Kerengende Fall 2026 Update

Originally Published on September 28, 2026

Dear Friends,

It’s back-to-school season, and at Kerengende, that means more opportunities to bring our prevention education workshops into schools, protecting as many children from the harms of child sexual abuse and human trafficking as possible.

We loved getting out into the community this summer, meeting families and educating neighbors on how to recognize and prevent abuse before it happens. Now that fall is here, our momentum is stronger than ever — we’re hiring more community educators, expanding our Spanish-language services, and deepening partnerships so we can educate, prevent, and protect as many children and families as possible.

ICYMI: Our newly redesigned website went live this summer! Take a look and send us your feedback — we’d love to hear from you.

Our Non-Offending Caregiver support groups are back next month! See below for more details. 

As always, if you are interested in bringing any of our trainings to your students, staff, or organization, please contact our Director of Community Education, Dr. Germysha Weatherall, at germysha@kerengendefoundation.org.

Thank you for walking alongside us in this mission.

With gratitude,

Amber Clayborne
Founder & Executive Director

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Kerengende In Action

In the Community

This summer and early fall, we showed up all across the region — a dozen community events and counting. You could find us tabling at Alton’s Juneteenth, connecting with families at back-to-school events with The Latino Roundtable and in Cahokia, tabling at the rural health conference, celebrating at the East St. Louis Community Baby Shower, and chatting with families at the Officer Elementary School Block Party.

Student Workshops: Safe Touches & Healthy Relationships

This summer, we partnered with Trio Upward Bound to provide our Healthy Relationships workshops to over 45 students — covering consent, communication, boundaries, and online safety.

As for Safe Touches, we’re thrilled to kick off our 4th year partnering with the Cahokia school district for the 2026–27 school year, and we’re grateful to continue our partnerships with East St. Louis and Belle Valley school districts.

Community Adult Workshop

Last month, we had the privilege of bringing our Child Sexual Abuse Prevention training to an incredible group of community partners! The room was filled with passionate people from East Side Aligned, Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. — all gathered around one shared goal: keeping our children safe.

Special thanks to Go International for hosting, and to Christian Activity Center – East St. Louis for opening your doors and making space for this important work.

Direct Services

Our direct service work is flourishing! Direct youth survivor support has expanded from three to five therapy clients this year. An influx of referrals through community partnerships has led us to increase our case management services as well as expand access through Spanish translation services.

We are grateful for our growing network of providers who are collaborating with us to provide trauma-informed care to more youth and families in our region.

Non-Offending Caregiver Support Groups

Our Non-Offending Caregiver Support Groups return this Fall with an introductory meeting on October 20 followed by bi-weekly sessions every other Tuesday! Once again Haley Simpson, MSW, LCSW, will facilitate. This group is for parents and caregivers navigating the impact of sexual trauma in their family, and who deserve support, understanding, and connection along the way. Please contact Hannah Rosenthal with questions or referrals using our contact form. 

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Behind the Mission

“Alva holds a special place in our organization’s history. When I founded Kerengende and we established our Healthy Relationships curriculum, Alva volunteered to co-facilitate it at a homeless shelter for teenage girls in Texas in 2020. She was part of our very first workshops, and now, her joining our board is truly a full-circle moment for me.”
— Amber Clayborne, Founder & Executive Director

“I am passionate about Kerengende’s mission because I know that it is life-altering to have resources — not only for survivors, but also for family members, because families feel the ripple effect when it comes to trafficking and abuse.”
— Alva Harrell

Grimm & Gorly and Pour 322 Coffee House

We thank Grimm & Gorly Florist and Pour 322 Coffee House owners Jeff and Zachary Bair for your support of the Kerengende Foundation. From providing floral arrangement classes to Kerengende summer campers, to baby blanket donations, to offering space at your Downtown Belleville location for our programming, you have been true friends of Kerengende and we extend our heartfelt appreciation. 

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Celebrating Our Supporters

Last month, Kerengende Foundation was proud to attend the East St. Louis Community Baby Shower for the 3rd year in a row where we handed out beautiful blankets and “safe sleep” information to expecting mothers. We would like to thank Heartlinks Grief Center, Madison County Child Advocacy Center, Grimm and Gorly Flowers and Gifts, and Paulita Pranschke for your generous blanket donations to equip mothers in our community with essential supplies for their newborns.

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Support Our Work

While we were grateful to hand out nearly 100 blankets at the Community Baby Shower, we need more! If you would like to donate blankets, you can purchase them through our Amazon Wish List and have them shipped to our office, or drop them off in person at Grimm and Gorly Flowers and Gifts: 324 E. Main Street, Belleville, Illinois 62220.

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Visit Us At Our Next Community Event