Silent reminder

Deirdre Newman

A Newport Beach organization that works to prevent child abuse

unveiled a monument Tuesday to illustrate how pervasive the epidemic is

and to call attention to its urgent need for financial support.

Parent Help USA used dolls and teddy bears stuffed into a red trash

bin to represent the thousands of children who have died from child abuse

since Sept. 11 -- which officials say is about the same as the number of

those who died in that day’s terrorist attacks on the East Coast.

The monument’s title is “Outrage.”

“If you are not outraged by the number of abused children, you are not

paying attention,” said Sally Kanarek, the group’s executive director.

Kanarek started the organization in 1987 as a result of her sister’s

suicide. Her sister was targeted for abuse in the family of 11 children,

and she was never able to escape the cycle of violence -- becoming a

battered wife and taking her own life when she was 23, leaving behind two

children, Kanarek said.

“I always had a burning desire to change things,” Kanarek said.

The organization works to prevent child abuse mainly through parenting

classes, with the goal of stopping violence before children are taken out

of the home, said Tom Birch, a past president.

“We think it’s better to keep families intact,” Birch said.

It also has a referral program to find low-income housing for its

clients and also provides bags of groceries.

One parent who has benefited from the organization is Sarah Key Marer,

who lost a 16-month-old daughter to child abuse. Marer has been on the

board for more than a year to help others cope with the emotional and

physical effects of violence.

“You can have some good come out of tragedy by dedicating your life to

help others,” Marer said.

While the organization would like to expand its efforts to serve more

clients, it is dealing with a severe financial crunch. It must raise

about $35,000 soon just to cover the current level of services for the

next year.

“There’s been a tremendous shortage of funding due to Sept. 11, the

economy and a lack of education,” Kanarek said.Less funding also means

less ability to help people such as Janine, who requested not to have her

last name printed, who sought the organization’s help after she and her

children escaped a violent situation at home.

“When we left, my older children had some post-traumatic stress,”

Janine said. “They were reprogrammed to learn hands are not for hitting.”

The monument is a provocative reminder of how many children’s lives

are affected by abuse, she said.

“When I saw it, I was in tears,” Janine said. “If I was to give a name

to it, I would call it the unheard, silent cries for help.”

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .