I just returned from the Beechview Branch of the Carnegie Public Library where Senator Wayne Fontana hosted a press conference to mark the launch of the new website Fitting Group designed for A Child’s Place at Mercy. Senator Fontana told members of the TV and radio media that April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and he wanted to take this opportunity to draw attention to www.achildsplaceatmercy.org, a website that he helped make possible.

Two young women were invited to the press conference to demonstrate the website for the media on the library’s computers. Both of the women are mothers who are among the primary audience for the site: caregivers who are concerned for the safety of their young children and who need access to resources about protecting their children against possible sexual and physical child abuse.

They told KDKA 1020AM radio that they felt that the website made it easy for them to approach the difficult topic of child abuse in a non-threatening and confidential way so that they could answer some of their questions and concerns in the privacy of their own homes. They commented that the site could also help give a person the courage to actually call A Child’s Place at Mercy so that the first steps to getting help for their child could begin.

Dr. Mary Carrasco and Senator Wayne Fontana at the press conference

Our Creative Director Travis Norris and I were there to make sure everything went well and to answer any questions that might come up. Our clients, Dr. Mary Carrasco, Dr. Susan Nathan and Joan Mills from A Child’s Place at Mercy were also present and answered questions as well.

With handshakes from the Senator and hugs from the Child’s Place ladies, Travis and I walked out into a beautiful sunny afternoon and hopped on the ‘T’ for the ten-minute ride back into town, feeling pretty good.