Thirty-two residents in Guadalupe's Pasadera housing community recently banded together and planted a total of 750 pinwheels in their front yards in observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Following North County's fifth annual "Planting a Pinwheel for Awareness"events that for the first time included Guadalupe City Hall on April 5, community members added an extra layer of advocacy by volunteering to personally support the cause.
According to Emily Dreiling, a Guadalupe resident and board member of the North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center, when she had shared the upcoming pinwheel planting event to the Pasadera Facebook group page, she received a surprising response.
"Thirty-two homes wanted to participate," Deiling said.
As a result, Deiling coordinated with Ann McCarty, executive director of the North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center, to procure bouquets of pinwheels to deliver to Guadalupe residences. McCarty in early April had also organized pinwheel planting events in Solvang, Santa Maria and Lompoc, in coordination with county agencies.
With the help of her 11-year-old daughter, Isla, and 5-year-old community service dog, Preston, Deiling delivered a total of 750 pinwheels on April 9 to 35 Pasadera residents who planted them alongside handmade child abuse prevention signage in their front yards.
According to Deiling, the extra participation this year is key to raising awareness and sparking conversation about ways to prevent child abuse in the local community.
