LYNN — The annual Child Abuse Prevention Luncheon brought together community leaders, service providers, and advocates in Lynn to highlight the importance of protecting children and strengthening family support systems.
Held in the Lynn Housing Authority and Neighborhood Development (LHAND) community room and hosted by the Lynn Community Connection Coalition, the event emphasized the need for awareness, collaboration, and continued action during April, recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Brandy Rodriguez, director of the coalition, opened the event by highlighting its purpose. She described the coalition’s role as a vital connector within the community.
“We serve as a community resource…connecting people to resources, connecting agencies to agencies,” Rodriguez stated.
Rodriguez highlighted a common challenge in resource-rich communities like Lynn: access.
“Sometimes, people don’t know how to get them or where to go to get them. So that’s where we like to come in and assist them in that,” she said.
Through regular attendance at community events and meetings, the coalition ensures it remains informed and effective in making referrals and supporting residents.
She also expressed gratitude to key partners, including LHAND and the coalition’s volunteer steering committee, noting their collaborative efforts to “plan how to support the needs that are out there,” she added.
Attendees were provided with updated resource materials and encouraged to share corrections to keep information accurate and accessible.
Tracy Gilmore, area clinical manager of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families office, reinforced the collective action.
“We need our mental health providers to help both address the concerns that our parents are struggling with… but also to help our kids who have issues with trauma and need help.”
She stressed that the goal is stability and safety: “What we’re trying to really do is get them to a place of having a solid, safe, and secure life.” Gilmore added that while Lynn is fortunate to have many supportive agencies, the challenge lies in ensuring families can access them.
The program also featured remarks from state leadership, including Senator Joan Lovely, who was the keynote speaker of the afternoon, recognized for her advocacy on child protection.
She spoke candidly about the realities of abuse, particularly child sexual abuse, noting that “90% of child sexual abuse goes unrecorded.” She emphasized the urgency of legislative efforts aimed at prevention and accountability, including a proposed bill addressing grooming and closing legal loopholes tied to the age of consent.
Lovely also highlighted the importance of education and awareness for those on the front lines.
“We want to make sure that mandated reporters know what to look for,” she said, explaining that signs of abuse are not always obvious.
Expanding training to volunteer coaches is another initiative, ensuring more adults can recognize warning signs early.
Statistics shared during the event underscored the scale of the issue. “20% of girls… are sexually abused in this country,” Lovely noted, adding that for boys, the figure is 13%. These realities, she said, demand continued collaboration across agencies and levels of government.
Despite the gravity of the topic, the event carried a message of hope and determination.
As Gilmore expressed, “My hope is that someday, we don’t need to have this meeting… But until we get in there, we’re going to be together and just trying to make things better for kids.”
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
