April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and volunteers with the Central Alabama Regional Advocacy Center are stepping up to help improve the lives of children in Dallas County and surrounding areas.

Lauri Cothran, executive director of the center, said since 2010, over 250 children have been seen at the center. To see the children, the center has four forensic interviewers that are specially trained for the interview process.

The center is a safe haven for children who have endured sexual and physical abuse. It covers five counties including Dallas, Bibb, Hale, Perry and Wilcox.

We commend a job well done by the center for all of their accomplishments and for taking a stand against child abuse.

Monday, the center got a group of volunteers together to plant a pinwheel garden on the lawn of Selma City Hall. Selma Mayor George Evans, Selma Police Chief William Riley, Bob Judge Armstrong, District Attorney Michael Jackson, City Councilwoman Susan Keith, Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard, fireman Will Dailey and more came out to plant the pinwheels and support the cause.

We were happy to see so many elected officials and other members of the community take time out of their day to participate in the event.

We are thankful to have an organization like the Advocacy Center that can speak up for children with little or no voices.

Being a nonprofit organization, Cothran said donations like the one from the Blackbelt Benefit Group in February are necessary and help tremendously.

We encourage those in the community to give back any way they can, even if that just means going by to look at the pinwheel garden and learning a little more about child abuse and ways to prevent it.