April Newsletter
| Dear family and friends, April 2022 Thank you for your continued interest in Azalea Blossom! We appreciate how each of you, in your own way, is invested in making this world a better and safer place for our most vulnerable populations including our children. Following is our latest news. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month Did you know that one in seven children in the United States has experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year and that hospitalizations due to child abuse and neglect are rapidly increasing due to COVID-19 according to CDC reports?The solution is for all of us to continue to spread the positivity to others. It is absolutely imperative that young children receive love and compassion during their early years of development in order for them to grow into well adjusted adults and members of our society. We believe that music and the creative arts are powerful vehicles for communicating positive growth and change and that the prevention and education are the keys to building a more equitable world. Update on the SAFE through the arts television series We know that you are eagerly awaiting the final version of the trailer for our proposed SAFE through the arts television series. So are we! We have been viewing the first drafts and will be meeting with our film director, Steven Gladstone, within the next weeks to solidify the final product. We cannot wait to show you how are SAFE puppets, songs and arts activities come together to bring compassionate communication, positivity and empowerment education to young children. The Bricks Program is back Director Margaret Jean Bernstein, Director and our multi-talented Amy Jade Gong are in the process of recreating the Bricks in the Wall Program for women and children in Domestic Violence shelters in the tri-state area. Our new program will include Margaret singing her songs and personal stories of hope and recovery from her “Bricks in the Wall” album as well as trauma-informed yoga taught by Amy. We will also be working with the residents on positive affirmations, the “Tree Visualization” exercise and other tools from the SAFE through the arts program. We are in the process of securing funding and are super excited to formally launch our program in the fall. We already have interest from shelters who have heard about our success with the SAFE program!Featured Donor of the Month We are excited to announce that our featured donor of the month is Stewart’s Shops. Stewart’s Shops supports local charities, donating $7.5 million annually to the communities they serve. Azalea Blossom has been a grateful recipient of Stewart’s Shops Charity’s generosity over then last fourteen years. The contributions they have made to Azalea Blossom have made it possible for us to bring the SAFE through the arts program to children from seven counties in New York State. Please support them by stopping for their famous ice cream flavor of the day! |
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| Thank you for your continued support! All of us at Azalea Blossom are most grateful for your continued support. Each of you make it possible for us to keep doing the important work that we are doing to help prevent bullying and domestic violence as well as to empower and educate children and victims of abuse. There is no tool more effective than the arts and there is no better time to contribute than during Child Abuse Prevention Month and your gift of any amount is always welcome and appreciated. |
| Quotation of the Month “Bloom beautifully, dangerously, loudly. Bloom softly, however you need. Just bloom.” (Rupi Kaur) With love, best wishes and gratitude, xo  Margaret Jean Bernstein, Founder and Executive Director, Azalea Blossom, Incorporated |
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