Pasco Kids First
PASCO KIDS FIRST
By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News
Published: December 21, 2011
NEW PORT RICHEY - No one would downplay the serious effects child abuse and neglect have on victims. But the professionals who work with abuse victims also know the importance of providing a relaxing, reassuring atmosphere while they help their young clients move forward.
That's certainly true at Pasco Kids First, whose mission is to prevent child abuse before it happens and assist the healing process when it does.
Rotary International also is dedicated to nurturing children, and when the Trinity Rotary heard Pasco Kids First wanted to redecorate their facility to give it a happier, more relaxing atmosphere, they decided to take up the project.
On Dec. 16, a crew of volunteers was putting the finishing touches on a project to give the facility a stem-to stern makeover, with an "under the sea" theme.
"This is way more than we imagined," Trinity Rotary president Becky Bennett said as volunteers framed affirmative sayings that would go on walls throughout the facility, while others prepared crab nets to go on the hallway walls, as part of the seaside motif that now gives the entire clinic a kid-friendly, tropical-getaway feel.
Rotary member Kim Altrui, who coordinated the project, said once Rotary decided to take on this project, it took off on its own steam, fueled by the enthusiasm of those involved. It started when Pasco Kids First clinical director Kelly Plouffe said she wanted to brighten the atmosphere at the clinic with an "under the sea" theme.
Pasco Kids First works in partnership with other community agencies to help youngsters overcome the devastating effects of child abuse. They provide services to children and their families, including medical and psychological treatment; and they have community education and early-intervention programs.
At the Pasco Kids First offices, clients are assessed and receive treatment and therapy. A year ago in October, they moved into their current office suite at 7344 Little Road. The new space was larger and more efficient than their former office, but it looked drab, clinical.
"I wanted it to be warm, calming and inviting," Plouffe said. A seashore motif fit the mood she was going for perfectly, and it is something children in Florida find familiar.
Trinity Rotary went to Rotary District 6950, which provided them with a grant for $1,278. Trinity Rotary raised another $2,300. Then when Home Depot Store 288 in Holiday caught wind of the project, they donated paint and painting supplies, as well as aprons for the children to use during sessions when they paint to express themselves.
Mary Roxanne Harmon, owner of Murals and More, was hired to come in and do the painting. She soon got caught up in the project and the desire to do something for the children, and she donated more time and materials.
"It was supposed to be just three rooms, but we got carried away," Harmon said. Now practically the entire facility has been included in the tropical paradise motif.
Clients are immersed in the seascape theme the moment they come in the front door. The wall around the reception desk is painted to make it look like a beach resort welcome stand. Next to that is a door that looks like the entrance to a lifeguard shack; actually, it leads to the rest of the facility.
Painted "portholes" provide views into an undersea world populated by friendly, animated sea creatures. In a medical exam room, a sea tortoise gives a reassuring smile as it shows its bandaged fin, letting young patients know that wounds do heal.
A similar, unspoken message permeates the seascape motif — that comfort and contentment are still out there, ready to be had.
One of the places this is most strongly felt is the forensic interview room, where children talk about the abuses they suffered. Harmon painted the walls to make it feel as though the space is set on a deck overlooking an island-dotted stretch of ocean.
On a whim, Harmon painted a sleeping seagull resting on a railing. Plouffe said it is amazing the way practically every child who sees it wants to reach out and pet the sleeping bird.
As part of the healing process, many children who come through Pasco Kids First are encouraged to hand-paint a T-shirt with messages that tell their individual before-and-after story.
"It's amazing some of the things they come up with," therapist Dana Adams said as she showed several examples. But artwork and insight notwithstanding, the T-shirts aren't really something to be worn around in public. There's always been the question of what to do with them.
As part of the new décor, crab nets now adorn the hallways, which will serve as a whimsical gallery where T-shirts by past clients will be displayed.
Plouffe said this will give the children a sense of pride in their work and in knowing they are helping others, as the messages on their T-shirts will let others know that things do get better.
To find out more about Pasco Kids First, call (727) 845-8080 or visit www.pascokidsfirst.org.
Kelly Plouffe, clinical director at Pasco Kids First, and Mary
Roxanne Harmon of Murals and More discuss the positive
effects of The Oasis, an interview room at Pasco Kids First.
The Oasis is one of the best examples of the atmospheric
makeover the agency's headquarters has gotten thanks to
Harmon and the Trinity Rotary.
Trinity Rotary Helps Give Pasco Kids First a New Look
Click above arrow to see video of the Ribbon Cutting for the Open House showcasing Pasco Kids First's New Look!
