Geminus, a Regional Care Group Member, hosts candlelight vigil event to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month

A spirit of unity and hope filled Gary City Hall as Geminus, a Regional Care Group member, hosted a meaningful event in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. The event, also supported by Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA),brought community members together for reflection and awareness. t also serves as a powerful reminder that the community can make a positive change together.

Nicholas Neal, vice president of community services at Geminus, values this event as a great way to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month, while continuing to carry the message on throughout the year.

“This is a very meaningful event, because we get to honor those we’ve lost. We get community members together that you don’t always see every day to talk about the importance of child abuse prevention,” Neal said. “This carries on for the rest of the year, not just one night. We’ve had events all throughout April for Child Abuse Prevention Month, which sets the stage for the work that we do day-in and day-out.”

Attendees lit candles during the vigil ceremony to honor the victims of child abuse or neglect.

“We have Pastor Dennis Walton here from Faith Temple of Christ Church, who does work within the city of Gary as well,” Neal said. “We have a moment of silence and recognition to let people know that just because someone passes, we haven’t forgotten about them.”

In line with Regional Care Group and Geminus’ missions, this event is another reflection of how families in the community can come together for a good cause.

“We’re all about the community. We’re about working with Mayor Eddie Melton, Department of Child Services, CASA, and the partners in this city,” Neal said. “This helps us bring awareness so that people can understand that this is real. This happens. We’ll never be able to stop this from happening altogether, but what we can do is put the resources out there and keep people talking about it. Every little piece helps.”

Twan Stokes, regional director for Indiana Department of Child Services, considers this event to be an educational opportunity for everyone involved so they can put their best foot forward for the sake of the community.

“It is all of our responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our children. It’s very important for us to talk about what the current environment looks like, and today is a way for us to let people know how they can assist in making the communities safer for our children,” Stokes said.

As the regional director for Region 1, Stokes works directly with 20 Indiana counties. She highlights how these communities have shown commitment, courage, and compassion for this subject. 

“The community has a robust collaboration with the Department of Child Services here in Lake County and in Gary,” Stokes said. “We work together to meet the needs of the children, whether that might be housing or issues with education. We look at ways that we can reduce violence and suicide prevention in all of our communities. The department has worked very well with Geminus and the City of Gary.”

While it’s never easy to have a conversation about child abuse or neglect, organizations such as Regional Care Group and Geminus want people to know that they are a resource for the community.

“Hope, belief, knowing that we care – that’s what I want people to take away from this. We care about the kids in Lake County, and we’re here in unity to support them,” Neal said.

Stokes encourages anyone who knows or suspects that a child may be abused or neglected to call the Indiana Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-800-5556.

“Hopefully the message will be that it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that kids are safe. If there’s something, we would love for people to really say something, our hotline number is 1-800-800-556. So if you suspect neglect, we would really urge you to call a hotline. You can call anonymously, but we are here to ensure the safety and well-being of kids,” said Stokes.

For more information on Geminus, please visit geminus.care.