Photo by Kelsi Swinson / Neuse News

The month of April is known as National Child Abuse Awareness Month. This year Kinston has decided to dedicate a bench in honor of the children lost to childhood abuse. Many officials feel as though this issue is very near and dear to their hearts.

"During this month we advocate for the proposition that all children, all people really deserve to grow up in safe, violence-free, stable environments surrounded by family, friends, other children, and adults," said Judge Beth Heath.

A table will accompany the bench wherever it goes. It will have many different recourses to help families identify possible signs of abuse. In 2019, North Carolina had 58 deaths related to child abuse or neglect. One of these was reported in Lenoir County.

"We are going to be moving this bench around from community center to community center, from city facility to city facility, all year long," said Director of Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Corey Povar. “We’re not going to stop just at April we want to make sure folks have an opportunity to not only see the bench but also learn more about childhood abuse.”

Though April is the national month of recognition of childhood abuse it does not stop occurring once April is over.

"We must do whatever we can, however we can, whenever we can to impact the lives of others, and might I add children, for the better. It shouldn't hurt to be a child," said Kinston Mayor Don Hardy.

If you know or suspect a child or loved one is involved in a form of neglect or abuse it is mandatory to speak out to help the individual.

"Everyone in North Carolina is a mandatory reporter, you don't even have to know that abuse or neglect occurred if you suspect you report it and it’s not like you're going to get them in trouble," said Colleen Kosinski, Guardian Ad Litem. “People say all the time, ‘well I didn't want to get in trouble’ or ‘I didn't want to get in their business’ but how would you like to be that child who's living through abuse?”

This bench will serve as a representation of the lives lost due to childhood abuse. Even though April is the national month of childhood abuse awareness the City of Kinston will not stop supporting this cause after the month is over.

It should not hurt to be a child.