Book to Debut At 3rd Annual Mission Possible Event
Norristown, PA, April 11, 2011— Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, a nationally recognized child abuse advocate, will debut her children’s book aimed at raising awareness about Internet safety and the dangers of surfing the web. The book, titled The Mouse Who Went Surfing Alone, will be unveiled at the Merion Tribute House on April 14 at the 3rd Annual Mission Possible event from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Since Internet usage is so prevalent among young children today, Ferman wanted to create a resource for parents to teach kids about the dangers of surfing the web alone and offer online safety tips.
“As a parent of children growing up in the age of technology, easy access to other people and endless amounts of information happens with the click of a button.” said Ferman. “While this advancement is very convenient, it is also very dangerous. As caregivers, it is our responsibility to protect our children and it is my hope that this book will be a building block in doing so.”
The book will be released and available to purchase during the Mission Possible event. All proceeds from the book will benefit Mission Kids, a local non-profit organization aimed at easing the criminal justice process for abused children.
Also making its debut at this year’s Mission Possible benefit is an annual award dedicated in memory of East Norriton Police Chief, John McGowan. McGowan dedicated his life to serving others and was an instrumental part in establishing the Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center. Mission Kids will be presenting this award in his honor each year to an individual or group who has gone above and beyond to raise awareness and combat child abuse. Recipients of the annual Presidents Award will also be honored at this year’s event. The Presidents Award is given to The Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, which officially opened its services in the fall of 2009, provides a child-friendly interviewing setting to young victims of abuse. The facility simplifies the interviewing process so that these children avoid multiple interviews in a police station or courtroom, a setting that can be intimidating to a young child. The first of its kind in Montgomery County, the Child Advocacy Center has already completed over 450 interviews since it’s opening and raised $171,500 to date to help these children.
Those interested in attending “Mission Possible”, or those who would like to make a donation to Mission Kids may contact Executive Director, Abbie Newman, at 484-687-2990 or visit www.missionkidscac.org. All proceeds of the Mission Possible event will benefit Mission Kids.
About Mission Kids
Mission Kids is a 501(c)(3) corporation located in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Founded in March 2007, Mission Kids was created by the collaborative effort of the Montgomery County District Attorney, the Police Chiefs of Montgomery County, and the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth to stop the cycle of abuse and improve the outcomes for abused children and their families. Mission Kids serves as a child-friendly facility where medical professionals, social workers, police officers and lawyers come together to streamline the investigative process and provide victims with the necessary support services to help them begin to heal.
