Helping through fun, games

Apr. 15—Four-year-old Shayla Perkins had an evening full of fun Thursday as she popped bubbles, drew chalk art and stretched fitness bands at Robison Park.

Her mother, Tiffani Perkins, said she found something that went beyond the fun.

"I saw a lot of stuff about gardening and summer programs, just different things to help me along my parenting journey," Perkins said.

Prevention in the Park, held Thursday evening at Robison Park, was a gathering to help people find resources to help prevent child abuse. CASA for Children, Kids' Space and Muskogee County Health Department presented the event, which offered information along with the fun and games.

Organizations had tables, where they presented information about summer programs, family activities, foster care, child guidance services, as well as help for abused children. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Jenny Crosby, training and outreach specialist for CASA, called the event fun for the serious cause.

"We're wanting people to learn about resources that are available to them to aid in prevention of child abuse," Crosby said "Maybe they hear about a resource here that somebody else needs to hear about, like a friend who is not able to feed their kids. We believe if people are better educated about the resources in their community, the children are more likely to be protected.

"It does take a full community to protect the children we're serving, helping your neighbor by telling them where they can get food or any of those types of things when people are stressed out can make a big difference."

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates.

Perkins said she goes to church with a CASA worker and learned about Prevention in the Park. She said she learned about community resources on Thursday.

"I found several of them that, once I read over them, would be beneficial to me and my family," she said.

CASA Executive Director Suzanne Hughes said they help present Prevention in the Park each year.

"There's so many different community partners out here willing to help in different ways," Hughes said. "Each of our programs serves a completely different purpose."

Area members of Bikers Against Child Abuse brought their motorcycles to the park.

The chapter secretary, who goes by the name of Flash, said the group seeks to create a safer environment for abused children.

"We go to court with them when there's a case that goes on," Flash said. "We just bring them in and try to let them be kids again."

Events like Prevention in the Park help people know B.A.C.A. is there to help, she said.

Flash said the event also helps organizations to know about other advocacy groups "that have clients they can refer, who might be in need."

"Sometimes bridging that gap both ways can help the community," she said.

Erica Frazier is a child guidance behavioral health specialist with Muskogee County Health Department. She said the department offers lots of programs.

"We have lot of programs with us, child guidance for birth through age 13, children and family," Frazier said. "We have Sooner Start with us, birth through age 3, children with disabilities, TSET Healthy Living Program representatives and we have our community health workers here. We're just trying to bring the community together for awareness."

For more info

—Kids' Space Child Advocacy Center — 400 Court Street, (918) 682-4430, https://www.kidsspacemuskogee.com/

—Bikers Against Child Abuse — https://bacaworld.org

—CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates — Serving Muskogee, Sequoyah, Wagoner and McIntosh Counties, (918) 686-8199; https://www.casaok.org/

—Green Country Behavioral Health — 619 N Main St., (918) 682-8407; https://gcbhs.org

—Fostering Hope — 917 W. Broadway, (918) 616-8143; https://www.fosteringhopemuskogee.org

—Muskogee County Head Start and Early Head Start — (918) 687-6611; https://www.mchsok.org.

—Muskogee County Health Department — Child guidance services, child and adolescent health clinic; 530 S. 34th Street, (918) 683-0321; https://oklahoma.gov/health/locations/county-health-departments/muskogee-county-health-department.html

—RISE Center for Prevention and Empowerment — 3900 Chandler Road, (918) 910-5131, https://www.risecpe.org/