Welcome to the AWAKE website! Founded in 1993 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, AWAKE serves to educate and advocate for the prevention of child abuse and neglect in Jackson County, NC. In addition to prevention services, AWAKE acts as a Children's Advocacy Center during child abuse intervention by coordinating services of local agencies. We hope you enjoy our site and that the resources here are beneficial to you.
Sincerely,
Robin Schaeffer , AWAKE Executive Dtr.
Spring Fund Raisers for AWAKE:
April Child Abuse Prevention Month Fund Campaign and Pinwheels for Prevention
A mass mail-out letter, including pinwheel stickers and informative bookmarks, has been mailed out to 1700 in the community. You should have received your card in the mail. Please include AWAKE, Inc. on your list of local charities to support this spring. Over 300 Pinwheels for Prevention have been distributed to schools and local child abuse agencies to be used in displays and gardens to represent a bright future for our children and our community. We want all children to live in stable, loving, and stimulating environments- at home, in school, and in the community. Please consider making a donation of $20 or more to support AWAKE's local child abuse prevention efforts and the AWAKE Children's Advocacy Center. All donatons are tax-deductible and a receipt will be mailed to you for your taxes.
AWAKE Continues to Improve
The AWAKE Children's Advocacy has now been improved with the installation of DVR-based interview recording equipment. It is being used by child abuse investigators to monitor interviews and by a Mission Children's Specialist (MCS) nurse to record them for review by a specially-trained physician, Dr. Cynthia Brown, located in the Asheville-based MCS clinic. Additional AWAKE Center space has been rented expanding the Center to 8 rooms to provide a child medical evaluation office, and another conference room and storage space.
This website now includes a "Donate" button which has been added to the "How Can You Help" page to accept online donations via debit or credit cards. Please consider a contribution online or by mail, as AWAKE relies on local financial support to supplement operational funds from federal, state, and grant foundation sources.
Also remember the importance of reporting suspected child abuse to Jackson Co. DSS at (828) 586-5546. The reporter can remain anonymous, if desired. It is important to have everyone's involvement and committment to this effort to provide the needed county-wide safety net of protection for Jackson County children.
