Rosalie promotes child abuse and neglect prevention year round, but April is the month the nation stops to recognize it. 2003 marks the 20th Anniversary of the presidential proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

We at Rosalie know raising children can be a challenging job. Safe, healthy and joyful children are the products of a nurturing and loving environment provided by parents, mentors and guardians. Unfortunately, not all children are able to live in a nurturing environment. In 2001, Child Protective Services (CPS) investigated more than 3.25 million reports of child abuse and neglect throughout the United States. Of these investigations, CPS determined that 63% of victims suffered neglect, 19% physical abuse, 10% sexual abuse and 8% emotional maltreatment. Child abuse is a serious issue, and prevention is key to stopping it.

Through Supporting Today's Parents, Brighter Tomorrows, Today's Dads, and Parents as Teachers more than 2,500 families receive child abuse and neglect prevention services each year. Our team of compassionate and dedicated case managers work with families in a variety of circumstances. They commit themselves to helping families reach their goals and dreams. There are many inspiring stories from the families we serve, and we would like to share one of them with you.

Dena came to Rosalie as a 17 year old single mother of Melissa. Both of Dena's parents were incarcerated, so Dena and Melissa lived with her grandmother, and a host of other relatives, in a very small apartment. Upon the release of Dena's mother, she, Melissa, and her mother moved into their own house. Sadly, a few months later, their house was condemned. With no money and no hope, they found themselves homeless. However, Dena's strong faith and dedication wouldn't let this get her down. With the help of a STP case manager, Dena accomplished the goals she set for herself. Dena graduated from high school on time, got a job, and moved into her own apartment. In fact, she is now on her way to graduating from college. In a letter of appreciation, she wrote, "My case manager helped me graduate from high school, and for that, she will never be forgotten. I will always remember her not only as a friend, but the perfect role model for me and my daughter."

As you can see, helping families prevent child abuse is not just about parenting issues. It also involves eliminating everyday "stressors" such as stable housing, reaching educational goals, and helping families become self-reliant. When families are more self-sufficient and healthy, their children will be too, and the incidence of child abuse and neglect will decrease.

PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCY YEAR ROUND

Families United to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (for youth 9 years to 12 years) and Teens on the Move (for youth aged 13 to 18 years) are innovative programs that work to not only reduce teen pregnancy, but they provide important life development skills to youth. Through these two programs, youth increase their self-esteem, set goals, improve their communication and social skills, learn about relationships, and develop leadership skills.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention month is held in May. In fact, the second annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is May 7, 2003. Sponsored by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, May 7th is designed to focus teens' attention on the importance of avoiding teen pregnancy and other negative risk taking behaviors. We are proud to say that our programs do this every day. We provide the tools youth need to make positive choices for themselves. They learn to become good decision makers, work to reach their goals, and strive for excellence.

We are in the process of registering youth for our summer program. For more information, please contact Deb Heffner at 414-449-2868 ext. 203 or rmdhefner@access4less.net.

PHENOMENAL WOMEN
By: Deb Heffner

During the month of March, the Youth Development Department celebrated "National Woman's History Month" by hosting a family night honoring phenomenal women. The theme of the event was inspired by the great poem, "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou and lived up to its name as it truly was a phenomenal event! Prior to the event, youth in Families United to Prevent Teen Pregnancy participated in a writing contest where they were asked to write about a woman that is near and dear to their heart. The responses that came pouring in were inspiring and creative. Youth wrote about moms, grandmas, teachers, youth workers, doctors, sisters, aunts, and famous women who have undoubtedly impacted their lives in positive ways. Upon receiving more than fifty summaries honoring various women, the department had a difficult time selecting just one of these ladies to be the recipient of the "Phenomenal Woman Award." In fact, the responses were so good, the team selected the top three to receive awards, and went to great lengths to honor all of the women nominated. After a delicious soul food dinner and entertainment, the staff unveiled the nominees.

It was a very emotional and special evening, as many of the nominees attended the event. A highlight of the event was a mother's speech that was recited after she had received an award based upon her amazing courage. She is part of the US Military and is leaving to go to Iraq to defend our country in the current conflict. Her words were inspiring and motivating to all! Each woman who attended the event truly defined what a "phenomenal woman" is, and the night was a wonderful way for Rosalie to celebrate the gifts, beauty, and accomplishments of all women!

A PHENOMENAL YOUTH WITH A PHENOMENAL MOM

Written by Louis O'Neal, a FUPTP participant who entered this selection in the Phenomenal Woman contest

Since the beginning of time God created Eve to the time my Mother was born, God has created a lot of inspiring and influencing women. Through my eyes I see one phenomenal woman. A woman who experienced heartache at a young age. Who struggled with helping to raise her sisters and brothers. Who remembers the words of her deceased Mother since the age of fifteen. Who has seen the wicked people in this world and chose not to be like them. I nominated my Mother, Lesa Ardel O'Neal because she could have turned her back on the world, but she chose to be happy, she chose to be loving, she chose to be caring, funny, and a joy to life and because of those reasons, I feel God is proud to have created such a light on Earth such as my Mother.

While we appreciate our volunteers all year long, we take time to honor them during April's "Volunteer Appreciation Month." We have two groups of volunteers who are vital to our agency. The first is our Mailing Crew, a dedicated group of women who come to Rosalie each month to send more than 2,500 newsletters to families in the Supporting Today's Parents program. This fun crew consists of Barbara Adkins, Anna Beauchamp, Madelyn Brissette, Judi Eichinger, Jane Hoppe, Marie Lickteig, Alice Machos, Lucy Matson, Delores Olmstead, Pat Sadowski, Edith Stroik, Anne Tanel, and Zita Turkowitch. Without them, our bulk mail wouldn't exist!
The other group of volunteers are our Board Members who are strongly committed to Rosalie's mission, families and programs. Here's a brief description of our hard working Board Members.

Mark Zalewski is the Board President and has been with Rosalie since 1999. He is an Investment Officer for Robert W. Baird and Co.
Anne Berleman Kearney is our Vice President and joined Rosalie's Board in 2001. Anne is an attorney and principal of the Appellate Consulting Group in Milwaukee.
Lindsey Draper is our Board Secretary. Lindsey is Milwaukee County's Circuit Court Commissioner, assigned to Children's Court, and has been with Rosalie since 2001.
Tom O'Neill is Board Treasurer and has been with Rosalie since 1997. Tom is the Executive Vice President for Marshall & Ilsley Bank, in charge of their Community Banking and Retail Divisions.
Todd Antony has been with Rosalie since 2002, and is the Assistant Principal at St. Leo's Urban Academy.
Dick Barnes is President and Owner of Barnes Development Group, an executive search firm based in Mequon. Dick has been a Board member since 2002.
Jim Bertrand is the IT Manager of COA Youth & Family Centers, and joined Rosalie's Board in 2002.
Tina Grace is the Director of Community Partnerships for Aurora Health Care, and has been a Board member since 2002.
Warwees Holt has been a Board member since 2001 and is the Bank Manager for St. Francis Bank.
Diane Knight is the Executive Director of Catholic Charities, and joined our Board in 1999.
Celia Jackson has been a Board member since 1999 and is the Delegate for Community Services for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Jim Moore has been with Rosalie since 1997, and is the Vice President of the Financial Operations for Covenant Health Care.

We would like to thank all of our volunteers for their dedication, time, and commitment to Rosalie!