Child Abuse Awareness Month kicked off Wednesday morning with a community-wide event at Elizabeth Hall in Clanton.

“Blue Ribbons and Biscuits” was the first Child Abuse Awareness community-wide event hosted by Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center, offering complimentary coffee and biscuits beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Chilton County District Judge Rhonda Hardesty provided remarks at 8 a.m. and signed a Child Abuse Proclamation with Chilton County Probate Judge Bobby Martin declaring April as Child Abuse Awareness Month.

“I like this event more because when we used to do it in the probate office, we didn’t get biscuits,” Hardesty joked before providing her remarks.

“There are lots of children who are victims of child abuse in our community. Children are our future, and because of that it is very important we work to protect them from the threat of abuse.”

Hardesty commended law enforcement officials and District Attorney Randall Houston’s office, which covers the 19th Judicial Circuit, for their work in prosecuting various cases dealing with child abuse.

“I work with children every day,” Hardesty said. “I also deal with a lot of the adults who are parents to these children and we can’t just stand by and watch. We need to speak up when we see something going on. Good people need to speak up for the little ones.”

Executive Director/Child Forensic Interview Specialist with Butterfly Bridge Jana Zuelzke echoed Hardesty’s statements, saying trauma is an extremely hard thing for a child to work through.

“They have a place though where they can come and get help,” Zuelzke said.

Zuelzke said in 2014, Chilton County Department of Human Resources (DHR) reports that 382 cases of child abuse were reported in the county, a 15-percent increase from the previous year.

The purpose of Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center is to offer a safe, child-friendly environment to children who are victimized by abuse or neglect as it carries out the mission to provide restoration and justice in the children’s lives.

During the month of April, blue ribbons will be placed throughout Chilton County honoring child victims of physical and sexual abuse or in memory of those have died as a result of child abuse.

Pinwheels are also a symbol of Child Abuse Awareness because a pinwheel connotes “whimsy” and childlike notions.

Zuelzke said all of the refreshments were provided by members of the community as well as the Junior Board of Butterfly Bridge.

Jessica and Brad Carter, Charlotte Smith and Steve Robertson donated biscuits; Patsy Ratliff, Pat Conlee Casey Biggs and Brad Carter provided jams, jellies and preserves; Associated Foods provided orange juice, local honey and butter, and Main Street Café provided the coffee pot.

For more information about Butterfly Bridge, visit www.butterflybridgecac.org.