About Sophia
Sophia Key West knows how hard it is being a fairy tale =
hero=20
these days. For starters, the schedule can be grueling.
As the full-time volunteer chief of staff at the Good =
Knight=20
Empowerment Network, West has worked up the seven days a =
week=20
since 2001, often 12 hours a day, to create awareness =
programs to=20
help children protect themselves from the harm that can come =
from=20
adults.
West is also the founder of Mothers Against Predators, a nonprofit =
with=20
programs to educate adults and children alike about the =
behavior=20
patterns of sexual predators.
Yet West is best known not as an administrator, but as a=20
princess. That is, as her alter ego, Lady Sophia, a =
beautiful fairy=20
princess dress who travels throughout the land with her own =
magical=20
silver breastplate, sword in one hand and daughter Michaela =
in the=20
other.
In both roles, West sees her work as the same: =
she=E2=80=99s protecting=20
children from those who would steal their innocence and =
dreams. For=20
her dedication, West has been recognized by dozens of =
organizations=20
for her service to the community, including the Presidential =
Lifetime Achievement Award.
West says her dedication was born from personal tragedy.=20
Victimized by a relative for many years, she grew up with =
the shadow=20
of abuse in her own life. Later, it came out that her =
teenage son=20
had been sexually abused by a soccer coach when he was only =
11 years=20
old.
Despite her situation, West knows she=E2=80=99s not alone =
in her=20
experience =E2=80=93 not by a long shot.
According to government statistics, crimes against =
children=20
have gone up 444% since 1986. Today over 600,000 registered =
sexual=20
predators reside in this country alone, but fewer than 10 =
percent=20
are ever caught. And while the internet is making it easier =
than=20
ever for predators to lure children, in reality most =
predators are=20
already known to the victim before the offense takes =
place.
The urgency to get the message out is greater than =
ever.
=E2=80=9CWhen I look out into an audience of 100 kids =
knowing that=20
statistically seven out of 10 girls and three out of 10 boys =
will be=20
victimized before the age of 18, I know I am helping to =
bring=20
awareness into their lives that will help them stay =
safe,=E2=80=9D said=20
West.
Because there are people in this world who will take =
their=20
innocence and sense of security away if given the chance, =
Lady=20
Sophia and her fellow volunteers give their imagination, =
time and=20
devotion to the wondrous mythology of knights, princesses =
and=20
chivalry.
Good Knight was founded in 1995, and in 2001 launched the =
Good Knight Magic Kingdom and family =
safety=20
museum. The facility, located on three acres in Beltsville, =
Md.,=20
also houses the nonprofit=E2=80=99s office.
Like any good magic kingdom, Good Knight offers thousands =
of=20
visitors a unique atmosphere of interactive magic shows, =
safety=20
programs, special festivals and field trips throughout the =
year.=20
Through themed-adventures including a Prince and Princess =
Show, the=20
Knights of the Round Table, Lord of the Rings Haunted =
Adventure=20
Quest and, of course, a magic show, children learn the ABCs =
of=20
self-protection and crime-prevention.
According to West, a child watching a Good Knight =
presentation=20
such as the =E2=80=9CABCs of Self Protection=E2=80=9D =
experiences multi-sensory=20
learning, which allows children to retain information on how =
to=20
avoid being =E2=80=9Ctricked=E2=80=9D by predators. By =
hearing the trick,=20
seeing it acted, having it spelled out on screen, and then =
by=20
feeling the emotion of the actor, the child=E2=80=99s own =
emotional response=20
to the experience will create a =E2=80=9Cmemory =
recall,=E2=80=9D which is a powerful=20
yet simple aide the child will need to make quick decisions =
in the=20
real world.
=E2=80=9CEducation is prevention,=E2=80=9D said West. =
And in the Kingdom of the Good Knights, knowledge =
=E2=80=93 and not the=20
sword =E2=80=93 is power.
Here at VolunteerMatch, we=E2=80=99re honored to help =
Good Knight Child=20
Empowerment Network and over 55,000 other nonprofits make an =
impact=20
in local communities. If your cause needs help, =
we=E2=80=99ve got a=20
volunteer waiting to save the day. Please log in =
and update=20
your account today!
(Written by Carol M. Karimi) |
About Good Knight Child Empowerment=20
Network
Good Knight Child Empowerment Network is a nationally =
recognized=20
leader in the creation of prevention programs to stop abuse, =
abduction, and victimization. The organization focuses on =
using the=20
arts (dance, art, music) as a means to stop the violence as =
well as=20
other creative mediums to empower individuals to find the =
"hero=20
within." Our mission is to empower families to prevent crime =
using a=20
multi-cultural knighthood theme, to protect the environment =
and to=20
empower all to create a brighter future.
Good Knight Child Empowerment Network
11001 Rhode =
Island=20
Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705
http://www.goodknight.org/
Check out Good=20
Knight Child Empowerment Network opportunities on=20
VolunteerMatch. |
![3DVolunteerMatch=20](3D"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif"){kind=logo}
![3D"Sophia](3D"http://www.volunteermatch.org/nonprofits/stories/images/sophia/200=)
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