Charity Tuesday: ChildHelp

Hello Everyone,

As we all know, spotlighting charities and worthwhile causes is important to SR.

As a group, Elli, Coco, Sere and I are also dedicated to promoting these endeavors. Therefore, we are happy to share a weekly series of posts in order to take a more in-depth look at the various charitable organizations highlighted by SR. You can find a complete list of these charities on our blog by clicking on the "About the Charities" header.

Today's post was submitted anonymously and we thank this person for sharing a personal experience with Argyle Empire.

We hope you will find the information in these posts informative and educational.  If you have a particular cause that is close to your heart or you have personal experiences with any of the charities we spotlight, please feel free to contact us about it.

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Childhelp

Mission Statement: Childhelp is a non-profit organization whose mission is to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children.

Website: www.childhelp.org
Twitter: @Childhelp 

NSPCC - National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (UK): 

Mission Statement: The NSPCC is inspired by a belief that we can make a difference for all children. That’s why we aim to end cruelty to children in the UK. Even if it takes many generations to realise it, we achieve much more for children by having an inspirational vision.


Right from the moment we are born we have expectations - a right to be loved, and given the best possible care and upbringing. As we grow and learn, we have aspirations that we can aim for, whether that is in education, vocation or just in life itself. Some of us dream and achieve these by enjoying our childhood, going to school/college/University, getting a job, marriage and having children of our own - where the cycle begins again.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case and again unfortunately, not by choice.

It took me until I was 22 to really achieve what I wanted in life. I had a good job and then found out I was pregnant with my 1st son. At the age of 29, I married and then gave birth to my 2nd son. We were just a regular family, with regular problems or so I thought!

In December 2010 the life I had suddenly crumbled away. 

I’d had my suspicions for a week that something wasn’t right within our family.  I couldn’t sleep one single moment; something was definitely happening; however I didn’t know what to do. 

It was 3.30am on a Sunday morning. I was terrified. My family lived hundreds of miles away from us, but I needed to do something. It was then that I decided to Google the NSPCC. I searched for their phone number; I needed to talk to someone to get advice as to what to do. As I heard the person’s voice, I was afraid of wasting their time or hearing what I really didn’t want to hear. I relayed what had happened in the last week and I’ll never forget the man’s voice to this day, he was a Godsend. He asked if the children and I could get through Sunday and then a person from Social Services would come to the house on Monday. He advised me on how to get through the next 24 hours and passed on the number for the local police and emergency Social Services in case I should need them. To feel as though I had got someone with me, guiding me was the reassurance I needed. 

From that period of December 2010 to present day, we have had the constant support of the NSPCC. My children and I had to flee our house in February 2011. We lived with my dad for five months before being re-housed. It was the NSPCC that sent references to housing agencies, charities to supply us with some furniture, so that we could get some normality back in to our lives. 

Whist living with my dad I was allowed to keep in contact with the NSPCC. They offered counselling to me, which I took. It helped, but I couldn’t stop feeling the guilt I had for not stopping the abuse sooner. I questioned myself as to why or how I hadn’t seen it happening? 

This time last year I couldn’t forgive myself, until I read Gabriel’s Inferno and Gabriel’s Rapture by SR. What happened is still fresh in our minds, but one thing I have to do to help move on is to forgive myself. I did everything I could to put a stop to it once I found something wasn’t right. The NSPCC or anybody else hasn’t judged me for not noticing before … I judged me!

In my spare time I love reading, but also support and help promote the NSPCC (and sexual abuse charities in the US and Canada, such as Childhelp), and raise awareness to any kind of abuse. We won’t ever stop abuse, but in this day and age we can fight it and say “NO!”

In my case, NSPCC worked together with the authorities and there was a positive outcome for my family. The "perpetrator" has been punished & the "victims" now are living a better life, largely in part due to the intervention and help of the NSPCC.

I can’t thank SR and Argyle Empire for spotlighting these charities. Each and every one of them deserves to be supported in any way possible. We just never know in life when we might need to call on them.