(Posted 2022 June)
During National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, the community answered the Pinwheel Challenge!
Volunteer & Partner Services joined with county and community partners including families, Girl Scout Troops, BeFriend-A-Child mentors and mentees, Fairfax County Police Department, and Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services dug in and “planted” hundreds of gardens to build awareness about child abuse and neglect prevention.
When Barbara Kyttle, the leader of Girl Scout Troop 50093 in Reston, became aware that the pandemic had been causing additional stressors on families in our community, she began wondering how she could make a difference. Knowing that Fairfax County's Child Protective Services Hotline received approximately 11,000 calls in Fiscal Year 2021, many from people seeking help, guidance, and resources motivated Kyttle.
Kyttle decided to generate excitement within her daughter’s troop around the ways they could help to build community awareness about child abuse and neglect. The energized girls in Troop 50093 committed to planting 100+ Pinwheel Gardens throughout Fairfax County. As a result of their partnership with VPS, over 100 pinwheel gardens were in bloom at various locations throughout the county.
The Girls Scouts and other community groups planted pinwheel gardens at Fairfax County locations such as government offices, fire stations, George Mason University, NCS Community Centers, Fairfax County Public Libraries, schools, and houses of worship.
The girl scouts’ positive attitude was infectious, leading to photo ops with county officials, police officers, and firefighters, as well as a TV news story.
The troop of fifth graders also had the opportunity to take a Body Safety class to help them identify risks and stay safe. This experience reaffirmed for Barbara and the troop that together they could make an impact and do good for their community.