$30,000 grant supports child abuse prevention program in southeast Missouri

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) — A southeast Missouri child abuse prevention program has received a $30,000 grant to support its education efforts, organizers announced.

The funding for the Green Bear Project, a program of Southeast Missouri Networks Against Sexual Violence (SEMO-NASV), comes from the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation.

The program provides age-appropriate education to children from pre-kindergarten through high school, focusing on abuse prevention, personal safety and healthy relationships. Organizers said the program reached more than 23,000 young people during the last school year.

The Green Bear Project was founded by foster parent and pediatric nurse Leasa Stone following the death of a 2-year-old child. The program is named after the child’s stuffed animal and aims to teach children that abuse is not their fault and to encourage them to report concerns to trusted adults.

Julie Gray, president of the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, said the organization’s continued support reflects the program’s impact in helping reduce stigma and encourage reporting of abuse.

Since 2022, the foundation has provided $90,000 in total funding to support the program.

Stone said demand for the program continues to grow, with expanded offerings including self-esteem classes and plans to develop community coalitions focused on preventing abuse.

The grant is part of a broader round of giving by the foundation, which distributed nearly $1.5 million to 50 nonprofits nationwide.

Officials said community members interested in bringing the program to schools or supporting its efforts can find more information through SEMO-NASV.