. Many abused children
themselves become abusive
parents.

The Child Abuse Prevention
Program (CAPP), tarpeted
towards the adolescent, seeks to
stop this cycle by heightening
community awareness response to
the health aad social problems
caused by child abuse and neglect.

During the Jast year, CAPP vol-
unteers spoke to 24,(400 secondary
students in B.C.

Phyllis Mittlestead, a nurse and
former foster parent, has been ac-
tive for 10 years on the North
Shore, where two or three more
volunteers are needed.

Volunteers, both men and
women aged 20 or older, are an in-
tegral part of CAPP’s continuing
success. Recruits should be able to
relate with ease to groups of five to
35 people and have eight hours a
week available to donate to the
program for the duration of the
school year.

They should also have a car at
their disposal (mileage expenses are
provided) and agree to attend all
training sessions and support
meetings. This involves two train-
ing days a week for four weeks,
observation of five presentations,

4705: Marine: Diive
North Vancouve’
8 984-410

plus one mecting per month.

Grade eight students are the
primary targets for CAPP,
athough the volunteers also speak
to Grades Hf and 12 from more of
a future parenting perspective. The
programs not only inform adoles-
cents of the types of abuse —
physical, emotional, sexual and
neglect — but tell them that they
don’t have to Jive with it and how
they can get help.

Volunteers also run ‘The Open
Door, a program for single
mothers who fear they are at risk
for abusing their children.

A preschool teacher looks after
the children while participants in
The Open Door get together for
some time out and sharing of ex-
periences. Were it not for this op-
portunity, Mittlestead is sure that
more cases of abuse would occur.

Although the law has fong re-
quired people who know of cases
of abuse to report them, actually
doing so is now becoming more
acceptable,

Anyone interested in becoming a
CAPP volunteer may contact pro-
gram coordinator Mary Harder at
Health and Community Services,
4750 Oak St., Vancouver, B.C.,
V6H 2N9 or at 879-7551.

35 - Sunday, September 4, 1988 - North Shore News

Business,
pleasure
don’t mix
PAGE 36

ee

NEWS photo Yom Burley

LONGTIME VOLUNTEER Phyllis Mittlestead shows some of the material she uses in group presentations on

child abuse. More volunteers are needed for this Canadian Red Cross program.

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