Several community groups are trying to bring awareness of child abuse and award those who go out of their way to help local children during National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

April marks the Exchange Club of Charleston’s Blue Mondays, where the group members will wear blue to bring attention to child abuse.

The Exchange Club of Charleston is an organization that helps with other community projects by fundraising and donating money.

Susan Bulla, the president-elect of the club, said the club’s main goal is to prevent child abuse.

She said the club donates money to HOPE of East Central Illinois, Sexual Assault Counseling and Information Service, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Children’s Advocacy Center of East Central Illinois and to Coles County CASA.

The club has donated about $18,000 to those agencies in the club’s seven-year existence, she said.

Bulla said during April, the Charleston and Mattoon clubs participate in Blue Mondays.

“Exchange Club members wear blue on Mondays to draw attention to the horrible problem of child abuse, which is a hidden problem,” she said. “People don’t like to think it exists.”

Bulla is also the executive director of Coles County Court Appointed Special Advocates.

“When I go and speak to groups to talk about CASA, my organization, I talk about things that have really happened in this county,” she said. 

Bulla said when people hear the stories she tells, people do not believe them.

“People are invariably shocked this happened in Coles County because we like to think we’re in a very sweet and peaceful community, but unfortunately, there’s a dark side to it,” she said.

Bulla said that is why the club wants to draw attention to child abuse.

“It’s a subject that people don’t want to talk about and they don’t want to acknowledge, and that’s what the Exchange Club wants to draw attention to,” she said.

Bulla said that is why she thinks Coles County CASA and the Exchange Club work so well together.

Champions for Children: An Evening of Lifesavers is being hosted by Eastern, the Children’s Advocacy Center of East Central Illinois, Coles County CASA and the Exchange Clubs of Mattoon and Charleston to help celebrate and award those who advocate for children.

Rachel Fisher, the director of student community service, said children advocates come in many forms, and they hope to award seven of them at the award banquet.

“What’s beautiful about it is we’re getting a chance to thank those who help the children in our community,” she said.

The banquet will take place 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

The banquet will start with a keynote address from Judge James Glenn of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court.

The banquet is open to the public. Tickets are $20.

Seven community members will be awarded for their service including Lee Althoff, a junior special education major; Beth Gillespie, the council director of Girls on the Run of East Central Illinois; Judith Hagen, the principal of Humboldt TLC; Abbie Harris, a victim witness advocate in Douglas County; William Hill, a Coles County CASA advocate; Vivian Skelly, the founder of Central Illinois Autism Therapeutic Services; and Anthony West, a detective at the Charleston Police Department.

“We’re really pleased we’re recognizing (Althoff) who has started and coordinated a program for us,” Fisher said. “(Althoff and other volunteers) coordinate two times a week an after-school program in Arcola for 70 kids.”

She said they are recognizing those who are just starting to make a difference and those who have been for a while.

All seven recipients come from all walks of life, Fisher said.

“There is such a variety of person, except there’s one thing connecting them: They’re all champions, and they fight every day for kids,” she said. “They do it with a selfless enthusiasm to help the person next to them.” 

Bulla said anyone could give a voice to a child whether they are in the Exchange Club or not.

“The Exchange Club is a great fit for my passion,” she said. “There’s great people that go, and they are such good, hardworking people in the community.”

Fisher said it will be nice to take the time to recognize those who make try to make an difference in the community.

“All of us can make a wave of change,” she said. “You just have to be brave enough to do it. These people have been champions to do that.”

Amanda Wilkinson can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].