Blue Ribbon Kickoff Encourages Families to “Get RREAL”
GREENSBORO, NC—As the kickoff of the Guilford County Blue Ribbon For Kids Child Abuse Prevention Month Campaign, Family Service of the Piedmont and other Blue Ribbon Community Partners sponsored “Get RREAL,” an event that offered practical ways to reduce family stress. Students, parents, and representatives from various governmental and nonprofit agencies invested in the issue of child abuse attended the April 12 event at Hairston Middle School.
“RREAL” is an acronym for five areas parents and families can practice to help build healthy and confident children—Respect, Routines, Encouragement, Actions, and Listening.
“Tonight’s event is focused ways we can prevent child abuse and neglect,” said Patti Gilbert, prevention education coordinator of Family Service of the Piedmont and chair of the Guilford Blue Ribbon for Kids Campaign. “We’re asking for parents and families to ‘Get RREAL’ to lower family stress while building their children’s resiliency.”
Family Service of the Piedmont Intern Amber Grant led the adults in an activity recalling the “blue ribbon moments" in their lives when, as a child, adults in their lives honored them with respect, routines, encouragement, actions that were positive, and listening.
Mike Herzing of the Guilford County Department of Social Services (DSS), Marcy Maury of the Guilford Partnership for Children and Family Service’s Grant presented composite stories of children who benefited from prevention efforts in Guilford County involving DSS, Childwatch, Guilford Partnership, Family Service, and the faith-based program Parents as Teachers.
About a dozen Hairston Middle School students led a “Get RREAL” parade, and individual students took turns explaining what each word (Respect, Routines, Encouragement, Actions, Listening) meant to them. Guests were also treated to gospel singing performance by one of the students.
Students and their parents also visited with community agency representatives and their displays to learn more about local child abuse prevention efforts. These representatives included Lt. George Holder with the Greensboro Police Department, Brenda Rumley with Guilford County Council of PTAs and corporate sponsor MultiPrint, Kathy Holt with Childwatch, Marcy Maury with Guilford Partnership for Children, Sam Parker with Greensboro United Way, and Julia Nile and other staff with Family Service. 
Click Here for the Get RREAL flyer for building safe and healthy children (Word Document) 
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