Originally Sent September 5, 2024
Dear Friends,
What an incredible year this has been so far, with the Kerengende Foundation on track to have the largest impact on our community to date!
In the first half of 2024, we have:
- Conducted over 20 workshops on human trafficking and sexual abuse prevention and awareness.
- Engaged over 900 people through community outreach efforts and more than 400 youth, parents, and community members through our targeted prevention trainings.
- Completed the first and second Non-Offending Caregiver Support Groups, and more!
We are thrilled to share more program and organizational updates with you below, plus exciting projects on the horizon.
Your support has been instrumental in our growth and impact, helping us make Southern Illinois a safer place for our children and families. Thank you for being a vital part of our mission. Together, we can continue to create a safe, supportive community where no child experiences sexual abuse.
With gratitude,
Amber Clayborne, Founder
Program Updates
Healthy Relationships – Youth Prevention Education
Mic Drop Summer Camp
The Kerengende Foundation hosted a week long “Mic Drop” Podcast Summer Camp in June 2024, offering a creative and dynamic experience focused on empowering young people. Participants explored important topics like healthy relationships, leadership, and storytelling. We were heartened to witness these young people form strong bonds and grow self-confidence as they developed their podcasting skills and shared their personal stories.
We are incredibly proud of what these participants accomplished at our summer camp and are excited for them to bring their voices into their schools and communities this year. You can see our summer camp highlights here!
Back to School & Other Highlights
Back to School season is a vital time to engage families in meaningful conversations about consent and body safety, and we’ve been grateful for the opportunity to discuss these important topics with communities throughout Southern Illinois.
This year, we are proud to have participated in events such as the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center’s annual Back to School Event and the Back to School Bash in Fairmont City, hosted by Southern Healthcare Foundation and Molina Healthcare, among others!
CDBG Family Living Center Partnership
This summer, Kerengende Foundation continued our prevention education workshops for the women and children at the CDBG Family Living Center in East St. Louis. Kerengende Founder Amber Clayborne and Community Educator Dr. Germysha Little covered important topics such as child sexual abuse prevention, generational trauma, and personal growth. We were deeply inspired by the residents’ engagement and the meaningful conversations that took place. We are thankful for our ongoing partnership with the Family Living Center and the incredible women who reside there.
On the Air
In June, our founder, Amber Clayborne, was featured on The Charlie “Tuna” Show, sponsored by Ameren Corporation Illinois. During the interview, Amber shared her personal journey and the story behind the Kerengende Foundation. Don’t miss this honest and insightful conversation—listen here!
Organizational Updates
Safe Touches
Kerengende Foundation is now certified to provide Safe Touches child sexual abuse prevention education workshops for children in kindergarten through third grade. Our team traveled to New York to get certified by the New York Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Children to become authorized facilitators. The workshop provides children with evidence-based, research-informed content about body safety tools while explaining what they can do if they, or someone they know, ever feel unsafe. We are excited to bring this valuable training to our children and our community!
Safety Focus Groups
Kerengende Foundation recently worked with the Early Learning Partnership within East Side Aligned to conduct two focus groups in East St. Louis to discuss safety in the community. The groups discussed topics such as defining safety, what resources in the community are and aren’t being used, safety challenges facing young children and more. This was a great opportunity to connect with community members and hear their desires on how to create a safer East St. Louis.
Introducing new Board Member, Nicki Brown, MBA!
We are excited to introduce Kerengende Foundation’s newest board member, Nicki Brown! Nicki brings a wealth of experience, passion, and advocacy to our organization. As a Go To Market Excellence Lead at Pfizer, Nicki works to improve patient lives. Nicki is also an Air Force veteran, Belleville Township District 201 School Board Member, and served as the CARE Community Activating Racial Equity Parent Chair for District 201 from 2020-2022. We are ecstatic to welcome her to the Kerengende team and look forward to our work together to end child sexual abuse.
Upcoming
Safe Touches Workshops
Keregende Foundation’s trained facilitators will begin delivering the previously mentioned Safe Touches workshops to second and third graders in East St. Louis and Cahokia Heights this fall. We are excited to begin providing this training to youth in our community. If you are interested in scheduling a Safe Touches training for the littles in your school, please contact our Community Educator, Dr. Germysha Little using our Contact Form.
Non-Offending Caregiver Support Groups
Due to demand, we are offering our third Non-Offending Caregiver Support Group. If you are a parent or caregiver of a child who has experienced sexual abuse or trafficking and want a safe space to process your experiences, gain access to resources and education, and develop a support network, you are invited to join our support group. Learn more about our support group here.
Sessions began in August and are offered bi-weekly on Mondays from 6-7:30pm at our office in Belleville. If you are interested in joining, we still have limited space! Please reach out to our facilitator, Marilyn Holmes at marilyn.holmes.j@gmail.com, or fill out this form.
Gratitude To Those Who Power Our Mission
Our work at the Kerengende Foundation would not be possible without the unwavering support of our donors and supporters. Your generosity allows us to provide critical education and resources to end child sexual abuse and human trafficking in Southern Illinois and the metro region.
Ameren Illinois: We are so grateful for the continued support of Ameren Illinois for their year-over-year partnership to fuel our efforts and strengthen our resolve to create safe and informed communities.
Garcia Hamilton & Associates, LP: through the ongoing partnership of Garcia Hamilton & Associates, LP over the years, we have been able to expand our programs, enhance our outreach, and make a lasting difference in the lives of survivors and their families. Their commitment has been instrumental in helping us reach those who need our services, and we are thankful to them for standing with us as we work to prevent child sexual abuse.
Your involvement—from making donations to spreading the word about our services—enables us to offer more prevention workshops, and support more survivors and their families. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to a world free from child sexual abuse and human trafficking.
If you would like to support our mission, please consider making a donation today.
Thank you for being a vital part of our journey.