Ron Book makes a great effort to help his local community and has been an advocate for many different causes. For example, Lauren’s Kids Foundation is one of them that holds a special place with him. Recently Ron Book discusses with us how this foundation is a vital child’s rights advocacy team and how it has helped protect young people across Southern Florida.
Lauren’s Kids Foundation
Over the years, Lauren’s Kids has helped educate children and adults about sexual abuse prevention, particularly that of our young ones. Ron Book understands that this problem affects millions of children around the world. Another important factor that drives this group of heroes is the founder of the foundation, Lauren, who is also a survivor of abuse herself. An estimated 95% of abuse is preventable through education and awareness, and nothing can stop Lauren’s Kids Foundation from delivering the message to the world.
Lauren’s Kids provides educational resources for all adults and children and has created the Safer, Smarter Schools K-12 curriculum to help educate Florida students and parents about these risks. This program was so successful that 40 states have adopted it as their childhood sexual abuse education option. However, Lauren’s Kids has done much more than simply educating people.
Ron Book mentions that the organization has held many events to raise money and awareness about the growing concern of child abuse. The annual “Walk In My Shoes” travels from Key West to Tallahassee, which is over 1,500 miles. They also travel to the Florida Capitol in a 42-hour campaign that honors the 42 million child sexual abuse survivors that live across the nation. This event has become a significant rallying point for advocates and a powerful reminder of the persistence of this problem across the country and the world at large.
Lauren’s Kids provides 10 million education and awareness packages annually through direct mail. It has helped pass over two dozen national laws to support survivors, protect children, and hold predators accountable for their actions. Many of these programs educate adults on how to spot signs of sexual abuse and what they should do if they see these signs and symptoms affecting their loved ones.
Ron Book and Lauren’s Kids have supported the launch of many other programs and share survivors’ stories through groups like AshBritt & Lauren’s Kids Trauma Therapy House. This home helps sexual abuse survivors understand how to process the trauma, recover from it and live a healthy, positive life with a brighter future ahead of them. Ron and Lauren strongly support and encourage this type of education as a way of helping those who need it get the help they deserve.
Other events that Lauren’s Kids hold every year include the Be a Hero 5K run, the Golf and Gala competition, Purse Bingo to raise money for various causes, and the Striking Out Child Abuse program supported by the New York Yankees. Ron Book believes that this organization and others like them can provide the support needed to eliminate childhood sexual abuse and encourage others to stand up with them in the fight.
