“I was inspired to volunteer by Erin herself when she personally came and presented to our small preschool of 8 teachers. The defining moment that motivated me to volunteer was the statistics of how many boys and girls will be sexually abused before the age of 18. As an early childhood educator looking at my students from over the years and thinking so many of them may be or have already been part of these numbers hit me hard. And the fact that I was a part of this statistic made me realize that I can do more for children by being part of something as great as The Joyful Child Foundation. Being able to help educate parents on a subject matter that no one wants to talk about is always a challenge but when they open up about their past or show understanding on how they can better protect their children and the children around them, makes the experience so rewarding. My greatest pride is being able to take what I’ve learned and incorporate it into the classroom, teaching each of my students on how to be safe and how they can help those around them to be safe. Thank you for letting me be a part of this journey.”

-Cathy, Volunteer since 2013