Volunteer Spotlight on Hanah Bratt!

April is just about over and that means that Child Abuse Prevention Month is coming to a close, but in reality every month and all 365 days a year are for child abuse prevention. –Hanah Bratt, Volunteer at the Child Protection Center

Hi! My name is Hanah Bratt and I am the newest volunteer here at CPC. I’ve lived in the Kansas City area my whole life and I am very family and friend oriented. I’m the middle child with two brothers and have a very involved group of grandparents and cousins. I went to elementary through high school at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, graduating in 2011. I knew I wanted to work with kids, but was unsure in what capacity. I thought about pediatric nursing, occupational therapy, art therapy, speech therapy, early childhood education, special education, and everything in between. I eventually thought about social work. I knew that social work would allow me to help mend and influence change in a child’s life. So, I signed up for a social work class at Johnson County Community College, which required service learning hours at a location of our choice. Searching the key words: “children and social work” led me right to the current volunteer position I now hold.

At the CPC, I am able to spend my few hours each week playing and interacting in the waiting room with children. On my very first day, a very nervous quiet girl came in for her interview. I was told she was very shy, but I proceeded to try to get some form of interaction out of her. Soon enough, we were building a tower together and making a zoo out of blocks. She was laughing and smiling and didn’t even want to go home. Being able to have that effect on a young child in an environment like CPC really inspired me to keep going. It showed me the power that the amazing employees at the Child Protection Center hold, as well as the effect they have. The full process of carrying out a case is a long, emotional and difficult road, which makes child advocacy SO important. Kids are people too. They have their own thoughts, feelings, ideas, and desires. They deserve to express and carry those out as much as the next person. They deserve to live a proper childhood with all the normal kid things, and they should be able to get through those experiences safely. Anything that might inhibit this from happening is something that needs to be handled. Despite the amazing insight and expressions that children carry, sometimes they just need a stronger voice and someone to hold their hand through it, and that is how I dream of spending my days.

I do not know what is immediately up next for me, but what I do know is that I am certainly focusing on the right field, and I thank the CPC for helping me realize that.

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For information about volunteering at the Child Protection Center, visit www.cpckc.org. Together we can continue to make a difference in children’s lives.