Sunflower Kids: Safe Service for Families

 

          Unfortunately, there are families in our own city of Lexington that struggle with domestic violence and abuse. These are issues that I believe that no person should have to deal with, which is why I am excited for the opportunity to be able to make a difference regarding these issues. By volunteering at Sunflower Kids, I know I will have a part in a family feeling safer and better protected. According to their website, Sunflower Kids provides "safe supervised visitation and monitored exchange services to families with a history of domestic violence, child abuse and/or neglect, sexual assault, stalking, substance abuse, and mental health issues." Families are able to meet at this safe place to exchange their child from one parent to another, or in extreme cases, have a monitored visit with their child. 

           On Friday, our service learning group was able to go to Sunflower Kids for an orientation. We met Stephanie Hoffman, the Executive Director of Sunflower Kids, and she told us what the organization was all about and what to expect while we are volunteering there. An alarming piece of information that she shared with us, and why I believe Sunflower Kids is so important, is that when a person leaves a controlling or violent marriage, the risk of them being injured or killed actually dramatically increases. I don't think that anyone should have to be afraid to walk away from an abusive marriage, although that is normally the case. Sunflower Kids is so great because a parent and his/her child don't have to be afraid to come in contact with the abuser when they are exchanging the child from one parent to the other. I also believe that this is a great system because no matter how terrible a parent is, it is still important for them to remain in contact with their child so that the child doesn't feel neglected or abandoned. The Sunflower Kids website states, "We believe that children deserve access to all the people they love, but that access should be in a safe and supportive environment." Through Sunflower Kids, a child can still remain in contact with his/her parent but will not be in any danger while doing so.

Stephanie Hoffman, Executive Director at Sunflower Kids 

          At the orientation, I learned that half of the time I will be helping the staff by doing jobs like answering the phone or cleaning. Sunflower Kids has a small staff that has to work very hard, so I am glad that I will be an extra person to help out. The other half of the time, I will be assisting while visits are taking place. I am looking forward to being there during the visits so I can see how domestic violence and abuse have affected these families and how Sunflower Kids has helped them. I believe that Sunflower Kids is an amazing organization, and I am excited about the opportunity to be able to volunteer there.