Originally Sent December 16, 2024
Dear Friends,
As we reflect on this holiday season, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the unwavering support of our community. Thanks to you, 2024 has been the Kerengende Foundation’s most impactful year in fulfilling our mission to prevent child sexual abuse and human trafficking and help survivors and families heal from the trauma. Child sexual abuse is still tearing through our communities.
Nationally, 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before age 18, amounting to nearly 300,000 children in Illinois.
We have accomplished so much this year to combat this crisis: offered 50 targeted education and prevention workshops, participated in 17 community outreach events, reached over 3,680 individuals, and expanded our programming to include younger students to ensure our prevention efforts begin as early as possible. Together, we are creating a safer, more informed future for children and families in our community.
As the year comes to a close, your support can make all the difference. With your donation:
- A second grader could learn how to use their voice against unsafe touches.
- A junior high student could discover what a healthy relationship looks like for the very first time.
- A parent could begin their healing journey through our Non-Offending Caregiver Support Group or receive emergency assistance to leave their child’s abuser.
Your generosity fuels hope, healing, and prevention in the lives of those we serve. Join us in making an even greater impact.
Please see below for more details on the impact we’ve made together and the ways you can help us continue this vital work. From all of us at the Kerengende Foundation, thank you for being an essential part of this journey.
With gratitude,
Amber Clayborne
Our 2024 Impact in Review
Your support helped the Kerengende Foundation make a profound impact. Together, we:
Reached over 200 parents and community members through prevention education programs for adults.
Delivered Safe Touches workshops to almost 500 2nd and 3rd graders in Cahokia Heights, teaching them about safe and unsafe touches.
Educated over 670 middle, junior high, and high school students through Stronger Together workshops in East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, and Belleville schools, covering essential topics like consent, boundaries, grooming, online exploitation, and more.
Engaged nearly 2400 community members through outreach efforts, including Back-to-School events, Police Department Roll Calls (Morning Meetings), Belleville Pride, an East St. Louis Safety Focus Group, and more.
Supported 6 families through our Non-Offending Caregiver Support Groups, providing a safe space to begin healing
Assisted 4 youth survivors with case management and psychoeducation, offering critical resources and guidance.
Provided emergency financial assistance to 5 families, including clothing and hygiene supplies for a human trafficking survivor, therapy for a mother coping with her daughter’s abuse, transportation for a child accessing a therapeutic program, and safe housing for a family escaping an unsafe environment.
Our survey results show the effectiveness of our trainings:
100% of adult respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the workshop they attended increased their knowledge of child sexual abuse prevention.
100% of teachers whose classes received a Safe Touches workshop responded positively to the statement: “I will reinforce the sexual abuse prevention and body safety concepts taught in this workshop with these children.”
94% of respondents in our healthy relationships workshops responded positively to the statement: “I learned how to identify if I am in an unhealthy relationship.”
Together, we are creating safer communities, empowering survivors, and supporting families. We are incredibly proud of the strides we’ve made this year, reaching more individuals and families than ever before, and we look forward to continuing this vital work in 2025 with your support!
Support Kerengende’s Growing Team!
We are thrilled to announce that we received our first government grant from the state of Illinois in 2024, supporting our growth and enabling us to bring additional team members in-house—a significant milestone for the Kerengende Foundation! Your donations will help these wonderful team members thrive.
GERMYSHA LITTLE, PHD– Director of Community Education and Engagement
Germysha Little has been consulting with Kerengende since February 2024. Having grown up in Belleville, she has deep roots in the community and is now giving back by educating and training individuals in the community on preventing child sexual abuse and human trafficking. Germysha recently received her PhD in Epidemiology from Saint Louis University.
HANNAH ROSENTHAL, LCSW– Youth and Family Clinical Coordinator
Hannah Rosenthal has been consulting with Kerengende since February 2022. Hannah is passionate about community outreach, trauma-informed systems, and wrap-around care. She provides counseling support and advocacy to children and families in St. Clair and Madison counties. Hannah received her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis.
ERICA YOUNG, Public Health Americorps Member
We are also excited to welcome Erica Young to the Kerengende Foundation team as our new Public Health AmeriCorps member! Erica will play a vital role in supporting our mission, contributing to our prevention education and community outreach. Erica is interested in the intersection of public health, infectious disease, and psychiatry.
Please join us in celebrating the dedication of our incredible team, who make it possible for us to achieve our impact and best support our community!
Gratitude
A huge thank you to Penny Andrews for hosting the Witches Ride fundraiser in October to support the Kerengende Foundation! This event brought the community together for a fun and festive cause, raising nearly $8,000 to support our mission. Events like the Witches Ride not only provide critical funding but also raise awareness about our work to empower survivors and prevent abuse. We invite you to follow Penny’s inspiring example to help spread the word about Kerengende Foundation and raise funds to further our work.