Each year, the members of the Woman’s Club of Cumberland join other Woman’s Club members across the nation in planting local pinwheel gardens to bring awareness to preventing child abuse in America. According to a Woman’s Club of Cumberland release, April was National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the GFWC (General Federation of Woman’s Clubs) is proud to support Prevent Child Abuse America in its Pinwheels for Prevention campaign.

“Every year, clubwomen raise awareness of child abuse and promote healthy childhoods by planting pinwheel gardens,” officials said in the release. “Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel in 2008 as the official symbol of the great childhoods all children deserve because they are our future. The pinwheel reminds us of our own childhoods and the fact that all children deserve to be happy and healthy.”

The release cited Cumberland’s garden of more than 100 blue and silver pinwheels was planted outside the front doors of the Cumberland Middle School. Fifth and sixth graders helped with the planting.

“We all have an effect on the lives of children, and it is our responsibility to make Cumberland the kind of county in which we want to live,” officials said in the release. “Everyday is an opportunity for us to make a difference in a child’s life -— to make their environment more loving and stable so they can grow into productive, contributing adults who help our community and our nation.”

The release cited that when children are exposed to the extreme and sustained stress of child abuse and neglect, their development is compromised.

“The impact of not stopping child abuse is increased costs for foster care, mental health treatment, hospitalization and law enforcement issues,” officials said in the release. “We can all help. Take action by learning more about prevention, support child and family friendly policies and services and volunteer your time and talents.”

According to the release, next year the Woman’s Club of Cumberland hopes to motivate other community citizens and businesses to plant their own pinwheel gardens in a public space so the message is even more visible and the children know they care.